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Jesus on Prayer, Part 5
This is the final exercise for our week of looking at what Jesus taught about prayer. Read Mark 9:14-29.
There is an inherent sadness in this account, it seems. Demonic forces are causing horrible suffering to a boy and his family, and the disciples are unable to do anything about it. In his commentary on Mark, William Lane remarks that this scene “exhibits the disaster which occurs when men from whom the power of faith may be expected are proven to be void of power when it is needed.” The disciples were “void of power,” unable to drive out the demon, unable to join God in his kingdom work in this instance.
Jesus himself drives out the demon, and afterward he withdraws with his disciples to a house for a time of debriefing. “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” they ask. Perhaps they were wondering if their technique was wrong, or if they said the wrong words, or in the wrong order. Maybe they didn’t ask the right questions or perform the right gestures. Or perhaps they were simply trying to follow Jesus and were discouraged that they didn’t seem to be able to do it. Why didn’t it work?
Jesus’ response has baffled many commentators and theologians: “This kind can only come out by prayer.”
What Jesus seems to be indicating is that prayer is a kind of training ground or practice field for ministry in the kingdom. There is a difference between the “in the moment” crisis of ministry and the “behind the scenes” training for ministry.
Just like an firefighter cannot expect to perform well “in the moment” simply because she wants to fight fires, we cannot expect to function effectively as agents of God’s kingdom “in the moment” just because we want to. Training is needed, for firefighters and exorcists. The training that firefighters undergo is meant to help them to automatically function well “in the moment.” Likewise, a consistent and deep life of prayer will help us function effectively “in the moment,” when kingdom breakthrough is needed.
The feeling the disciples had of being “void of power” is one I have felt many times: I encounter a situation into which I would love to bring a token of the kingdom, only to find myself powerless to do so. The good news is that the disciples, although they couldn’t do anything about this situation in Mark 9, are eventually able to do the kinds of things we see in Acts, presumably because they stuck with a long-term training regimen of disciples to Jesus and prayer.
This is also the good news for us. Although we may have squandered many opportunities in the past because of a lack of prayer, God’s forgiveness is available to us, and we can begin training today for greater kingdom effectiveness through prayer.
Prayer exercise
Write down your normal prayer rhythms, however scrawny they may be. What kinds of prayer… what times… how much time… don’t shy away from being brutally honest with yourself and God about how much time you actually spend at the “spiritual gym” of prayer.Offer this rhythm to God in prayer and ask him to show you where you need to change your “workout.” You might need a little tweak here or there. You might need a complete overhaul. Just like with a physical workout, be careful not to push yourself too hard too quickly. Ask someone wiser to help you craft a “prayer workout” that will move you toward greater spiritual power and kingdom effectiveness.
clara rothenbush said...
1I have trouble praying for long hours at a time about something I’m concerned about…like a sick friend or relative. There are just so many sentences I can think of to praise him and then to ask for healing for my friend, for example. How do you guys pray for so long? What do you say, specifically, that can make prayers last for hours… or even all night? I just can’t think of wht to say after awhile.
01/21/10 6:15 PM | Comment Link
Ben said...
2I hear you, Clara! I think one of the rhythms of prayer that is learned over time is a back-and-forth kind of listening and speaking that happens. I often begin praying for those I’m concerned about with simply my knowledge of the situation, what I want God to do, etc… but as I enter into prayer and take time to listen to God, I oftentimes gain insight or new kinds of requests to pray.
One book that has greatly helped me understand this dynamic is Graham Cooke’s little booklet Crafted Prayer.
Other times I will use the Lord’s prayer as a guiding prayer. I pray each clause of the prayer and then pause and pray the main ideas of that clause into the situation or person I am holding before the Lord. just a couple suggestions.
I am definitely learning, too! I oftentimes feel incredibly “out of shape” when I read about Jesus praying all night!
01/22/10 7:53 AM | Comment Link
clara rothenbush said...
3I love Graham Cooke… so I’ll hunt up a copy of that book! Thanks!
01/22/10 12:51 PM | Comment Link