The Burden Of Prayer

While reading a book on prayer this week, I came across this little phrase, "The burden of prayer." The context talked about a person who willingly accepted the responsibility and burden of prayer. My first thought was, "How can prayer be a burden? Prayer is one of the things we do to unload burdens."

Are we willing to accept the burden of prayer? Are we willing to let God burden our hearts with the things that concern Him the most? To receive His burden and pray through those burdens? There is a burden to prayer. Just ask anyone who has truly interceded for a loved one. Someone who stood in the gap for a people, community or nation. Just ask the people who agonize in prayer over lost people, revival and spiritual awakening.

When I read the story of Evan Roberts who prayed for his nation of Wales for years I see the burden of prayer. God burdened his heart and Roberts rose in the middle of night to plead for His nation. This went on for years. John Hyde prayed for lost souls. He prayed so fervently and continually it literally broke his health and he died at a relatively young age. Leonard Ravenhill's widow reported in his biography that he used to pray eight hours a day. I have seen videos of him preaching in his latter years. You could see the strain on his face and hear the passion in his voice. The average person puts in eight hours a day at work. I guess Ravenhill felt that was his greatest work. He put in a full day of prayer. He used to rise around midnight and pray for several hours. He would go back to bed for awhile and get up to pray, read and write. He used to say, "Eat as little as you can. Sleep as little as you can. Pray as much as you can."

Now there is a type of praying that is not a burden at all. It is just mouthing some words quickly. It's more wishing than believing. It costs very little and produces very little.

There is another form of praying that is a burden. Words like agonizing, travailing, pleading, standing in the gap, interceding all characterize that kind of praying. I have felt it. I have felt the prayer burden as I prayed for wayward sinners to repent. I have felt the strain when I prayed for revival in Seminole and Kermit. I felt it when I pleaded with God to move immovable mountains. I've felt it praying for provision against impossible odds.

After all these years of praying, writing about praying, preaching about praying and testifying I realize more than ever, I know very little of this burden of prayer. I have known it in seasons. It comes and goes. I have never had the sustained burden of prayer like I should. Do I dare ask God for that prayer burden night and day? Do you? Are we satisfied in our prayer lives? Are we satisfied with our meager praying producing meager results in the church? Lord, I plead with you give me and my brothers and sisters this burden of praying. I ask You to sustain it for the remainder of our lives. Let it be said of us at the end of our lives, they carried and lived the burden of prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV)
17  pray without ceasing,