What does the Bible say about prayerlessness?

Secondly — prayer is the expression of dependence. Dependence is the due attitude of the creature towards the Creator. God alone is sufficient to Himself. Every creature, whether he know it or not, is really dependent; and prayer, in its foundation principle, is the expression of this dependence. To acknowledge it, is to live in truth; to deny it — to live the prayerless life — is to walk in darkness. Man, as revolted, has lost the sense of dependence upon his Creator. He has slipped his moorings, got away from moral connection with the blessed Centre of the universe, and, wandering in sin and darkness, thinks it the finest and grandest thing to be independent. This, the very principle of his life, is a falsity; he "maketh a lie" (Rev. 21:27).

Secondly - Prayer is the expression of dependence. Dependence is the due attitude of the creature towards the Creator. God alone is sufficient to Himself. Every creature, whether he know it or not, is really dependent; and prayer, in its foundation principle, is the expression of this dependence. To acknowledge it, is to live in truth; to deny it - to live the prayerless life - is to walk in darkness. Man, as revolted, has lost the sense of dependence upon his Creator. He has slipped his moorings, got away from moral connection with the blessed Centre of the universe, and, wandering in sin and darkness, thinks it the finest and grandest thing to be independent. This, the very principle of his life, is a falsity; he "maketh . a lie" (Rev.21:27 AV).

It has been often said that “Prayer moves the arm of Him who moves the universe.” Prayer is an expression of dependence upon God. A prayerless Christian might be called an independent Christian, and independence of God is synonymous with the slavery of Satan. Thus a prayerless Christian is in a most perilous condition, and is sure to bring dishonour upon God.

I have thought that a few plain and simple words on some of the hindrances to prayer may, with the Lord's blessing, be of some help to you. The invitations and exhortations to prayer in the word of God are so frequent that it is quite unnecessary for me to commence by showing that there is no hindrance on God's side. If therefore you fail to pray, as a young believer, you ought to allow that the fault lies entirely with yourself. You have permitted something to rob you of this privilege.

Now one of the commonest states of soul of those who go on day after day without prayer, or without anything more than a hurried word or two, is that of want of desire. They do not pray because they do not feel they have anything particular for which to pray. This is a serious condition of soul. It is so much like the degraded church in Laodicea, which said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." And to have need of nothing is to have nothing, in a spiritual sense. For prayerlessness means powerlessness, and this ends in Christlessness.

What should we think of a professing Christian who never prayed, never read the word of God, in private? Could we possibly regard him as a happy, healthy, true Christian? Assuredly not. Indeed we should seriously question the existence of divine life in such a soul. Prayer and the word of God are absolutely essential to healthy vigorous Christian life: so that a man who habitually neglects these must be in an utterly dead state.

But let us now see if we cannot find what, in the Christian life, is the first cause, or germ, of this terrible spiritual disease, which saps the very life of the believer, and utterly destroys all true testimony for Christ. I believe that the beginning of all decline is neglect of prayer. In nearly all the epistles we find the Spirit stressing the great importance of prayer in such words as these; "Continuing instant in prayer;" "Praying always with all prayer;" "Continue in prayer and watch;" "Pray without ceasing." We read that our blessed Lord, during the three and a half years of His public ministry, was constantly in prayer, and on one occasion we are told that He continued all night in prayer to God. And on the night of His betrayal, in the mount of Olives, He prayed over and over again, until at last, being in an agony, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. If that blessed Man, the sinless One, our great Example, so realised the need of prayer, how great must our need be!

The histories of most failures may be traced back to the germ of neglect in secret prayer to God. It leaves the door of the heart open — so to speak — for the entrance of every conceivable evil from without, which mingles with the unjudged nature within. The result, save for sovereign grace, would be fatal. No amount of zeal, no energy in service, can supply the loss which ever follows the neglect of secret prayer; for without it zeal is offensive as being severed from grace, and activity in outward service is so much energy of the flesh. In such cases the salt is threatened with loss of its savour.

Pray at all times, and under all circumstances. By prayer we express our dependence on God. Neglect of private prayer is the certain path to a complete breakdown in one's Christian life. I have followed the course of many Christians. I have marked the progress and success of some, and mourned over the failure of others. To a large extent, these results closely matched the use or neglect of private prayer (Matt. 6:6).

I knew a man years ago who was very active in preaching, and very intelligent in the Scriptures. He was looked upon in the district where he lived as a steady useful servant of the Lord. Suddenly his service ceased and he drifted into the world and finally came to an untimely and shocking end. One who had been intimate with him in what seemed his bright days told me that he believed he knew the secret of his absolute departure from the Lord. It was prayerlessness. He had said on one occasion to his friend, "I don't think God intends me to pray as you do. I can never spend more than five minutes on my knees at one time. I must be up and doing something."

I knew a man years ago who was very active in preaching, and very intelligent in the Scriptures. He was looked upon in the district where he lived as a steady useful servant of the Lord. Suddenly his service ceased and he drifted into the world and finally came to an untimely and shocking end. One who had been intimate with him in what seemed his bright days told me that he believed he knew the secret of his absolute departure from the Lord. It was prayerlessness. He had said on one occasion to his friend, “I don't think God intends me to pray as you do. I can never spend more than five minutes on my knees at one time. I must be up and doing something.”