CONSTANT, INSTANT, EXPECTANT – Charles Spurgeon
CONSTANT, INSTANT, EXPECTANT
“Continuing instant in prayer.” —Romans 12:12
This verse is placed in connection with a large number of brief, but very weighty precepts. Prayer has a distinct relationship to all Christian duties and graces. It is not possible for us to carry out the holy commands of our Lord Jesus unless we are abundant in supplication.
The Romans, at the time that Paul wrote to them, were subject to persecution, and in this verse, he mentions two remedies for impatience under such afflictions—remedies which are equally effective under all the trials of life. The old physicians tell us of two antidotes against poison: the hot and the cold—and they dilate upon the special excellence of each of these. In like manner, the Apostle Paul gives us, first, the warm antidote—”Rejoicing in hope,” and then he gives us the cool antidote, “Patient in tribulation.” Either of these, or both together, will work wonderfully for the sustaining of the spirit in the hour of affliction. However, it is to be observed that neither of these remedies can be taken into the soul unless they are mixed with a draught of prayer! Joy and patience are curative essences, but they must be dropped into a glass full of supplication and then they will be wonderfully efficient.
How can we “rejoice in hope” if we know nothing about prayer to the God of Hope? Whenever your hope seems to fail you and your joy begins to sink—the shortest remedy is to take to your knees. By remembering the promise in prayer, hope will be sustained, and then joy is sure to spring from it, for joy is the first-born child of hope. As for “patience,” how can we be patient if we cannot pray? Have not holy men of old always sustained themselves in their worst times of grief and depression by betaking themselves to prayer? Mind that you do the same! Impatience will be sure to follow prayerlessness, but the endurance of the Divine will grow out of communion with God in prayer.
I like that beautiful, though sad, picture of the Norwich martyr, Hudson, of whom Foxe tells us that when he stood at the stake with the chain about him to be burnt, he fell under a cloud. The Lord had withdrawn the light of His countenance from him and, therefore, this man of God slipped from under the chain to have a few minutes alone with God. Some thought that he was about to recant, and his fellow martyrs began exhorting him to be steadfast and to play the man. But this dear believer knew what he was doing, and when he had spoken with his God, he came back to the stake with a bright and beaming countenance, saying, “Now, I thank God! I am strong and fear not what man can do unto me,” and stood in his place with his fellow sufferers and there burned quickly to the death without fear.
Oh, the power of prayer! If we do but know how to get into contact with the Eternal and Omnipotent, we shall be joyful and patient in all tribulations and bravely endure even the keen edge of death! Prayer is to be exercised in all things, for from its position in the present context we are taught that it is not without prayer that we proceed to “distribute to the necessities of the saints.” Because we have prayed for them, we are ready to befriend them by deeds of love. If we have not been accustomed to pray for the brethren, we shall not be “given to hospitality,” much less shall we “bless them which persecute us.” Prayer is the lifeblood of duty, the secret sap of holiness, the fountain of obedience! Upon prayer, as spoken of in the text, may the Holy Spirit help us now to meditate.
INSTANT
“Continuing instant in prayer.”
It may be proper at this stage to say that these words, though I shall dwell upon them in the English, are not identical with the Greek in which there is but one word. I do not know that a better translation could possibly be given, and so I shall content myself with the very words of our own version. The word “instant,” as used by our translators, meant pressing, urgent, importunate, earnest. The Greek word is said to have the signification of “always applying strength in prayer,” or continuing with all your might in prayer.
Our prayer is to be full of strength—”Blessed is the man whose strength is in You.” Master Brooks says that the word is a metaphor taken from hunting dogs, which will never give up the game until they have caught it. A hunting dog, when in pursuit of its victim, works itself into full motion, using every limb and muscle to follow as fast as possible. If you catch a glimpse of it, you will see that it throws itself forward with intense eagerness—the whole body and soul of the dog is in motion towards one objective—no portion of him lingers. Not so much as a glance is given to anything else. The whole creature is instant after the game which it pursues, urgently pressing—hotfoot, as we say, to overtake the prey.
Now, this is the way in which we are to pray. Prayer as a mere form is but a mockery. Prayer in a languid, halfhearted manner may be more dishonoring to God than honoring to Him—we ourselves may be rather injured by lukewarm prayer than benefited by it. Prevalent prayer is frequently spoken of in Scripture as an agony—”Striving together with me in your prayers.” We frequently speak of it as wrestling, and we do well, for so it is.
In wrestling, a man has all his mind as well as all his body occupied with the desire to overthrow his opponent. Now he bends and twists, then he strains and stretches—now he uses one foot and then another. He tries his arm and now his leg. He shifts his ground, he takes up another position, and he keeps his eyes perpetually open lest he should be caught unaware. He has both his hands eager for a grip; his whole body ready for a throw—the whole man is in his wrestling.
After such a manner should you pray. The whole of your mind, your memory, your judgment, your affection, your hopes, your fears, and even your imagination must be concentrated upon this labor of prayer. May the Holy Spirit work in you this comprehensive ardor, this energy of the whole man! We must go with our whole soul to God, or He will not accept us. It will be ill for us if we are half-hearted, for it is written, “Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty.
We are exhorted to “knock,” and as our model, we are directed to him who at midnight awakened his slumbering friend. We are exhorted to be importunate like the widow with the unjust judge. We are to pray as if all depended upon our praying, though after all, that praying is, in itself, an effect of a cause which has existed long before! We are to be as importunate as if God were unwilling and to plead as earnestly as if He did not already know far better than we do what things we need.
Earnestness must be present in all our prayers, or they will return to us unanswered—this is reasonable enough. Shall God be expected to give to us that which we do not value? If we do not value the blessing sufficiently to be eager in seeking it, is it not right that He should withhold it until we are in a better mind? Are we to worship God with a divided reverence?
CONSTANT
“Continuing instant in prayer.”
To go back to the hunting dog with which we set out. We saw him rushing like the wind after his game, but this will not be enough if it only lasts for a little while. He must continue running if he is to catch his prey. It matters not how fast the hound goes, if, after having kept the pace for a while, he begins to slacken—the prey will escape from him.
It is a sign of failure in the iron trade when the furnaces are blown out—when business flourishes the fire blazes both day and night—and so will it be with prayer when the soul is in a flourishing state. If prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, how can he leave off praying? We must maintain the ardor of prayer. We must always be intense. Prayer is not to be a thing of yesterday, but of today and tomorrow until it changes into praise above!
Perhaps prayer will continue even in Heaven. Certainly, the souls under the altar cry, “How long?” And unfulfilled prophecies and promises yet big with future events will be pleaded even there. Praise, however, is the chief characteristic of the future state, as prayer is the characteristic of the present one.
We are to get into a good pace—”instant in prayer,” and then to keep it up—continuing instant in prayer. “That is difficult,” says one. Who said it was not? All the processes of the Christian life are difficult! Indeed, they are impossible apart from the abiding help of the Divine Spirit—”the Spirit helps our infirmities.”
Now then, Brothers and Sisters, that we may be helped to keep up our fervency in prayer, please notice that prayer must be continuous because it is so singularly mixed up with the whole Gospel dispensation. As the incense filled the Temple, so does prayer fill the Gospel economy. The blood was upon the Mercy Seat and upon the altar, the laver, the candlestick, and the book. It was sprinkled everywhere in the Jewish Tabernacle, and thus Atonement was the most conspicuous object in the prescribed worship by the Law of Moses. But next to this, prayer was most prominent in the continual calling upon God and in the smoke of the incense by which prayer was symbolized.
It is the high privilege of those who are believers in Jesus to draw near unto God with their petitions perpetually! The whole Church, like the 12 tribes, is instantly serving God day and night in prayer, hoping for the fulfillment of the promise of the glorious appearing.
Behold, he prays,” is the very mark of the individual Christian—and the unity, the life, and the spirituality of the Church are best seen in prayer—”Nor prayer is made on earth alone. The Holy Spirit pleads, and Jesus, on the eternal throne, for sinners intercedes.
