Focus: The Peril of Prayerlessness

Text: Lk.22:46

"Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."

The Lord Jesus Christ frowns at sleeping when one should actually be praying. He says, "Why sleep ye? Rise and pray…" In other words, it is unreasonable, dangerous and a grave error for any follower of Christ to take prayer lightly.

The world is infested with all kinds of demons and the Christian, as far as his faith is concerned, lives in a hostile environment. Paul calls Satan, "The god of this world," which tells us that Satan is the controller and ruler of the world's system. The Lord Jesus Christ described Satan as "the Prince of this world." 

Satan dominates everywhere through his agents and subjects. Living a prayerless life in this evil world means exposing oneself to great danger. Prayerlessness is harmful.

The Lord Jesus Christ says, "Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." By means of prayer we wards off temptations, and by means of prayer we prevail over temptations. Prayer prepares us against temptations. Christ taught us to pray, "Deliver us from evil." That means that by means of prayer we connect with God, who is our sole deliverer and protector. Through prayer we draw God's attention to issues that concern us. Through prayer we bring the supernatural God into the natural realm to deal with things that lie beyond our power to handle or control.

In this life, there are things we can handle or control and there are also things we cannot control, and it is by means of prayer that we invoke and involve God in those things that are beyond our ability to control.

The Scripture tells us that with God the impossible is possible.

Someone once said that a day without prayer is a boast against God. By means of prayer, on one hand, we demonstrate our dependence upon God, and by a prayerless life, on the other hand, we declare our independence from God, which is pride.

Spiritual sleepiness is demonic. It smacks of gross ignorance and a high level of insensitivity. The prayerless is careless and unwise. The prayerless lack understanding of the vital importance of prayer in this world. No Christian can afford to live in this world of evil forces and be prayerless. Also, no follower of Christ can strive and thrive in this world without being in possession of spiritual power. Unfortunately, the prayerless is powerless.

No individual or group of people in the Bible days who had any dealings with God, who did not pray. Early in the history of mankind men called upon the name of the Lord. Abraham prayed. Isaac prayed. Jacob prayed. Moses prayed. David prayed. The prophets prayed. The children of Israel prayed. Elijah prayed. Jabez prayed. Paul prayed. The apostles and the early church prayed. The list is endless. Even Jesus Christ Himself prayed. That means that prayer is essential and vital. 

From the place of prayer we draw strength from God. Paul connected the whole armor of God in Ephesians six to prayer, because prayer makes our spiritual panoply divinely efficient and effective. Let's avoid the peril of prayerlessness and imbibe the culture of prayerfulness.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter