In Everything by Prayer

DAY 2

Seek, and ye shall find.

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

The sons of Zebedee came with their ambitious mother to Jesus one day and said in effect: "Lord, when your Kingdom is established, please let my sons be Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister." We can sympathize with the mother, but the request was thoroughly selfish and thoughtless. The other disciples were indignant, but our Lord responded tenderly and without rebuke. He understands us too when we make similar blunders. The Spirit gently corrects us when we misuse prayer for our own selfish advantage.

In our zeal to serve the Lord, let us always strive for perfection. To achieve this, we must be prepared to humbly examine ourselves. Have our prayers been self-centered? Let not such a question surprise you, for some Christians and ministers are concerned only with those enterprises which involve them.

If, for instance, there is to be a Family Meeting in their home, they will pray earnestly and fervently for the meeting to be richly blessed. The next month, a similar meeting is to be held in another home. Strangely their prayers fall silent for they do not seem to be aware of the event. Or, if they are due to participate in some Gospel service, they would pray day and night. But if they are not involved, their interest dies down at once. If their church is organizing a Bible conference or a missions convention, then they bubble with enthusiasm and they labour much in prayer for the event. If not, they do not seem to care.

Is this my method of praying? Lord, rebuke me of such hypocrisy. Teach me to pray for others, O Lord! If from our heart we cry to the Lord in true contrition, a great change takes place in our prayer life. We begin to pray as we ought, for others of like precious faith and of the same persuasion. This is well pleasing unto the Lord.

QUESTION: How much of your prayer is for others? PRAYER: Lord, teach me to put Thee first, others next and myself last.