Prayer was dear to Jesus when He was the Man of Nazareth upon the mountain’s lonely side, and prayer is dear to Him now that, as the Son of God, He intercedes in Glory. Even to HIm, the Covenant has this condition of prayer appended: “Ask of Me, and I will give You the heathen for Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession.
EXPECTANT
Prayer is the atmosphere which surrounds Emanuel’s land—as the clouds hang on the mountains, so does prayer linger over every great mercy of God. Prayer is connected with every Covenant blessing. Why, Beloved, it is to him that calls upon the name of the Lord that the promise of salvation is given! Our heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those that ask Him! Justification was given to the publican rather than to the Pharisee because he had offered humble, believing, acceptable prayer—whereas the Pharisee asked nothing, but only glorified himself! Adoption begets prayer, for it brings us the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, “Abba, Father.
From election right onward to perfection in Christ, there is no blessing of the Covenant but what is understood, received, enjoyed, fed upon, and practically used in the way of prayer! Those who would safely navigate the sea of life must pray their passage to Heaven.
Moreover, Beloved, prayer has been connected with every living spiritual experience you have ever had.
Will you kindly look back to the hour when you were under the fig tree and Jesus saw you? Were you not at prayer? When you first arose to go to your Father, was not your first step a prayer? When you received the assurance of salvation, was it not in answer to prayer? When His banner over you has been love, have you not felt it sweet to pray? When you have feasted at His table and He has revealed Himself to you as He does not to the world, have you not, then, been in the spirit of prayer?
The hill Mizar and the Hermonites—places you never can forget, those choicest of spots which seem, as you look back along the vista of life, to be gleaming with a supernatural splendor—has not prayer been connected with them all? There has been nothing grandly great or good in your spiritual life but Jabbok has flowed near it, and the top of Carmel has been near to view, where you have wrestled with God and prevailed!
Now, Beloved, we are commanded to be constant in our instancy.
Is not this right? Is there any time when we can afford to slacken prayer? Would you kindly put your finger on the map of the Way and tell me where a Christian man may leave off praying? Is it when he prospers? No, for then he needs Grace to carry a full cup with a steady hand! Is it when he is in distress? Does not Nature itself teach us that, in the time of affliction, we should especially draw near to God in prayer? When should he pray, no, when should he not pray? Where may he pray?
The answer is, he may pray everywhere, for as one has well said, a man who carries his temple about with him is always in a place where he may pray! And know you not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit? Wherever you go, you carry your temples with you, and in every place you may pray and should pray and need to pray and, therefore, be sure that you do pray!
If you are on the housetop with Peter, pray there. And if waiting at table with Nehemiah, pray there. If in the field with Isaac or on the mountain with the Lord, or in the sea with Jonah, or in a prison with Joseph, or in the article of death with Stephen, pray there—
“Long as they live should Christians pray,
For only while they pray they live.”
When they are under the wings of the cherubim, crying unto God at His Mercy Seat, then are they in the secret place of the tabernacle of the Most High, and then shall they abide under the shadow of the Almighty! But specially, we ought to be constant in prayer, because such remarkable gifts are vouchsafed to importunity. God often gives liberally to prayer when it speaks but once, but frequent pleading begets abundant answers! That is the most soul-enriching prayer which is long in winning its way with God.
When prayers, like great ships, have been long on the voyage, you may hope that they have gone far and have gathered rich cargo and will come home freighted with all the best merchandise! If you can but quietly hope and patiently wait, all will be well. The very choicest blessings of Heaven are reserved for the Elijahs who can say, “Go again seven times,” for the men who come again and again and again never faint. Wait then upon the Lord with holy importunity of prayer, and your reward shall more than repay you.
It is good for us to be compelled to pray like this. It exercises the faculties of the soul; it makes men of us; it brings us up from spiritual childhood to perfect manhood. Therefore, be constant in prayer and gather strength for importunate pleading. No reason can be given why we should not continue in instant prayer.
I can suppose one Brother saying, “I feel I cannot pray.”
When you feel you cannot pray, you can be sure that you are more in need of prayer than ever. Is not a disinclination to prayer one of the saddest marks of your soul’s condition—one of those reasons which ought, above all others, drive you to the Mercy Seat?
“Would you say the same, Sir, if I tell you that I can pray?” Precisely the same, for now, when the wind is favorable, you should hoist all sails! If you cannot make progress now, when will you? Therefore, pray when you can pray and pray when you cannot pray!
“Alas, Sir, I cannot get beyond a groan.” Brother, be not distressed, for the best praying in all the world consists of “groans that cannot be uttered.” We may sometimes have a doubt whether the Spirit of God helps us to pray in cheerful prayers, though I do not say that there is any need for the doubt—but we cannot have a question about our sad prayers, for it is expressly said He, “makes intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered.”
Do you think that the chief end of a Christian’s life is to be comfortable? It is often more good for us to mourn like doves than to sing like nightingales! Sometimes there may be more prayer in a sigh than in a long oration! Often do I personally look back upon times of bondage when I cried to God with all my soul and thought I did not pray—and I wish that I prayed now as I did then! Therefore, always pray. Whether you feel in a mind for prayer or not, still pray.
The fishermen at Mentone keep on fishing with their great nets—yes, by the score, these fishermen take it out and haul it in again—and frequently they get no more than one little sardine for their pains. Many and many a time, I have seen no more than they could hold in their hand as the produce of a net which covered acres of the sea! So why do they go on? Because they are fishermen and cannot do anything else! You and I are praying men, and there is nothing else we can do but wait upon the Lord! So if, after many a throw of the net, we get but one small answer, we will try again, for this is all we can do.
“Lord, to whom should we go but unto You?”
Continue in prayer because the continuance of our instancy in prayer is the test of the reality of our devotion.
Men that are in business and are in earnest cannot afford to open the shop, do a little occasional trade, and then put up a notice, “The proprietor of this shop has gone out for an excursion and will resume his business when he feels inclined to.” This would be trifling—not trading! And so it is in prayer—a little bit of praying and then a stretch of neglect will prove a delusion and a snare.
A poor simpleton who had never been to sea before, when he was going to Australia, asked a friend on board the vessel what the sailors did with the vessel at night. “Do at night?” was the reply, “Why, sail as fast as they can go.” “I did not know,” he said, “they worked in the night, I thought they stopped the ship.” He must have thought he was out on some pleasure excursion along the coast and that the yacht would anchor when the sun went down—but he was in an ocean clipper which was out for work and not for play. The man who means business must sail whether it is dark or light.
And so, in prayer, we must serve God constantly, both day and night. Real prayers are constant prayers.
There is a fish, you know, that sometimes attempts to fly, but it is no bird for all that.
It only takes a little flight and then it is in the water again—a true bird keeps on the wing, especially if it is such a bird as the eagle whose untiring wings bear it above the clouds. Beware of prayers which leap up like a grasshopper and are soon down again! Let your prayers have the wings of a dove! Let them fly away from earth and rest in God. Hypocrites pray by fits and starts—the genuine Christian “prays without ceasing.” Beware of judging yourselves by certain spasms of prayer.
When I put my lamp out last night, as I thought, it flashed up, then went down again and yet again flashed up! It did so many times, as I stood waiting, but I knew it must go out before long. Some have a way of flashing a prayer or two, but their piety is only a dying light—it will all be over soon. Continue instant in prayer—it shall be the test of whether your prayer is a lamp of the Lord or a dying light of your own kindling.
Beloved, we must continue in prayer, but the Holy Spirit, alone, can enable us to do it. We may, however, be much helped in it by occasionally setting apart a special time. Days of prayer and hours of prayer and set seasons of prayer are very helpful. We ought to have our appointed seasons each day, but special times over and above our regular custom may stir the fire and enable it to burn more brightly.
To unite with other Christians in prayer is often very helpful. Private prayer is more important than public prayer under many aspects and is a better test of a Christian, but still, public prayer often reacts upon private devotion, and when two or three are together and are agreed as touching the Kingdom, their supplications will often be helpful to each other and obtain the thing which they desire.
