“Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11

Here are some wise words on the subject of “Prayer” from Dr. J. I. Packer:

Dr. J. I. Packer (1926-2020)

“The prayer of a Christian is not an attempt to force God’s hand, but a humble acknowledgement of helplessness and dependance. When we are on our knees, we know that it is not we who control the world; it is not in our power, therefore, to satisfy our needs by our own independent efforts; every good thing that we desire for ourselves and for others must be sought from God, and will come, if it comes at all, as a gift from His hands. If this is true even of our daily bread (and the Lord’s Prayer teaches us that it is), much more is it true of spiritual benefits. This is all luminously clear to us when we are actually praying, whatever we may be betrayed into saying in argument afterwards. In effect, therefore, what we do every time we pray is to confess our own impotence and God’s sovereignty. The very fact that a Christian prays is thus proof positive that he believes in the Lordship of his God.”

Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 11-12

These are words I certainly agree with when it comes to prayer! Let us humble ourselves before God and trust that His ways are far better than our ways when it comes to answering our prayers.

— Dr. Marcus J. Serven