Playing at praying?

One of the memorable features and purposes of the annual Keswick Convention in days gone by were the early morning prayer meetings.

Queues formed at the crack of dawn at the two venues — the church in Southey Street had an overflow outside in the street — as earnest believers of many nationalities shared spontaneous, audible intercession for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ worldwide.

Early morning prayer

During my attendance over the past 60 years (not annually) those corporate gatherings have ceased. This year however, the programme for the first week of the convention included, ‘by popular request’, two prayer meetings scheduled to commence at 7.00 am.

As a steward at the first of them it was sad and disturbing to observe that only 23 of the estimated 5,000 people attending the convention were present — including the two stewards! We are not, of course, in the numbers game; and another duty prevented me from attending the second prayer meeting which perhaps drew a better response.

Lack of interest

It ought to be said that this small attendance has nothing to do with the organisers but seemingly everything to do with the spiritual condition of those present at the Keswick Convention.

Lack of interest and support for regular gatherings for believers to pray appears to be endemic nowadays, except perhaps for some special event or in a crisis.

Praying for the services

When we moved from London to another town in the south-east of England, we joined one of the churches there. The bulletin for the first Sunday mentioned a pre-service prayer meeting for the evening’s worship. The church membership was then 250 or so, but for many years the said prayer meeting drew only three or four people, though the numbers of people coming to the church grew steadily.

Today, the bulletin announces prayer meetings prior to the two morning services and the evening gathering. Each of these services draws a large congregation. But, oh, those prayer meetings! There are perhaps two or three people attending the prayer meetings in the morning; usually the leader, the preacher and one other. In the evening there are never more than six, faithful intercessors — though some 20 or so drift in eventually.

Why be late for an audience with the King of Kings at his wonderful throne of grace?

Did not our forefathers in the faith regard corporate prayer to be the church’s vital breath? Given the spiritual decline going on in our country, despite all the many efforts of the churches, ought we not to be earnestly repeating that heart cry of our Master’s first disciples, ‘Lord teach us to pray’ or shall we continue ‘playing at praying’?

Harold Withington

‘O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do but our eyes are upon you.’ (2 Chronicles 20.12)

Commenting on this verse, the great missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF), J. Hudson Taylor, wrote: ‘I myself, for instance, am not specially gifted, and am shy by nature, but my gracious and merciful God and Father inclined himself to me, who was weak in faith. He strengthened me while I was still young. He taught me in my helplessness to rest in him, and to pray even about little things in which another might have felt able to help himself.’

Early morning prayer

Lack of interest

Praying for the services

Harold Withington

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