By 
I cherish my collection of vintage books rescued through the years from musty flea markets. One of these treasures holds an honored spot on my bookshelf—Prayer* by O. Hallesby, a Norwegian theology professor. The first edition of Prayer was published in 1931, followed by thirty subsequent editions.
O. Hallesby dedicates his writing “to souls fainting in prayer.” I return year after year to this well-worn classic since I, too, occasionally feel discouraged in my prayer life. Two of this year’s takeaways include an expanded definition of prayer and the role of helplessness in prayer:
“Prayer is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has been formulated into words. And it abides in the soul after the last words have passed over our lips. Prayer is an attitude of our hearts, an attitude of our mind toward God, an attitude God recognizes as prayer.”
“To pray is to open the door to Jesus and admit Him into your distress. God is answering your prayer. He is doing the good work within you, even if we do not really understand His answer. Jesus has may things to tell us and to accomplish within us which we do not understand at the time.”
“Only he who is helpless can truly pray. …Helplessness becomes the quiet, sustaining power of our prayer life. Therefore, prayer consists simply in telling God, day by day, of our helplessness: to believe, love, hope, serve, sacrifice, suffer, read the Bible, pray, and struggle against our sinful nature.”
“…thank God for the feeling of helplessness which He has given you. It is one of the greatest gifts which God can impart to us. For it is only when we are helpless that we open our hearts to Jesus and let Him help us in our distress, according to His grace and mercy.”
As I return O. Hallesby’s book to the shelf, I am already anticipating the future insights that await me. For now, I will view my helplessness in prayer differently. I will see it as a gift that brings authenticity and intimacy to treasured times of prayer with my Savior.
*O. Hallesby, Prayer, 31st edition, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1931, p.16, 22-24.
Linda Lesniewski
Linda served as Women’s Minister at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, TX for 24 years. She has authored "A Little Book About Knowing a Big God" for children; "Women at the Cross" and "Connecting Women: A Guide for Leaders in Women’s Ministry", by Revell; as well as "His Story My Story", a digital download available from LifeWay. Linda enjoys spending time with her four young adult children and six granddaughters. She has served on the Womenary Board of Directors for many years.
You can contact Linda at lindalesniewski49@gmail.com. 
