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In whatever we do, we need the life that corresponds to the accomplishment of that thing. It is a fact that only a particular life can do a particular thing. Prayer is no exception to that rule. Prayer is a matter that is extremely spiritual, holy, and transcendent; hence, it requires a particular life even more than other things do. In order to pray properly, we should not only pay attention to the outward behavior, but we should go deeper to know the inward life of prayer. When I was young, I read several books about prayer and received some help at that time. Gradually, as I advanced a few steps in the Lord, I realized that the help was rather superficial and without much weight. More and more, I have come to know that prayer is not a matter of outward behavior but is altogether something inward. Therefore, we must know the conditions necessary for proper prayer. We saw in chapter 3 that the man must be proper and right before God. There is also the need to pay attention to the inward condition of the man, that is, the life of prayer within that man.
After we have been saved, we have God living in us to be our life. This life is the life of prayer within us. The first function, the characteristic and the ability of this life, is to pray. Therefore, after being saved, the thing a proper Christian likes to do most is pray. For example, characteristically, a duck likes to swim in the water. If you send a little chicken and a little duck to the water, the chicken will run away hurriedly, while the little duck will quickly go in to swim. This happens because the characteristic of the love of water is in the duck’s nature. Similarly, the life of God within us has a characteristic that loves to pray. All real believers are like this. If they stop praying for three days, they do not feel good inside. If they stop praying for one week, they will feel even worse within. If they stop praying for a long while, they will feel as if they have lost something or some dear ones have died. On the contrary, whenever they pray, they feel good inside, because a characteristic of the life within them is that it likes to pray. It not only demands prayer, but it also has the ability to pray.
Actually, we cannot teach a person to pray. The most we can do is point out a way, for the real ability to pray is hidden in the life of a Christian. As long as you are a saved one, there is such a life with such a function within you. Yes, we do teach the brothers and sisters to pray; but please remember, we can only teach because within them there is already a life with such a function. For example, you cannot teach a dog to speak. No matter how hard you try, it is futile, for within the dog there is no ability to speak. This ability is not found in the animal life but only in the human life. If I am always conversing with an Englishman, I believe after five or six months I will be able to speak English very fluently. However, we may have cats and dogs in our homes that have been with us for years yet cannot speak one sentence because they do not have that ability within them. In like manner, no matter how hard you try to teach an unsaved person to pray, he still cannot pray, does not like to pray, and is bothered whenever he sees Christians praying. In fact, some friends told me that whenever they saw us kneeling down to pray, they felt quite embarrassed. They do not understand that we would have felt uneasy unless we did pray. The God whom we have received has become our life within, and this life has a function; that function is to pray. As long as we do not restrict this life but give it the liberty and the opportunity to be exercised, then not only does it desire to pray; it will pray.
Of course, just as man needs training for speech, he also needs training for proper prayer. Prayers will improve more rapidly with some guidance, but this is altogether a different matter. We need to see that it is God’s life within us that becomes our life of prayer. Therefore, if we desire to be a man of prayer, we must learn to always live in God. The more we live in God, the more the characteristic of this life will be manifested, and the more we will desire to pray. This life within us has a characteristic that makes us desire to pray, an ability that enables us to pray, and a demand that requires us to live in God. Therefore, prayer is a matter of life.
In helping new believers, we need to point out strongly that prayer is not just an outward activity but an inward matter of life. Prayer issues from the characteristics and abilities of a life, and this life is the very life of God. Hence, God requires you to always live in His life. Whenever the fellowship between you and God is interrupted, this life in you is in a half-dead state; consequently, you dislike praying, and you are almost unable to pray. You must restore the fellowship with God and live in Him, thus causing the life within you to be resurrected. Thus, spontaneously you can touch the consciousness of prayer within, you have the desire and interest to pray, and you possess the ability to pray. You know what to say and how to say it, and you also know which word of prayer can touch God’s throne and hit the center of His heart. Others may not be able to teach you, but you know inside because this is a matter of the inward life. The life in you has the ability to enable you to pray. Of course, if you always pray with those who pray properly, you will automatically follow their manner of prayer. In the same respect, if you are always with northerners, you will speak with a northern accent, but if you stay with southerners for a long time, you will then speak with a southern accent. This is unavoidable.
This prayer life within us, because it is the life of God, is separated from everything that is unbecoming to God. This life, therefore, requires you to be separated from the world, and demands that you put aside anything that is outside God. If you want to be a man of prayer who can pray, is willing to pray, and who prays properly, you must agree with the demand of the life in you by putting aside whatever it wants you to put aside. Whenever you disagree even slightly with its demand for holiness, you put to death the life of prayer. It is as if you have seized it by the throat. Never think to yourself, “Oh, it is just a little worldliness; it is not a great sin.” It is not a matter of great or small but whether or not this life makes a demand in you. If it demands of you to forsake something that is outside God, then you should do it.
Brothers and sisters, I believe that you have had this kind of experience. Sometimes this holy life within you demands that you not wear a certain dress. When it makes such a demand, you may reason and say, “This is not sinful, and it does not matter if I wear it.” You may reason, but the life of prayer would not listen to you. Once the life of prayer within you makes a demand for holiness, it never listens to any argument. If you do not agree, you cannot pray afterward.
Why is it that today, when the brothers and sisters come together, they often cannot open their mouth? It is because we all have some problems in agreeing with the demands of holiness within us. Many times the brothers and sisters, even though you encourage them, cannot open their mouth in the meeting. This is because they have rejected the demands of holiness in them. Demands of holiness do not come from doctrines but wholly from the life of prayer within.
Therefore, if we want to learn the lesson of prayer, we must pay heed to whatever the life of prayer within demands of us. I repeat, what this life within demands of us is holiness. It requires that we be separated from all people, activities, and things that are outside God. One thing is certain: the more you pray to God by this life, the more stringent the demands of this life within you become. If you always live in this life of prayer, you do not need much outward teaching on the part of men. The more you pray, the more this life in you is being exercised, and the more its function of separating becomes manifest.
No one can be holier than one who continually prays before God. The most holy person is one who constantly prays before God. When he prays, the life in him becomes exercised and spontaneously brings forth the sanctifying function. It demands that he separate himself from this activity and that activity, and when he prays again, it further requires him to put aside this thing and that thing. As he prays still more, it further demands of him to leave this person and that person. The more he yields to the sanctifying demands, the more living the life of prayer in him becomes, and spontaneously he has a greater appetite for prayer. Furthermore, the more his ability to pray increases, the more his praises, thanksgivings, supplications, expressions, and even his utterance are special. Now his technique of prayer greatly excels what it was before. All these conditions prove that he has been continually yielding to the demands of holiness that were made by the life of prayer within him.
For example, many like to go to the movies. This is like a bug that pesters God’s children. It is very hard to get rid of because, unconsciously, it comes back again and again. Brothers and sisters who go to the movies would have to admit that they cannot pray while watching the movies or after they come home from the movies. They cannot pray because they have not yielded themselves to the demand of holiness. While they were yet intending, desiring, and planning to go to the movie, the life of prayer within them had already demanded that they not go. Nevertheless, they still hardened their hearts, saying, “We don’t care; we are going to see the movie even if it causes us to be in darkness. After this movie we will get in fellowship with the Lord again.” Thus, while walking toward the theater, inwardly something was bothering them. After they came home from the movie, they could not pray for a long while. Why is this so? The sole reason is that they had rejected the demands of holiness within and thus hurt the life of prayer.
On the contrary, let us consider someone else who, after being saved, also desired to see a movie. However, while he was going on his way to the movie, he felt rather uneasy and immediately was willing to care for this uneasy feeling. Agreeing with this demand of sanctification, he would say to the Lord, “Lord, I am not going anymore, and I abandon this matter by trusting You.” Immediately, in him there would be the desire to pray. He could pray for the church, his relatives, and friends. He would have the burden of prayer in him instantly.
Therefore, we must clearly see that the life of God in every man of prayer is holy and separated. It rejects anything that does not correspond with the divine nature. This life requires that he be fitted wholly with the nature of God. It neither argues nor listens to arguments. If one does not take care of the requirement of the life of prayer within him, he puts it to death and cannot pray. On the contrary, the moment he agrees with its demands, the life of prayer is immediately enlivened.
Since the life of prayer within us is also a life that hates sins, one who wishes to learn how to pray must also thoroughly deal with sins. This life within man has a characteristic that hates sins and also has an ability that enables man to deal with sins. If you are even slightly defiled by sins, or love the world a little, immediately there is the consciousness within that you do not correspond to the characteristic of this life. Not only sins and the world but even a little pride, criticism, despising others, introspection, self-boasting, or presumptuous thought will make you unable to pray. Any dishonesty, unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, or injustice will quench the life of prayer.
