There’s this moment recorded in Exodus 17. The Israelites had escaped from slavery in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, and then the Amalekites showed up. I kind of imagine them thinking, Great. Just what we needed. Moses told Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle while he stood nearby with the staff of God in his hands.
“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage” (Exodus 17:11). When I read this, the image of prayer comes immediately to mind. David expressed it perfectly when he wrote, “Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary” (Psalm 28:2).
In prayer, we bring our burdens to the Lord and acknowledge that they’re too much for us. That we need the intervention of Someone greater than we are, with more resources than we have, with power to do what we cannot. We’re looking to Him as our Provider, Rescuer, Sustainer instead of trying to get those things by our own means. Prayer keeps us close to God, watching for Him to reveal Himself and His purposes in our desperate situation. He already knows our needs and our concerns; praying about them shows that we’re not only aware of His sovereignty, but also that we’re willing to be subject to it.
In the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul instructed, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And Isaiah charged, “Take no rest, all you who pray” (Isaiah 62:6). Jesus Himself urged His followers to “keep on asking… keep on looking… keep on knocking” (Luke 11:9-10) – “God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night” (Luke 18:7). But there are some times when prayer feels like little more than talking to the ceiling, or wrestling with a power we can neither see nor control. It seems like it makes no difference – or God is indifferent – and we get tired of praying. We drop our arms, we cease praying, and our enemy begins to gain the upper hand.
This leads me back to Moses. “Whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Moses’ arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff any longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset. As a result, Joshua and his troops were able to crush the army of Amalek” (Exodus 17:11-13). When we pray for one another, we’re like Aaron and Hur, holding up the arms of those who have grown weary, helping to usher in the victory.
One final thought. Maybe you have a friend or loved one who is too weak even to pray for themselves. They’re in a place where they can’t even begin to look up. Then you can be like the friends of the paralyzed man, who lowered him through a hole in the roof so they could get him into the presence of Jesus (Luke 5:17-20). It was the friends’ faith that led to the man’s healing. By prayer, we bring others into the presence of God, where they can receive mercy and grace, forgiveness and healing.
Strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” Isaiah 35:3-4