Hymns With A Message: TEACH ME TO PRAY LORD

Sunday, February 19, 2017

TEACH ME TO PRAY LORD

I think one of the most misused phrases in the Christian vocabulary is "I'll pray for you". We often tell folks who are in need that we will do this and we might a few times, but often our promise is soon forgotten. Few of us have the discipline to be real prayer warriors. I have been blest in my life to have several relatives who were real prayer warriors. For 25 years our family had a ministry which often involved very early Sunday morning long trips to churches in various locations in several different states. In all those years we only ever had one problem finding our way to the church. It was the Sunday after my grandfather had passed away and I later realized that for the first time my faithful prayer warrior wasn't praying for us that morning. What a lesson about the power of prayer that touched my life following that experience. Now I must admit that I haven't always been a faithful prayer warrior. There are many times that I have cried out to the Lord, as did the disciples in Luke 11:1, "Lord teach me to pray". And he has been teaching me, even though at times I am a slow learner. However, as a result of several recent surgeries he has provided me much more time to pray eliminating my excuse of the lack of time to do so. Now I don't know much about Albert S. Reitz (1879-1966) and I know nothing about his prayer life. However I recently came upon a song which he penned in 1925. I can remember singing it in church services when I was a youngster but I haven't heard it for years. Quite possibly you may never have heard it. But in it Reitz shares several practical issues about prayer. Prayer is for the one who wants to please God, who says, "I long to know Thy will and Thy way" (Stanza 1). God's will and way is made clear in His Word, but we need wisdom in applying the principles of God's Word. God's promise is, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James1:5). Prayer is for the one who sees and is touched by the great needs of humanity - "men lost and dying, souls in despair" (Stanza 2). A prayer for God's enablement, and for spiritual power, is called for, if we are to serve Him effectively. Prayer is for the one who understands that our sin nature can still raise its ugly head, and we can still stumble into sin (Stanza 3). "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:11-12). The words of this stanza are a powerful prayer for all of us, as are the words of the chorus. Prayer is as important to our spiritual life as is breathing to our human life. May this song be a reminder to us this week of our need to spend time alone with the Lord. May we have the discipline and desire to be prayer warriors for our own spiritual growth and for the many needs of those all around us. And may we never be guilty of saying "I'll pray for you" and then not faithfully doing it. And as stanza 4 repeats, Lord, teach us to pray.

1. Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray;

This is my heart-cry day unto day;

I long to know Thy will and Thy way;

Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray.

Living in Thee, Lord, and Thou in me,

Constant abiding, this is my plea;

Grant me Thy power, boundless and free,

Power with men and power with Thee.

2. Power in prayer, Lord, power in prayer!

Here 'mid earth's sin and sorrow and care,

Men lost and dying, souls in despair;

O give me power, power in prayer!