There is nothing that causes a man to be dealt with before God more severely than prayer. A proper man of prayer is always being dealt with before God when he prays. Some have learned such a strict lesson that often out of twenty minutes of prayer, fifteen minutes are spent being dealt with by God, while only the remaining five minutes are used to ask something of God. Unfortunately, others are not like this. They always ignore the demands and the condemnations of the life within. They go before God in a very light way and, without being dealt with, immediately open their mouth to pray. Such prayer is just beating the air, is unreal, and is not readily answered by God.
If you do not deal with sins properly, they will create a distance between you and God. The more the sins, the greater the distance will be, making you unable to pray to God. Therefore, in order to eliminate the distance, you need to first deal with sins. In your prayer you need to confess your sins one by one according to the inner consciousness of life. With each confession you make, you advance one step. After you have confessed all your sins thoroughly, the distance is gone, and when you open your mouth to pray, you will definitely be able to touch God. Your words are not beating the air; rather, every word is able to touch God.
Herein the faith of prayer also issues forth. Whenever you go before God to pray, the life in you hates sins and has the consciousness of them. You must confess your sins one by one according to what the life in you condemns. Then this life releases you within and justifies you. Now you are one who is before God, having no distance or barrier between you and Him. At this time, as there is neither condemnation nor a leak in your conscience, every word penetrates to God. After such prayer, spontaneously you have the assurance, and you are able to believe that God has heard your prayer.
If you allow your sins to remain and you pray without dealing with them, there will surely be a distance between you and God, and your conscience will definitely condemn you. If there is a hole or a leak in your conscience, it is difficult to have faith after you pray. If one’s conscience has a hole, his faith will leak out. In other words, one whose conscience is impure and has a leak cannot easily have faith. Although he may pray, he does not have the assurance, for his prayer does not lay hold of God. Please remember, to have the assurance that your prayer touches God, you must deal with your sins according to the demands issuing from the sin-hating nature that is within you. This is a great principle in the Bible.
Consider the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. When she found that the Lord Jesus had living water to quench her thirst, she asked of Him immediately, saying, “Sir, give me this water” (v. 15). She wanted the living water. But the Lord Jesus replied by touching the matter of her sins. The Lord said, “Go, call your husband and come here” (v. 16). Whenever we go before God to pray, the Lord touches the matter of our sins. Also, He will touch whatever failings we have in our intentions, motives, actions, or attitudes.
Brothers and sisters, when the Lord touches our failings, are we willing to receive His correction? This is a big problem. Take for example a brother who has obviously offended his wife. When he prays, the sin-hating life gives him a feeling that he must not only confess his sin before God but also ask forgiveness from his wife. Being a proud man, he would not ask forgiveness from his wife, and consequently, because of his unwillingness to deal with this matter, he would not be able to pray anymore. This continues for a long period of time, until one day God so compels him that he has to go before his wife and bow his head, saying, “I was wrong in that matter on that day; please forgive me.” Wondrously, when he thus confesses, the life in him immediately releases him, and he is able to pray again.
Here is another example. Suppose that during the Lord’s table meeting, you become disgusted with a brother’s prayer, and because of your disgust, when you go home, you cannot pray. In order for you to pray, you have to first confess this sin. At that time you have to go according to the sense of condemnation in you and say to the Lord, “O Lord, at the Lord’s table I despised that brother’s prayer. Do forgive me.” You must confess your sin, or you cannot pray, and you will always feel that there is a distance between you and God. Unless you confess your sins, your prayers cannot touch God. All these principles are related to the life within us.
Therefore, the best way to cause a man to hate sins, condemn sins, reject sins, and stay far away from sins is for him to come before God in prayer. If you have not prayed even once in three days, it is useless to reckon yourself dead daily; the sins are still upon you, and you cannot overcome them. But if you regularly go before God to pray and to deal with sins according to the inner sense of life, eventually you will be free from your sins, your inner being will be enlivened, and you will love to pray and will be able to pray, for the life of prayer is a life that hates sins.
We know that crookedness and craftiness are elements of darkness, whereas goodness, righteousness, truthfulness, and uprightness are characteristics of light. We are surely in darkness if there is crookedness or craftiness in our motive, manner of life, action, and conversation. Sometimes these conditions are absent, yet there is another kind of darkness, which is pure darkness. Some are in darkness because of crookedness, craftiness, or pride; others are in darkness by simply being dark inside and without light. It may be that one is a very well-behaved person, not a bit crafty but upright, sincere, guileless, unpretentious, and humble. He has no faults whatsoever, but he is dark within, being void of light. Please remember, any form of darkness can make you unable to pray. Man cannot pray as long as he is dark inside.
