Pastor David Platt: The Problem Is Pride
There is only one answer to why we don’t pray like this, said Pastor David Platt: “Prayerlessness is pride.” John 15:5 says we are totally powerless without God. When we pray, we do so because we need his help. So when we do not pray, we are saying we don’t need God, but can handle life on our own. That, however, is a lie. “Don’t we see it now more than ever?” asked the pastor. “Right now, all of our limitations around the world, on display. Our science and medicine are insufficient, our economy is insufficient. Jesus alone is sufficient for everything we need.”
It is not just the history of the Koreas that shows us God moves in response to prayer. Scripture supports that truth as well. “Every major move in the book of Acts,” said Platt, “comes about in response to the prayers of God’s people. Every major move.” The pastor said he could share story after story of the incredible ways the Holy Spirit has been bringing people to Christ as his church has started spending significant time in prayer. And God is doing all of this work “in a way that makes clear only he deserves the glory for it.”
Platt closed his talk by asking the people watching to respond by praying. He said, “Would you just spend time before God in worship and confession, confession of sin, confession of pride, then in intercession. Would you just plead for God to do that which can only be accomplished by his power and only attributed to his glory?”
