The true meaning of prayer is given to the reader in the briefest of words, "To pray is to let Jesus come into our hearts," in Ole Hallesby's classic book Prayer, his only work translated from Norwegian (1931) into English still in print.* He explains that the words of Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me," tell us that it is Jesus who comes to us, He moves us to pray, He knocks, and we can merely open our hearts to him.

Get a copy of this book and read it with a few people. The edition available today has a forward and study guide by Richard J. Foster. Profound insights are given on prayer, for example, that it is both a place of rest and wrestling. Written as it is by a conservative and intensely pietistic leader of the evangelical wing of the Church of Norway, it is improbable that it became a best seller, improabable that it is still read by so many, yet it is a book for today because we live in a time with much doubt, yet much emphasis on spirituality. People yearn for truth today and look for it everywhere it seems besides the Church. Nicky Gumbel gives an anecdote in the Alpha course about this generation's seeking concerning a man asking if it was okay to pray to Jesus if he wasn't sure he believed in Jesus. On one hand we say, "How silly!" On the other, how honest.

Hallesby describes prayer as the wrestling done between the borders of faith and doubt. Chapter One, "What Prayer Is," concludes:

I need not exert myself and try to force myself to believe, or try to chase doubt out of my heart. Both are equally useless. It begins to dawn on me that I can bring everything to Jesus, no matter how difficult it is; and I need not be frightened away by my doubts or my weak faith, but only tell Jesus how weak my faith is. I have let Jesus into my heart. And He will fulfill my heart?s desire.[1]

            Hallesby spoke of life as one where we are justified on account of "Christ for us" which makes possible an indwelling of the Spirit, "Christ in us." In another book Hallesby comments on Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" saying that prayer is a most important means of receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit, "In his grace God has ordained that we at any time receive and have so much of God's Spirit as we want and ask for." Hallesby wrote that when the Spirit has taken up dwelling in the heart of believer, penetrating the whole person, sanctifying wholly, there begins a process of continuous sanctification with the believer being filled with as much of the Spirit as is petitioned. It is a gradual process, though, of course, it can also be instantaneous, too. The normal means God instituted for being filled with the Spirit are prayers, the Word, and the sacraments.[2]

            This is all, of course, very good news for Lutherans, that God provides a way for us to have union with God through Word and Spirit, and Word and Sacrament, and also that we have such a profound expert on prayer like Ole Hallesby. The remaining chapters in Prayer address difficulties in prayer, prayer as work, wrestling in prayer, the meaning of, forms, problems, and concludes with chapters on the School of prayer and the Spirit of prayer.

            Luther, of course, wrote much on prayer, and if you go to the left and click A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther you will see Luther?s pamphlet on prayer. As for non-Lutherans, we would recommend Oswald Chambers classic My Utmost for His Highest, Andrew Murray's School of Prayer (on our website through the Heroes link, A.W. Tozer (go to www.gospelcom.net/spiritual_walk/devotionals where there are many e-devotionals, and look for Insight for Leaders.

            We close with the ending of Prayer, "And now, finally, if it becomes difficult for you to pray, then offer this little prayer, 'Lord, teach me to pray.' There is nothing that He, the Spirit of prayer, would rather do."