March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment Today, Thursday March 22, 20112 is the twenty-seventh day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” prayerlessness (pride) and “put on” prayer. Recently I learned that the sin of prayerlessness has to do with pride. The reason I can live without praying is that I mistakenly believe that “I” have everything in my life under control. The way you can test this assertion is to consider what you do when life throws you a curve ball is to cry out to God. Prayerlessness therefore, has at its root the sin of pride. Not to pray is to ignore the clear teaching of Jesus. 1 Now He [Jesus] was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1–8 (NASB) Jesus was a man of prayer. When we consider that Jesus was fully human and fully divine His commitment to and practice of prayer seems strange. I need to “put off” prayerlessness and “put on” prayer. Below is the results of my study of Jesus’ prayer life as portrayed in Luke’s gospel. Jesus’ ministry began with 40 days of prayer and fasting. He ended his ministry by praying all night. Among his final words are the prayer “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34). His disciples even figured out that Jesus was a man of prayer. Before he calls his disciples in Luke 5, we read in Luke4, that “at day break Jesus went out to a solitary place” to pray (Luke. 4:42). Then in Luke 5 we read that between His healing a man with leprosy and His healing of a paralytic that “. . . the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.” But Jesus “often withdrew to lonely place and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16). Before He designates which twelve disciples would be Apostles He prayed all of one day and all of one night. In Luke 6 we read that “one of those days Jesus went out to a mountain side to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles (Luke 6:12-13). After this day and night of Prayer Jesus gives the Beatitudes. It is at a time when Jesus is praying that Peter makes the famous confession of Christ as Messiah. Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’…Peter answered, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:18;20b). Eight days later He went up on the mountain to pray and it was “as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed” (Luke 9:29) and he was transfigured. In Luke 11:1 we read “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place” when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord teach us to pray. . . .” So the context of this question is Lord we see that every time you get through praying something happens, so teach how to pray! You and I need to pray. We learn to pray best, not by reading books about prayer, or listening to sermon on prayer but by praying. Not only is prayerlessness a sin, but it robs us of valuable practice in praying. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 (NASB) I need to “put off” prayerlessness and “put on” prayer, not just occasional prayer I need to pray continually without ceasing. I suspect that if you honestly examine you heart in light of your personal pride, arrogance and presumption you will agree that you to need to “put off” prayerlessness and “put on” prayer. Don’t just sit there, pray something! If you genuinely want to get with Jesus, then you have to get praying.