SECOND QUARTER 2026
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #7
MAY 16, 2026
"PRACTICAL PRAYER".

 

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8).

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

How do we pour out our hearts to the Lord without being vainly repetitious? It must have something to do with our frame of mind, our attitude, our belief and trust in God. 

Whether in crisis, or when answers seem delayed, or when things seem to be going well, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

I would invite a reading of the Lord’s Prayer as a chiastic emphasis of this truth.  Pull out your quarterly and note how it arranges the prayer into eight primary thoughts on Tuesday’s lesson. Notice how the first and last thoughts focus on God’s person and power (He is), how thoughts two and three encapsulate our confession of His holiness and our desire to live in His kingdom as He designs (diligent seeking of Him), how thoughts six and seven reflect our explicit need for experiencing His ongoing forgiveness and protection (more diligent seeking of His blessings),  and how the central thoughts four and five give the key to living this life by faith in and full surrender to His will and Jesus, the indwelling Word (who is the Reward!). This prayer is intensely practical and also very deep.

The Lord’s Prayer is a complete prayer. Although it is difficult and woefully inadequate to measure the effects of prayer like this one with tools like a functional MRI due to the distractions of positioning and noise, these measurements give evidence that prayer can activate over 50% of the brain. The more thoughtful and focused, the better, I imagine. Christian prayer also integrates the prefrontal cortex with the rest of the brain in a more wholistic manner, as opposed to contemplative or mind-emptying meditation, which may incorporate repetitious mantras of one kind or another.

E. J. Waggoner uses Elijah’s crisis experience to advocate for the meaningful practicality of the Lord’s Prayer:

    Long prayers find no warrant in the Bible. The longest prayer on record is that of Solomon at the dedication of the temple. That was a great occasion, and the prayer was very comprehensive; yet it can be read slowly in six minutes. The prayer of Jesus in John xvii. may be read with deliberation in four minutes. Of the other prayers recorded in the Bible, including the Lord's Prayer, none of them would occupy a whole minute. Contrast Elijah's prayer with those of the prophets of Baal. They prayed from morning till evening, saying, "O Baal, hear us," and leaped and cut themselves, with of course no result. Elijah quietly addressed the Lord in a prayer less than half a minute long, and fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones of the altar, and the water that was in the trench. The heathen gods cannot hear; therefore those who trust them, not getting any response when they pray, must needs vociferate and multiply their words; but why should the servants of the living God give the impression by their prayers that he is like the gods of the heathen?

Prayer is not for the purpose of making God acquainted with our needs, not to make Him willing to give, for He knows what we need before we ask Him, and has prepared the gifts for us. We come to Him only in response to His call. Therefore true prayer is simply the manifestation and expression of our willingness to receive the good things that come down from the Father of lights. God is not like the unjust judge, so that He needs to be nagged into granting our requests, but He assures us that He will do us justice speedily. Luke xviii. 1-8. It is because of this readiness on the part of God to hear, that His servants "cry day and night unto Him." See Ps. cxvi. 1, 2. We do indeed read that Jesus on more than one occasion spent the entire night in prayer, but it was by Himself, and not in company with others. When men get something of the acquaintance with the Father that He had, they also will delight to hold long conversations with Him alone, as friend with friend; but for one to pray all night just because the Lord did, without the Spirit that led Him to do it, would be mockery.

    Not only is it not necessary to use repetitions in asking for anything, but it is not necessary to multiply words in order to ask for the many, many things that we need. This is shown in the model prayer before us, which includes every possible want of man. We cannot go into a detailed study of the separate petitions in this prayer; if we should attempt to analyse them, we could not exhaust them, for they are infinite. We shall best arrive at an understanding of this prayer by reverently praying it, and by carefully studying the Word.

     In short, when we pray it is necessary for us to remember the commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." Men can take the name of God in vain in other things than profane swearing. Any unnecessary repetition of "that glorious and fearful name" is a taking of it in vain. To ask for unnecessary things, is to take it in vain. To pray without faith, is also to take the name of God in vain. Remember that God is, He knows, He cares, and He is almighty, and that He has already given us all things; then study His will, and in the simple directness of faith make your requests to God with thanksgiving. See Phil. iv. 6, 7. "God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few." Eccl. v. 2. "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." Hab. ii. 20. "Be still, and know that I am God." Ps. xlvi. 10. —Present Truth UK, January 20, 1898, p. 37.

 

As He did with Moses (see last week’s Insight), God dealt gently with Elijah after his mountaintop experience, when discouragement led to his despondent prayer:  “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4). God had not given up on His people, nor on Elijah. 

 

Ellen White had a similar experience in Minneapolis. After the amazing experience where every fiber of her heart said AMEN to the messages being presented (1888 Materials, p. 348), the resistance and backlash came. She was so discouraged she decided to leave. But there was more work to do.

 

     I could but have a vivid picture in my mind from day to day of the way reformers were treated, how slight difference of opinion seemed to create a frenzy of feeling. Thus it was in the betrayal, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus--all this had passed before me point by point. The Satanic spirit took control and moved with power upon the human hearts that had been opened to doubts and to bitterness, wrath and hatred. All this was prevailing in that meeting. I decided to leave the meeting, leave Minneapolis. I refused to speak again to our people, but consented to speak to the Scandinavians. 

