Reply To: Chapter 10 – The School of Prayer

[Lynne Mazza-Hilway]

O. Hallesby begins by saying that “neither you nor I will be happy before we yield ourselves to His pierced hands and… voluntarily enroll in the school of prayer, which the Spirit has established for such as do not know how to pray.” No matter how much we’ve studied prayer and try practicing it, I still feel somewhat awkward, yes weary,during the process. Yet the author encourages again that we just need to “give the Spirit, the superintendent of our instruction, the opportunity to reveal Christ to us every day and as we ‘see Him’, prayer will rise from our hearts. He aims at making us earnestly solicitous. Prayer is like an ellipse, which rotates about two different points:Christ and our need. All we need to do is listen to the Spirit as He speaks to us every day in the Word and through prayer.” We’re also encouraged that “the best and most faithful intercessors learn the holy art of intercession only after many trials or great suffering. They are centers of spiritual power, like a great electric power plant, and by their simple and persevering prayers they are chief supporters of the Christian work.” I agree that it is during times of physical illness or emotional weariness that I surrender and spend more time than usual in prayer. I pray that we don’t have to be knocked off our feet to so sincerely engage our Father in prayer but on the other hand it’s so reassuring to know that even then, we aren’t helpless but have more of an opportunity to offer the power of our living God up for so many who are hurting and lost.