EXPECTANT
Our last word is EXPECTANT. It is not in the text verbally, but it must be there because there will be no such thing as instancy or constancy unless there is an expectation and a belief that God can and will give that which we seek!
Let us go back to our dog again—the dog would not run at so great a rate if he did not expect to seize his prey! Look how every limb is stretched with intensity and he goes over hedge and ditch after his game because he has almost seized it! And though it flies before him with all its might, yet he is close upon it. There is no praying with any fervor unless there is faith that God will hear you—at least if instancy can be felt for a while, constancy cannot be kept up long without it. Expectancy is the very reason for prayer.
Some prefer to pray because it is their duty and their custom, but real prayer usually springs from the expectancy that God will hear. I was awakened at about four o’clock this morning by a sharp, shrill sound. I thought it was a swallow screaming by the window, and I fell asleep again. But I was soon awakened by the repetition of the same sharp sound. A young bird had found its way into my room and was crying for liberty! I left my bed and opened the window to let the captive free. It did not seem to know its way, and so I caught it and gently placed it at the window. And in a moment it flew to the oak tree close by and sat itself down. I watched its movements. The moment it had perched itself comfortably, it began to utter sharp cries, and it turned its little head round on all sides as if looking for someone. It was crying for its mother, and why? Because it expected to be fed. And why did it expect to be fed? Because it had been fed before.
This is why we pray! O Lord, You have supplied our needs so long and so often in answer to prayer that we are in the way of it! And now we pray not only because we ought to do so, but because it has become natural to us to pray—and we expect You to hear us. When You hear us we bless You, but we are not surprised as though it were a strange thing! Your Truth causes great admiration but no astonishment, for it is like You to keep Your Word. We are poor dependent children, and You a wise and tender Father. You have never left us, and You will never leave us, and so we continue instant in prayer because we are expectant of Your Grace.
Some professors seldom exercise expectancy in prayer, but the soul of prayer is gone when you have no expectation. God will hear the cry of your desire, but the hand into which He will put the mercy is the hand of your expectation. You must believe that you have the blessing, or you will not have it unless it is by some extraordinary mercy beyond what is promised.
His usual way is to raise our expectations so that we look for the favor and then He sends it. If some people looked for answers to prayer, they might soon have them, for their prayers would be answered by themselves! I was reminded of that by a little boy whose father prayed with the family that the Lord would visit the poor and relieve their needs. When he had finished, his little boy said, “Father, I wish I had your money.”
“Why so?”
“Because,” he said, “I would answer your prayers for you.”
“Which prayers, John?”
“Why, father, you prayed that the poor might be helped and you could do it very well with your own money.”
I like better, still, that story of the good man at the Prayer Meeting who, reading the list of prayers, found one for a poor widow, that her distress might be relieved. So he began to read it, but stopped and added, “We won’t trouble the Lord with that. By His Grace I will attend to that myself.”
Numbers of prayers are of that kind—we are praying God to do what we ought to do ourselves and that is sheer impertinence. If we really prayed in earnest, expecting to be heard, our answer would often come in this very way—by our being stirred up to see that the Lord had heard us! The Lord might well say to us, “You say, ‘Your kingdom come.’ Arise and help to make My kingdom come! You ask that My name may be hallowed. Go, yourself, and hallow My name.”
Oh, that we had the expectancy which would teach us practical action so that we should find the answer to our prayers given before we asked, according to the promise, “Before they call I will answer them, and while they are yet speaking I will hear.”
I had many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now, for the time has passed. I shall close by recommending to all of you one simple but very comprehensive prayer. It was offered by a poor man in Fife and it was copied out by the Duchess of Gordon and found among her papers when she died.
“O Lord, give me Grace to feel my need of Your Grace!
Give me Grace to ask for Your Grace!
Give me Grace to receive Your Grace!
And when in Your Grace You have given me Grace,
Give me Grace to use Your Grace!”
Can you see what scope there is for prayer? You will never need to leave off pleading for lack of subjects! Continue, therefore, to be instant in it.
—Charles Spurgeon