Don’t Let the Sun Go Down Without Bending the Knee in Prayer
Another thing that I always want to have done before the sun goes down is to have bent the knee in prayer, meeting with my Saviour in prayer.
Evening Prayer Routine
Now personally, I've changed my routine here a little bit just to give you a bit of insight. I like to spend the morning in study. I read the Bible and I'll read various different books - you all know how much I read - and the morning is my time to do that.
I will pray, but it's more general prayer. I've started to do most of my intercessory prayer and deeper prayer at night. Shereen typically goes to bed before me. That's a time of quiet where my brain isn't up to studying, but I can spend that time in prayer.
Privilege of Prayer
And I remember that day that I came up with this idea “don't let the sun go down on me” - I hadn't prayed that day. The whole day had gone past and I had spent no time with God in prayer. And I regretted that because what a privilege it is! What a privilege to spend time in prayer.
David Mathis in his book Habits of Grace says, “Wonder of wonders, not only does God express Himself and let us hear His voice, but He wants to hear ours — the speaking God not only has spoken, but He also listens. He stops, He stoops, He wants to hear from you. He stands ready to hear your voice. Oh, what a privilege to have the ear of God.”
Of course, God has begun the conversation by drawing near to us first. Remember that verse in 1 John that says, “We love because He first loved us.” And so in a sense we pray because He first spoke to us. This is why for me, I like to hear God's Word first—read the Bible—and then respond in prayer so that I can hear what He’s saying and then respond.
Power of the Knee
Roland Burhans uses this great illustration. He said: “Birds go to sleep on their perches, but they never fall off. This is because of the tendons in the birds' legs. They are so constructed that when the leg is bent at the knee, the claws contract and grip like a steel trap. The claws refuse to let go until the knees are unbent. The bended knee gives the bird the ability to hold onto his perch so tightly.”
And he says, “isn't this also the secret of the holding power of the Christian? Daniel in the Bible found it to be true. Surrounded by a pagan environment, tempted to compromise, urged to weaken his grip on God, he refused to let go. He held firm when others faltered because he was a man of prayer. He knew the power of the bended knee—the secret of holding things which are most precious to us. The secret is in the knee bent in prayer. When we hold firmly to God in prayer, we can rest assured that He will tightly hold to us.”
May it be that you and I don't let the sun go down today or any day without bending the knee in prayer.