                                                                         

     In the night season, one of God's messengers stood by my side and asked: "Did not I raise you up when you were sick nigh unto death in Healdsburg? Did not I put My Spirit upon you and sustain you to bear your testimony in Oakland? Did not I your Lord strengthen you to come the long journey to this place? Have not I kept your mind in peace amid the strife and confusion of tongues, and now I have a work for you to do in this place. My everlasting arms are beneath you. I have given you a message to bear. I will show you many things." —1888 Materials, pp. 309, 310. 

Monday’s lesson gives a list of reasons why prayers may seem to be (or actually be) unanswered. But I really appreciate the last paragraph:

A key fact that determines our response to what seems like unanswered prayers is our picture of God. If we see God as distant and disinterested, our relationship with Him weakens. In such times, search the Bible for evidence of His love and care for you, and pray that your distorted picture of Him will become clearer.

It was an unwillingness to humbly give up “preconceived ideas” which distorted our view of the loving character of God, and of Christ the uplifted Savior, that halted the outpouring of the Latter Rain the 1888 era. Could it be we still have the same issue today as we perseveringly pray for the Latter Rain, so long delayed?

Daniel had it right. In his prayer in chapter nine (Wednesday’s lesson) he confesses the sin of unbelief and rebellion on behalf of “we and our fathers.” He clearly sets out the righteous character of God in his “unto You” statements, and humbles himself with Israel in the “unto us” statements—practical humility in prayer.

The prayer of Daniel is not to be studied merely as an academic exercise—it is to be an intentional template of our prayer in these last days. In the spring of 1888, Ellen White made the connection. 

     We read that Daniel, the prophet of God, was a man "greatly beloved" of Heaven. He held a high position in the courts of Babylon, and served and honored God alike in prosperity or trial; and yet he humbled himself and confessed his sin, and the sin of his people. With deep sorrow of heart he acknowledged: "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments; neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.”

     Daniel did not seek to excuse himself or his people before God; but in humility and contrition of soul he confessed the full extent and demerit of their transgressions, and vindicated God's dealings as just toward a nation that had set at naught his requirements and would not profit by his entreaties.

     There is great need today of just such sincere heart-felt repentance and confession. —Signs of the Times, March 16, 1888.

On August 5 of the same year she would write to the delegates preparing for the upcoming conference.

 Dear Brethren Who Shall Assemble In General Conference: 

     We are impressed that this gathering will be the most important meeting you have ever attended. This should be a period of earnestly seeking the Lord, and humbling your hearts before Him. I hope you will regard this as a most precious opportunity to pray and counsel together; and if the injunction of the apostle to esteem others better than ourselves is carefully heeded, then you can in humility of mind, with the spirit of Christ, search the scriptures carefully to see what is truth.

     The truth can lose nothing by close investigation. Let the word of God speak for itself, let it be its own interpreter, and the truth will shine like precious gems amid the rubbish. —1888 Materials, p. 38.

Daniel confessed that Israel had not heeded the prophets and thus not kept the laws of God, “which He set before us by His servants the prophets” (Daniel 9:6,10). Understanding the purpose of the law and its relation to the gospel was a problem for Adventists as it was for the Jews. In both cases special messengers were sent to present the precious gems of truth. After the Minneapolis Conference, writing about the larger message and about the discussion over the purpose of the law, sister White was explicit about the damage done in rejecting the Lord’s delegated messengers as they brought that most precious message—the only means of keeping the law.

 The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel's message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure. —Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 91, 92.

     An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions…lay at the foundation of a large share of the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord's message through Brethren [E.J.] Waggoner and [A.T.] Jones. By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded  in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The enemy prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world.—Selected Messages, Vol. 1, pp. 234-235. 

According to her, we continued to slight that “special power of the Holy Spirit.” May we repent as Daniel. We still have much to confess, much for which to pray.

     The prejudices and opinions that prevailed at Minneapolis are not dead by any means; the seeds sown there in some hearts are ready to spring into life and bear a like harvest. The tops have been cut down, but the roots have never been eradicated, and they still bear their unholy fruit to poison the judgment, pervert the perceptions, and blind the understanding of those with whom you connect, in regard to the message and the messengers. When, by thorough confession, you destroy the root of bitterness, you will see light in God's light. Without this thorough work you will never clear your souls. You need to study the word of God with a purpose, not to confirm your own ideas, but to bring them to be trimmed, to be condemned or approved as they are or are not in harmony with the word of God. The Bible should be your constant companion. You should study the testimonies, not to pick out certain sentences to use as you see fit, to strengthen your assertions, while you disregard the plainest statements given to correct your course of action.—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 467.

“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city [church] and Your people are called by Your name” (Daniel 9:19).

Lord, Let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your sanctuary and Your people. Cause Your face to shine upon us once more, that the precious message of Christ our Righteousness may yet go with power, that the earth may be lightened with Your glory, and that we may be prepared to meet You when You come.

       “There is great need today of just such sincere heart-felt repentance and confession.” —Signs of the Times, March 16, 1888.

 

—Todd Guthrie