Why Can't I Pray Like I'm Supposed To?

In Matthew 26 it says that Jesus took His disciples and went to the garden of Gethsemane. As we all know, many things happened, but lately I've been focusing on the length of Jesus' prayer. It says that He came back after praying and found them sleeping. Then He said, "Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?" So, Jesus prayed for an hour. I don't know about you, but that is a long time for me. The text says that He went back and prayed two more times. Maybe those were an hour each, also. It is very plausible that He prayed for three hours or more here, seeing how He was under tremendous stress, knowing His immediate future (the cross). In other passages, Jesus is recorded as staying up all night in prayer, specifically before the selecting of the 12.

Why can't I pray like that? "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I want to, but I can't make myself do it. In fact, I could be praying right now, but I'm writing a blog instead. Why????????????

I can't find the quote, but a godly man once said, "The extent of the power of prayer has never been fully realized." I agree. I've experienced some of it, but I can't stay with it.

I remember one Saturday I had made my mind up that I would go to my next door neighbor's house and witness to the family. I was terrified, seriously scared to death. So, I prayed. And I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed some more. I quoted Scripture, especially Isaiah 41:10, and prayed some more. After praying for what seemed like the longest I had ever prayed, an amazing peace came over me. It was a powerful peace that definitely transcended my own understanding. I was truly strengthened by the Spirit, and I marched out the door towards my neighbor's driveway, with not one ounce of fear or hesitation, and knocked fearlessly on the door. She answered and I witnessed to her without turning red or stuttering at all, which is unusual for me :)

So, why can't I take that experience and trust in God to do the same now and in the future? I don't know, "the flesh is weak". I lack discipline. I'm going to go try now.

Lay people are the evangelists

I just read something that was very profound. Guess what, it was in the Bible. I was reading a statement by Henry Blackaby that guided me to Acts chapter 8. Verse 1 says that after Stephen was killed, persecution arose and forced all Christians to scatter... "all except the apostles". In verse 4, it says that "Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word." Now, who went about preaching the word? "Those who had been scattered", which was everyone "except the apostles". What does this mean? It means that we "lay people" are the ones that should be going everywhere preaching the word, just like the early church did. It wasn't the church leaders that were doing that - no, they were devoting themselves to praying and teaching of the word (6:4). It was the normal, everyday people who were scattered about, preaching the word.

In chapter 11 verse 19 it says, "So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone." Again, these same people are referred to again as being evangelists, not the leaders of the church. It says "those who were scattered". Let's review - who were they that were scattered? Not Peter, not Paul, not James, not any of the apostles. It was lay people.

Think about Stephen himself, the one who got all this started in the first place. Who was he? At first glance, you might assume he was a preacher, or a leader in the church, because of his prominence and the fact that the religious leaders wanted to kill him. Who was he? He was a waiter (6:1-5). A waiter!! He served food! Why was this waiter stoned to death? What sort of fuss was he making? "And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people" (6:8). Verse 10 says he was "speaking" with "wisdom and the Spirit", so much so that the religious folk could not stump him (a la Jesus with the Pharisees).

Point: We, as lay people, have as much a sacred job as our spiritual shepherds do. We have just as much a privilege to share the gospel as any one does. We can't sit back and heave the job of preaching the gospel to our preachers. We must go out and do it ourselves, and then come back and be taught by our pastors. Let this be a Biblical precedent that we follow:

According to Acts chapter 6 (Stephen), chapter 8 and 11 (Christians who were scattered), lay people are the evangelists.