Good Morning! 2010.07.13 - 1Samuel 12:23 - The Sin of Not Praying

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: (1Samuel 12:23)

Samuel is famous for so many other things that his strong prayer life is often overlooked. We are given a glimpse of the prayer side of this great man in the verse above.

Secret prayer is not connected directly to an audience or even to another individual and is therefore not a visible, immediate blessing to anyone else except the one who is praying. In church services we like to feel something. People who are acquainted with the Holy Spirit look forward to feeling the presence of the Lord in the church service but I dare say that only a few have that kind of relationship with God.

We like the feeling of being accepted and that is not evil. We like the sense of community. We like the showy performance of preaching and music because of its power to arouse our emotions and connect us with other people and maybe—just maybe—to the presence of the Lord. Next in the order of importance to most people is our desire to learn something in church services. Therefore secret prayer is a hidden thing like a closet or the rest room. In fact, Jesus said: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:6)

People like people things. Photographs are more interesting if there is "a people" in the front of the picture because people are interested in people. Prayer is not a people thing but a God thing. That may be the first reason prayer is at the bottom of the agenda for many Christians and is a big zero for people who do not know God.

In our text for today we may assume that Samuel is referring to secret prayer. He certainly is referring to intercessory prayer—prayer for someone else. He does not discuss worship, or praise, or fellowship with God.

Mcgee says: "I have found in my radio ministry that many people have a gift. It is a gift of prayer, and I believe it is from God. There are some people in Southern California on beds of sickness and pain—some who will never leave their beds—who have a ministry of prayer. I wouldn't take anything for their prayers. I need their prayers."

Is it a sin not to pray for others? Samuel thought so. We cannot trust God about something and worry about it at the same time. We should let worry drive us to prayer. It takes a lot of faith to turn our children and grandchildren over to the Lord. If you don't pray for them, who is going to?

Samuel said he would pray for these people and he also said he would teach them the good and right way. That can be a sticky wicket. A lot of people don't want to be taught the good and right way. Well, if I pray for you, trying to teach you the good and right way comes with the package—a little old fashioned—like breathing.

Bits and pieces of the Bible that have stuck with us are effective and they pop up when least expected. This one got me many years ago: "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."