Unavailing Prayer
W. Clarkson Isaiah 16:12 And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray… Moab "will come to his sanctuary to pray, but he shall not prevail." There are two kinds of unavailing prayer - I. THE PRAYER WHICH IS ADDRESSED TO NON-EXISTENT BEINGS. How pitiable that, as the consequence of the blinding influence of sin, men should have spent so much thought and effort in devotion that must have been absolutely barren of all good result! It is painful to think of the multitude of sacrifices - even human sacrifices - that have been offered up beneath every sky, of the labors that have been undergone, of the pilgrimages that have been made, of the tortures that have been inflicted, of the privations that have been endured, of the observances that have been gone through, and, if last not least, of the prayers that have been presented from full and burdened hearts, that have all been wasted, inasmuch as the devotees have all been making their appeal to an ear that could not hear, to a hand that could not help. II. THE PRAYER WHICH IS UNAVAILINGLY ADDRESSED TO GOD. It is almost equally sad to think that there must have been, and must be, a vast amount of devotion vainly and fruitlessly directed to the living God. There is (1) the format prayer - the prayer which goeth forth from feigned lips, in which men "honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from him" (Isaiah 29:13); (2) the prayer of pride (see Luke 18:9-14); (3) the prayer of impenitence (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 15:29; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 1:15); (4) the prayer of unbelief (Hebrews 11:6); (5) the prayer of irreverence (Hebrews 5:7); (6) the prayer which is unacceptable by reason of the nature of the request. If we ask God for his interposition in the spirit of vindictiveness rather than of generosity, or if we ask for material enrichment or earthly honors rather than the Divine favor and spiritual progress, we may be asking for that which our heavenly Father will deny in mercy to ourselves. For he may know that the very thing we crave would prove to be the most mischievous thing we could possibly possess. It may be worth our while to look also at - III. THE PRAYER WHICH DOES NOT SEEM TO PREVAIL, BUT WHICH IS NOT INEFFECTUAL. There are many acts of devotion which do not bring any immediate, desired result, but they are far from being vain and fruitless. Such are: 1. The prayers which are not supplicatory at all - those which begin and end in communion; those in which the reverent and loving heart of the human child finds a holy and satisfying joy in holding fellowship with the heavenly Father, the redeemed spirit with its gracious Savior, its unchanging Friend. 2. The prayers which are not answered at the time, but after some patient waiting. 3. The prayers which are answered in a way altogether different from that expected by the soul. As the prophet of the Lord met Naaman's request in a way which surprised and even angered him, so the Lord himself often meets our requests in a way which surprises and even "offends" us. We should prefer the immediate touch of his mighty hand, renewing, cleansing, enlarging, enlightening. But instead of this, he employs some simple and common instrumentality, or some unpleasant discipline, which brings about the change that 'is to be desired. Thus in Newton's hymn - "I asked the Lord that I might grow In faith and love and every grace." But instead of "his love's constraining power" subduing sin and giving rest, come assaults from without and wrestlings within; and when the disturbed and questioning spirit asks, "Why is this?" the answer comes - These inward trials I employ From self and pride to set thee free, And break thy schemes of earthly joy, That thou may'st seek thine all in me." ? C. Parallel Verses KJV: And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail. WEB: It will happen that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail.