The Luther I Can Relate To

• Posted on sdgale
• in 'CHOP Talk' Blog
• on May 13, 2013
• Comments Off on The Luther I Can Relate To

I am reading a book manuscript on spiritual warfare.  The authors quote me on the subject and asked if I would read the book and provide a comment for publication.  After hearing their perspective on the topic, I readily agreed.  I believe the area of spiritual warfare is greatly neglected in discipleship today, despite the attention it receives throughout the New Testament at the hand of every NT writer.  Spiritual warfare needs to be brought to the fore in a biblically-balanced manner.

I have enjoyed the book but what struck me was something almost tangential to the topic, or at least broader than it.

We’ve all been humbled by the account of Martin Luther’s practice of prayer.  Story has it that he rose early to devote hours to prayer before his busy day.  If the day was especially busy, he would devote even more time to prayer.

But the authors of the book I read brought to bear a quote by Luther to which I can better relate.  Luther wrote this to his Christian brother and fellow worker, Melancthon.

I sit here at ease, hardened and unfeeling – alas! Praying little, grieving little for the Church of God, burning rather in the fierce fires of my untamed flesh. It comes to this: I should be afire in the spirit; in reality I am afire in the flesh, with lust, laziness, idleness, sleepiness. It is perhaps because you have all ceased praying for me that God has turned away from me… For the last eight days I have written nothing, nor prayer, nor studied, partly from self-indulgence, partly from another vexatious handicap… I really cannot stand it any longer;… Pray for me, I beg you, for in my seclusion here I am submerged in sins.

That sounds more like me!  Although it does seem like Luther is doing a bit of blame-shifting.  He suggests that his spiritual dryness is owed to Melancthon not praying for him.

But all Luther is doing is reflecting Paul’s own urgency for prayer throughout his epistles.  He constantly solicits the prayers of others for himself.  He knows full well his faithfulness, his competency, his courage depend on Christ.  So he urges others to support him in prayer.

I fail in this area.  I have not labored with intensity at enjoining the prayers of others.  I don’t think it solely a matter of pride.  I know and fully believe that apart from Christ I can do nothing.  I pray for myself in that regard.  So it’s not simply an issue of pride. No, I think my problem is unbelief.  I don’t really believe my desperate need for the supportive prayers of others.  I don’t have the audacity of faith to assign blame to others for my unfaithfulness and ineffectiveness.

But, admitting my sin and irresponsibility, I need to follow Luther’s example to seek out the prayers of others for me and to call them to account for that prayer.  I need prayer that I will pray.  I need prayer for myself as God’s instrument, for my message that God may empower it, for my tact that I would rely fully and continually on Christ.  I need prayer for protection from the assaults of the evil one.  I need prayer in my weaknesses and my strengths, so that it all may be of Christ.

So with great seriousness and expectation, I implore those so led to pray for me.