The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-12, titled "Questions and Answers--Part 40." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 2001 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.
Question
My question, if I may read two verses, has to do with repetitive prayer for salvation for loved ones. It’s in I John, chapter five, verses 14 and 15: “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to his will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”
On prayer lists that we all have, that we pray for, people, loved ones, friends--do we just have to pray once? Or do we have to pray over and over again? Like the example of the young man who said he had a sister who prayed for him for five years. I believe in repetitive praying, but that’s because it’s the way I’ve been brought up through the church.
Answer
I think that is the proper way to pray. I think there’s one sense in which you can’t stop praying that way, right? You can’t restrain that because if you care deeply, you pray passionately. If you were to say, “Well, look, Aunt Alice, I prayed once; don’t push me.” You know, I mean there’s no way, because you care deeply, you pray repetitively.
I also believe that the principle of impassioned prayer is laid out throughout the scripture. Even in the Old Testament, there are passionate prayers by spiritual leaders for the people Israel. In the New Testament, you have Jesus saying that because of someone’s “much praying,” God responds. That’s called importunity, prayers of importunity: with much praying. You have even Jesus himself agonizing in prayer before the Father in the garden. And not only in the garden on the night of his capture, but apparently, night after night after night after night, praying. He says to Peter, “I have prayed for you.” I don’t think that means that He prayed one time for Peter. I think John 17, again, expresses the prolonged heart of Christ for his own and those that would come after them, which He poured out to the Father again and again and again. I think James 5 talks about that general principle: “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
What the Bible forbids is vain repetition, empty repetition of formulas rather than the pleadings of the impassioned heart. I think we are to pray continually. I was thinking of I Timothy, a good place to look and kind of get a passage. I covered this in a message I gave on this text called “Evangelistic Praying.” "First of all, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men." What for? Well, certainly in part for their salvation, "...for kings and all who are in authority, and in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who desires all men to be saved!" So what are we praying? He says in verse 1, “Pray for all men.” He says why, in verse 4, because “God desires all men to be saved.” "Prayers, entreaties, petitions"--I mean, that’s just a part of our life. So I think it’s right; I think we are to pray continually.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
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