ABRAHAM, the friend of God, was a striking illustration of one of the Old Testament saints who believed strongly in prayer. Abraham was not a shadowy figure by any means. In the simplicity and dimness of the patriarchal era, as illustrated by him, we learn the worth of prayer, as well as discover it’s distant past. The fact is, prayer reaches back to the first ages of people on earth. We see how the energy of prayer is absolutely required in the simplest as well as in the most complex times of God’s grace.
When we study Abraham’s character, we find that after his call to go out into an unknown country, on his journey with his family and his household servants, wherever he stayed temporarily by the way for the night or longer, he always built an altar, and “called upon the name of the Lord.” And this man of faith and prayer was one of the first to build a family altar, around which to gather his household and offer the sacrifices of worship, of praise and of prayer. These altars constructed by Abraham were, first of all, essentially altars about which he gathered his household, as emanated from his secret prayer.
As God’s revelations became fuller and more perfect, Abraham’s prayerfulness increased, and it was at one of these spiritual eras that “Abraham fell on his face and God talked with him.” On still another occasion we find this man, “the father of the faithful,” on his face before God, astonished almost to disbelief at the purposes and revelations of Almighty God to him in promising him a son in his old age, and the wonderful actions that God made concerning his promised son.
Even Ishmael’s destiny is shaped by Abraham’s prayer when he prayed, “O that Ishmael might live before thee!”
It was Abraham’s rule to stand before the Lord in prayer. His life was surcharged with prayer and Abraham’s life was sanctified by prayer. For wherever he stops in his pilgrimage, prayer was his inseparable accompaniment. Side by side with the altar of sacrifice was the altar of prayer. He got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord in prayer.
The possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in God’s ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works. Faith is the one prime condition by which man prays. Faith draws on God to its full extent. Faith gives character to prayer. A feeble faith has always brought forth feeble praying. Vigorous faith creates vigorous praying. Christ asks this pointed question, “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” For more info on prayer and faith please go to my blog at byfaith-enterprises.blogspot.com and leave a comment. For prayer or any questions you may have, leave the request in the comment section. Also sign-up and get your FREE eBook and Prayer Training Report. I have written a book called “The Science of Prayer” and it is ready at byfaith-enterprises.blogspot.com. Keep praying to the Great I AM.