Gary Walker: It’s time to pray

At noon May 4, people will gather at Franklin City Hall for the National Day of Prayer.

I wrote this column to highlight this annual gathering, but I’m not going to say much about the event. Instead, I’d like to express some thoughts about the whole concept of prayer and my own struggle to be a man of prayer.

In the fall of 1972, I came into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It was by God’s grace alone — through the gift of faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. As I began to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, God opened up opportunities to serve Him through various Christian ministries.

Prayer was always a part of all this, but for the most part, I didn’t fully appreciate its value or importance. I knew John 15:5 — “for apart from Me you can do nothing,” — and I knew that I needed the Lord’s grace, wisdom and power in order to love Him, follow Him, and serve Him. Still, I didn’t slow down long enough to fully engage and abide in Christ through humble, dependent prayer.

And now I find myself once again, convicted by the Holy Spirit regarding my hurried prayer life, and crying out once more, “Lord, make me a man of prayer. Help me be constant in prayer; to pray without ceasing. Let each moment of my day be dependent upon You, and be accompanied by ongoing prayer with my Creator, Redeemer, and Friend!” Perhaps you’ve had some of these same thoughts as well.

Since I came to Franklin 11 years ago, I’ve envisioned the body of Christ in Franklin and the surrounding communities coming together in united prayer. They would do so in order to live Spirit-empowered lives that would make a difference in our families, churches, and communities, for the glory of God!

The words of Jesus are very clear regarding the importance and power of prayer:

Matthew 21:13 — “It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer …”

Matthew 7:7 — “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened.”

John 16:24 — “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full.”

The words of the old hymn are still true:

“Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.”

I have a number of favorite quotes regarding prayer that I often think of. Jonathan Edwards, 18th century preacher, said, “Prayer proves the reality of one’s faith … Those who don’t pray live as if there were no God at all.”

“O, let the place of secret prayer become to me the most beloved place on earth,” said Andrew Murray, a writer, teacher and pastor. Likewise, author and clergyman E.M. Bounds said, “A revival of real praying would produce a spiritual revolution.”

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not commending prayer to the neglect of Bible study or fellowship or worship or evangelism or doing good works in the name of Jesus. All I’m saying is that prayer allows us to humble ourselves before the Lord, to express our total dependence upon Him, and to cry out for His all-sufficient grace in every area of life.

Prayer is the place where our weakness and God’s power come together to accomplish the will of God.

I would like to encourage you to come to the National Day of Prayer gathering this year, but even more, I want to ask you to make your relationship with Jesus, through the joyful practice of prayer, a top priority every day of your life. And while you are praying, please pray for every church leader you know, that we will be men and women of prayer who seek the Lord with all our heart.

Gary Walker is a pastor at Franklin City Church. He is helping lead Franklin’s National Day of Prayer event, which will be at noon May 4 at Franklin City Hall, 71 E. Court St.