Removing a Lung

The spiritual discipline of regular Bible reading is akin to eating, while the spiritual discipline of prayer is like breathing. Neglecting the regular reading of Scripture is like going on a hunger strike; but neglecting prayer is like removing a lung.

The reason we often languish in our effort to pray regularly is that we walk by pragmatism rather than by faith. Bible reading is rather measurable. You can tick off the chapters as you go. This gives a sense of accomplishment. When you pray, what is accomplished is far less perceptible. You say, “Amen” and then…what? You can spend hours on your knees, only to rise with nothing seemingly to have changed. Our pragmatism tut-tuts at this apparent wasted time.

As we begin our celebration of Christ’s advent, we should note that what preceded the glorious coming of our Lord is generations of OT saints praying for that day. They prayed for God’s deliverance through the coming of the Messiah, and yet, as Hebrews 11:13 tells us they “died in faith” without receiving the answer to their prayers. 

We desire a Reformation, and thus we’ve blasted the trumpet for the saints of God to go to the Word. This is half of maintaining your Spiritual vitality. We must also eagerly head to the prayer closet, for that’s where your faith is most likely to be tested, and thus strengthened. In prayer, all that you say you believe about the doctrines of God’s sovereignty are put to the test. You say God is omnipotent, so pray like you believe it. You say God will deliver His people from their oppressors, so pray as if He will avenge His elect speedily. You can acknowledge that God alone can deliver His people from their trials, but prayer is putting that faith into action.