You may consider, “It is true that craftiness, crookedness, and pride can cause us to be dark inside, but how can we be in darkness when there is no fault whatsoever?” All darkness is due to some problem, but there can be a kind of darkness even when there is no moral fault. In reality, spiritually speaking, this kind of darkness has some underlying problem too. Why is there darkness in man? It is mainly because man remains closed and veiled within. Sometimes you meet a brother or sister who is well-behaved, humble, and loving, but his being is not open. He is neither open to God nor open to fellow members of the Body. He is closed to God as well as to man. Not only so, he is also one who evidently rejects light. When light illumines him, he pays no attention to it and even uses an excuse to reject it. Consequently, as he is closed and refuses light, he is a good person yet remains in darkness.
One thing is sure, whatever kind of darkness he may be in, it will always cause man to become unable to pray. The crooked or proud ones will surely dislike praying. The subtle ones and man-haters definitely cannot pray. Similarly, one who is closed to God as well as to man and who refuses light certainly will not enjoy praying. The life of prayer in us is a life that loves light. The more we open ourselves to God as well as to all the brothers and sisters, the more we receive light and allow it to correct us. When we thus remain in the light, within us there will be an intense desire to pray.
I have met some brothers and sisters who are truly humble, meek, loving, sincere, and upright, yet they simply do not like to pray. They enjoy running some errands as well as exerting their effort to perform some things for you, but if you mention prayer to them, immediately they dislike it. They are really lovable, but unfortunately, they do not like to pray. Once you encounter this kind of situation, you should know that they are people who remain in darkness. Their darkness is not due to pride, craftiness, crookedness, or hatred; rather, it is because they do not open themselves, they refuse light, and they use excuses to push light away. Hence, they dislike praying. The life of prayer in us loves light, and the more we are in the light, the more the life in us loves to pray — this is a law.
Within every kind of life there are many laws. Such is the case with our physical life. Digestion is a law, and metabolism is another law. What is a law? A law is a natural ability that does not require you to control it by exercising your will. For example, when we take in food, the stomach will spontaneously digest it. This is the law of digestion. Without any help, some elements will automatically be discharged from our body, and other elements will be added into us. This is the law of metabolism. When you wave an object in front of someone’s eyes, his eyes will naturally blink. This is also a law. When you eat something bitter, you immediately spit it out; when you taste something sweet, you swallow it. These are laws. Similarly, in our life of prayer there is also a law of prayer. It contains such a natural ability that without your urging, it spontaneously desires to pray.
Remember, however, that although it is a law, it can be damaged by man just as the law of digestion and the law of metabolism can be spoiled by man. We all know that when any physical law is damaged, the result is sickness. Whenever the body is sick, it means that its law or laws have been violated. Likewise, if you do not respond to the demand of holiness that issues out of the life within you, this is a sickness that frustrates the law of prayer. If you do not deal with sins according to the consciousness of life, or if you refuse to depart from darkness, this will also obstruct the law of prayer. In other words, it means that you are sick. Therefore, with those brothers and sisters who seldom open their mouth to pray, without doubt they are sick in their life of prayer. If you learn to live in God, respond to His demand of holiness, follow the sense of His condemnation, and deal with any darkness, you will discover that the life of prayer in you is healthy and normal, and the law of prayer operates in you continually. Thus, spontaneously, you can pray as well as enjoy praying.
Within every man there is the law of digestion, which automatically digests the food that has been taken in. If one does not take in food when it is time to eat, there will be a sensation of emptiness and hunger. If you feel no hunger after not eating for two days, the law of digestion in you has probably been damaged. There is also a law of prayer inherent in the life of a Christian that requires you to pray regularly. What kind of people cannot pray? It must be those in whom the law of prayer has been damaged. It may be that they do not respond to the demand of holiness, do not follow the consciousness of holiness within, or refuse the darkness that is abhorred by the life within. This life is absolutely holy; therefore, it demands that you be holy. It also utterly hates sins; hence, it repeatedly gives you the sense of hating sins. Moreover, it fully loves light, so it always requires you to leave darkness. If you are not willing to respond to its demand of holiness, neglect its sin-hating consciousness, or reject its demand of light, your life of prayer is in trouble immediately. If you are willing to deal with these things, the life of prayer within you is immediately resurrected. Moreover, there is a law in this life that will operate in you and make you pray. You will be able to pray as well as enjoy praying, and whatever you pray will touch God. These are abilities inherent in the life of prayer.
