“[Jesus] regarded prayer, not as an alternative to effort, but as an accompaniment to effort and an alternative to despairing acquiescence and inaction. In his language, and indeed in the language of the whole New Testament, the opposite of praying about a thing is to do nothing about it at all, and the opposite of working for a causministrye is to stop praying about it. Praying unaccompanied by hard work and work unaccompanied by urgent prayer are two things Jesus Christ not only never preached but never even contemplated as a plausible possibility. He knew well that the men who worked most tirelessly were not likely to be a different set of men from those who prayed most importunately, but the same set of men.”
John Baillie, Christian Devotion. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1962, pages 44-45.
Related posts:
Prayer Note #70: Love instead of Anger, Fear, Violence, & Cruelty
Pastor Note #121: Praying for Justice without Praying for Revenge
Pastor Note #119: Jesus’ Way of Power
Bible Note #68: Acts 9:1-19–God’s Amazing, Undeserved Grace
Bible Note #65: Knowing Jesus & Following Him
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