“Hear my cry O God, listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth l call to You. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:1-2) NIV
Prayer sometimes can truly be a struggle. Not all the time, but sometimes. I say this based on my own experience and that of others – those l read about, heard preach and those l know.
Sometimes it’s easier to pray than at other times. At those easier times, prayer is sweet to the soul. Those other times? When it’s seems like a heavy burden? When it seems like God is so far away? It takes a while as l try to read and meditate on the Word or sing a hymn or choruses. Times when prayer is really, really a struggle for me. This sometimes happens due to a state of depression and discouragement because of delayed answers to a prolonged prayer of many months or even years. It could also be as a result of grieve, hurt or pain. And l believe there will sometimes be such times till l see my Lord face to face.
Let me say this lest l get misunderstood: I do not go to the prayer closet to seek for a manifestation. l go to meet my God, Father, Lord, Savior, Friend, Guide and Confidant. I do not need a spectacular experience or manifestation to know He is with me and for me. His Word is enough for me. I trust Him, I trust His unchanging character. All l am trying to say is that there are and there will always be times when God will seem to be afar off, times when He withdraws the sense of His presence from us, even though He is ever and always with us. Times when the help of the Holy Spirit will be more or less in prayer as He sees best.
This should not discourage us in prayer. God allows this for some reasons.
1. To keep us humble and dependent on Him.
2. To make us seek Him more so He can reveal Himself to us more and thereby we come to know Him more.
3. To encourage, train, teach and cause us to walk with Him by faith.
4. To draw us closer to Himself.
And all these are for our own good and are also a demonstration of His love for us.