Secrets to Prayer

Excerpts from a message by Lester Roloff

There are different kinds of prayer, but secret prayer is the best and ought to be practiced the most. Apart from secret prayer, forget about all the rest of it. A man who doesn’t pray by himself has no right to pray in public. A man who had rather pray in public than in private is a Pharisee and a hypocrite. If you can’t be prayed up when you get to church, don’t try to catch up in the church house.

What is the thing that will keep you praying?

Keep in mind now, that I am not the final answer as the teacher of prayer. Jesus is. But, if I’ve learned anything through the Bible and in practice and experience, I’ll pass it on to you tonight. This is the practical side of praying. So what is the thing that will make you keep on praying? It’s hearing from Heaven! Now, I’m going to reverse that. The thing that will reveal your faith is praying when no answer comes. That’s the supreme test. God’s servant Job said, “Lord, I want You to show me why You’re doing this to me. We’ve always been on good terms, and you’ve been my best friend. I’m not against you and am not going to turn against you, but I need an explanation, and I want You to give it.” I imagine the Lord just kind of smiled and said, “Later on. After a while.” It was the most severe test he ever had. You’ve never been there until you’ve reached this place, and that is when you look up to God and there’s not any God. There’s no response. But let me tell you something: you’re going to have to learn to believe God when you cannot perceive God. You’re going to have to learn to “faith” Him when you can’t “feel” Him. Unless you do, you’re going to be in bad shape before this thing’s over with.

What is the thing that will keep you from praying?

Jesus said in Mark 11:25 that when you stand up to pray, you’d better be sure you’ve forgiven those who have wronged you. I talked to a man yesterday who said, “I have bitterness.” I replied, “It will ruin you.” There’s no substitute for the tenderness of Jesus. No matter how much you hate the devil, you’ll love people. No matter how much people might hurt you and try to destroy you, you’ll love them while they’re doing it. My whole prayer life depends on my forgiveness of others. An unforgiving spirit will completely ruin your prayer life. You can spend all night here at this altar, and you can holler, “Oh, God. Lord, I’ve got to have an answer.” But without forgiveness, you’ll never get it.

To Me, That’s Faith!

Christ also said that when you come to the altar with your gift and then you have a very sober, serious, sacred thought, “Somebody’s got something against me,” you leave your gift right there, and you go and first be reconciled to your brother. You’d better hear me tonight, there’s no such thing as two brothers not being reconciled. If you are brothers in Christ or sisters in Christ, there’s a way for both of you to get together, because you have the same Christ in both of you. He said, “You leave it right there. You go to him.” Will you do that? To me, that’s faith!

Forgiving Grace

Do you have unforgiveness tonight toward anybody? Then you need a forgiving grace. You can look in your medicine cabinet, but you won’t find it. Only God can give it to you. Don’t go to bed tonight until you can say, “Lord, what a delight to let You give me grace to forgive. I want power in prayer.” We’re spiritually insane to let something stand between us and getting our prayers answered. Why don’t you grow up? Let Jesus give you the answer, and say, “Lord, thank You for forgiving grace!” I’ve never forgiven anybody with my forgiveness. It’s always been His. I’ve never had grace, made up any grace, manufactured any grace, whipped up any grace, picked up any grace. God gives me grace.

A Neglected Privilege

Oh, this sweet, neglected privilege of prayer. Folks, why would it be necessary for Brother Roloff or “Brother Anybody Else” to have to speak long and give many sermons on prayer? Have you read your Bible? Have you ever noticed a good man who didn’t pray? Have you ever heard of a great preacher who wasn’t first great in his place of prayer? Oh, may the Lord search us out and help us. Time is so short. Eternity is so long. We must not let our prayer path be clouded with the clouds of unforgiveness, doubt, impurity, or an unclean attitude or spirit. Oh, may God bless you as you say, “Lord, get me back to my prayer place, and get me back to the prayer spirit.”

Secrets to Prayer