Understanding Prayer by E. M. Bounds

Author:E. M. Bounds [Bounds, E.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-62416-014-1
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

“I exhort therefore,” he says, “that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority.”

1 TIMOTHY 2:1–2

It is a sad day for righteousness when church politics, instead of holy praying, shapes the administration of the kingdom and elevates men to position and power. Why pray for all people? Because God wills the salvation of all people. God’s children on earth must link their prayers to God’s will. Prayer is to carry out the will of God. God wills the salvation of all people. His heart is set on this one thing. Our prayers must be the creation and advocates of God’s will. We are to grasp humanity in our praying as God grasps humanity in His love, His interest, and His plans to redeem humanity. Our sympathies, prayers, wrestling, and ardent desires must run parallel with the will of God—broad, generous, worldwide, and godlike. The Christian must in all things, first of all, be conformed to the will of God, but nowhere shall this royal devotion be more evident than in the salvation of humankind. This high partnership with God, as His representatives on earth, is to have its fullest, richest, and most efficient application in prayer for all people.

Men are to pray for all men, especially for rulers in church and state, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2). Peace on the outside and peace on the inside. Praying calms disturbing forces, allays tormenting fears, brings conflict to an end. Prayer tends to do away with turmoil. But even if there are external conflicts, it is well to have deep peace within the citadel of the soul. “That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.” Prayer brings the inner calm and furnishes the outward tranquility. Praying rulers and praying subjects, were they worldwide, would allay turbulent forces, make wars to cease, and peace to reign.

Men must pray for all men that we may lead lives “in all godliness and honesty.” That is with godliness and gravity. godliness is to be like God. It is to be godly, to have godlikeness, having the image of God stamped upon the inner nature, and showing the same likeness in conduct and in disposition. Almighty God is the very highest model, and to be like Him is to possess the highest character. Prayer molds us into the image of God, and at the same time tends to mold others into the same image in proportion to our prayers for others. Prayer means to be godlike, and to be godlike is to love Christ and love God, to be one with the Father and the Son in spirit, character, and conduct. Prayer means to stay with God until you are like Him. Prayer makes a godly man, and puts within him “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), the mind of humility, of self-surrender, of service, of pity, and of prayer.

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