The Truth About Prayer—In Short

by Charles R. Swindoll

    To be painfully honest with you, most of the stuff I have ever read or heard said about prayer has either left me under a ton-and-a-half truck-load of guilt or wearied me with pious sounding clichés and meaningless God-talk. Without trying to sound ultracynical, I frequently have walked away thinking, "Who needs it?" Because I didn’t spend two or three grueling hours a day on my knees as dear Dr. So-and- so did…or because I failed to say it "just the right way" (whatever that means)…or because I wasn’t able to weave several scripture verses through my prayer…or because I had not been successful in moving mountains, I picked up the distinct impression that I was out to lunch when it came to this part of the Christian life. It seemed almost spooky, mystical, and (dare I say it) even a little superstitious. A lot of verbal mumbo jumbo laced with a secret jargon some people had and others didn’t. And I definitely didn’t.

    We have been led to believe that in order for prayer to be effective, it must be arduous, lengthy, even painful. And we must stay at it for hours on end. . .pleading, longing, waiting, hurting. You don’t find that in the Scriptures. Except in very few and extreme cases, prayer is neither long nor hard to bear. And I cannot find any biblical characters who struggled with guilt because they didn’t pray long enough or because they weren’t in enough pain or because they failed to plead and beg sufficiently. Check it for yourself. It isn’t there.

    Biblical prayer includes praise and thanksgiving, intercession and petition, meditiation, and confession. In prayer we focus fully on God; we capture renewed zeal to continue, a wider view of life, increased determination to endure. As we strengthen our grip on prayer, it is amazing how it alters our whole perspective. I encourage you to get a fresh, new grip on prayer. It is essential for survival.

    Prayer certainly was never intended to make us feel guilty. It was never intended to be a verbal marathon for only the initiated. . .no secret-code talk for the clergy or a public display of piety. None of that. Real prayer—the kind of prayer Jesus mentioned and modeled—is realistic, spontaneous, down-to-earth communication with the living Lord that results in a relief of personal anxiety and a calm assurance that our God is in full control of our circumstances.

This excerpt is taken from the booklet, Prayer: A Realistic Approach to Intimacy with God (Zondervan Publishing House, 1995). It is available at your local bookstore or by calling 1-800-727-3480.

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