The seven wonders of prayer

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." – Hebrews 4:16

You have probably heard of the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World which includes the following: The Pyramids of Egypt, built 1,000 years before baby Moses floated on the Nile; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the great Temple of Diana in the city of Ephesus; the Statue of Jupiter on the Parthenon of Athens; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus on the Aegean; the Colossus at Rhodes; and the Pharos or the great Lighthouse of Alexandria.

In 1926, Dr. Henry W. Frost suggested that there are Seven Great Wonders of Prayer, no less outstanding than the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World. Let’s look at what he identified.

Wonder #1. You as a mortal can approach this great God in prayer. Until World War II was over, Japanese people had never heard their emperor’s voice. They would never have considered speaking to him. Yet God said, "Call to me and I will always answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3).

Wonder #2. You may address God with simplicity in ordinary conversation. There are levels of intimacy and formality. To speak to your superior as you would your best friend would be insulting, yet God’s Son encourages us to come to Him saying, "Our Father who is in heaven..." and tell Him of our needs.

Wonder #3. You can pray for definite needs. The thief on the cross knew exactly what he wanted and cried, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" Like the old spiritual which goes, "Not my father, not my mother, but it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer," he voiced a specific request and a personal one.

Wonder #4. You can pray anywhere. Anywhere? Not just in the temple or a church or a place of religious worship? Some pray in prison. Paul was in a dungeon when he prayed. Some pray in their closet, some as they drive to work, some as they do housework. Prayer knows no distance; thus, I can pray for a friend in Manila or Russia as though I were by the person’s side.

Wonder #5. You can pray about everything that is of concern to you. Paul urged the Philippines, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). Personally, this wonder greatly encourages me. "Everything" is all inclusive–little things, big things, irritations, and celebrations. I can come to God about whatever I do or whatever consumes my interest.

Wonder #6. You can be in constant touch with God through prayer. That’s the force of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says simply, "Pray continually!" You can maintain an awareness of God, the realization that He is as close as your sigh: "Lord, what do I do now?" As a friend put it, you never close the circuit by saying, "Amen!" meaning, "I’ll be back next Sunday; God, until then, bye!"

Wonder #7. You may pray with boldness and confidence. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." The King James text says, "Let us come boldly ..." Answered prayer is based on the relationship of a child with his/her Father, and because of that, we may cry, "Abba, Father!"

Yes, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are awesome and marvelous, but of great awe and wonder is the fact we can touch God through prayer.

Resource reading: John 17

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Guidelines for Finding Your Way is available in bookstores nationwide. For more information, write to Guidelines Philippines, Box 4000, 1284 Makati City or e-mail [email protected]. Visit our website www.guidelines.org.