indisputable evidence

Prayerlessness is perhaps the most indisputable evidence of pride in my life.

The act of prayer is first and foremost a purposeful step in the direction of humility. It is an acceptance of my weakness and a sign of my dependence on One far more powerful and wise than I. When I pray, I lower myself. I declare my need. I acknowledge my insufficiency. Without question, prayer must be considered one of the principle activities of the meek and humble.

Prayerlessness, however, is the opposite of all these things. It is ignoring my weakness and rejecting the Lord’s gracious provision and guidance. It is a statement of independence and self-sufficiency. When I refuse to pray, I declare to God (either consciously or subconsciously) that I don’t need what He has to offer. Without question, prayerlessness must be considered one of the principle characteristics of the proud, and a grievous insult to our loving Savior.

Prayer is, in fact, the most powerful weapon the Lord provides for pummeling pride and for waging spiritual war against the presence of sin in my life.

Daily, the Lord waits to place this weapon in my hand, anxious to train me in its use. But rather than accepting His gracious gift and devoting time to the practice of prayer, rather than allowing the Spirit of God to instruct me in this martial art, I have often chosen to ignore the offer and to go about my daily business as if there were no need for such a weapon.

I may take the weapon in hand playfully from time to time, as if it were a toy; before meals and to open and close a meeting with other Christians. But I know next to nothing of its value as an instrument of war. And at this point, armed combat, face to face conflict in the spiritual realm is out of the question. Examples of answered prayer in my life? Well, I’d rather not talk about it. If I’m honest with myself, the thought of seeing God’s transforming power unleashed in response to my prayers seems almost mythical.

Now, those last few lines may have been slightly exaggerated, but I want to paint a disturbing picture that is, unfortunately, not entirely unlike the experience of many Christians with prayer (including myself at various stages of my journey in Christ). And the reality is that prayerlessness is an obvious sign of spiritual anemia. Andrew Murray says that:

Nothing so reveals a defective spiritual life as the lack of believing and unceasing prayer. Prayer is the pulse of the spiritual life. It is the great means of bringing (to believers) the blessing and power of heaven. Persevering and believing prayer means a strong and an abundant life (The Believer’s Prayer Life).

In the next several entries, I will be examining prayerlessness as a symptom of pride and spiritual sickness in my life. I invite your comments and insights. I sense that my participation in the dance of lowliness will be enhanced or hindered in direct relation to the nature of my investment in prayer. This means that any examination of my prayer life (weak and fragmented as it may be) will prove to be not just beneficial but essential to my progress in humility.