The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed

In the 14th Chapter of Matthew, we find the disciples of Jesus in the middle of the Sea of Galilee … where Christ had sent them … as they followed His command to go before Him to the other side of this small sea. As they went they were met with a storm not unlike the one before that Jesus spoke peace unto when He calmed the wind and waves; but now here in the dark of night they were all alone, for this time He was not with them.

So it is today; it is no new thing for a disciple of Christ's to meet with storms in the discharge of his or her duty or to be sent to sea even when the Lord knows a storm is coming. Jesus leads His disciples first through small difficulties, and then to greater ones, and by doing so trains them by degrees to live by faith, and not by the mind of the flesh which is sense and reason.

The storms of life we encounter can bring fear, worry and doubt; but instead of looking at the storm, we need to look a little higher over the storm clouds knowing that if Jesus sent us out in it, then He is coming through the storm to be with us.

Jesus didn't come at the beginning of this storm; He let the disciples for several hours struggle on their own. Does this sound familiar? Have you found that in your own struggle with the storms in life, that God sometimes waits until your ship is just about ready to sink before He shows up and calms the storm?

They were all afraid, including Peter, the one thought to have the strongest faith and the greatest courage, but now together they all were gripped with fear. Those of us that say, I have faith, Lord I believe; will most likely someday say … Lord help my unbelief. Men so often show that they have not yet attained the faith needed when they fail in the exercise of that faith. By the lengthening out of a stormy trial, one will soon discover any weakness in his faith.

Maybe that's the point.

It was in this rough weather during the fourth watch of the night when Peter and the other disciples saw what they thought was a spirit walking on the water. But they heard a familiar voice that said … "It is I; be not afraid." It was Jesus.

We are about to see the characteristic rashness of Peter. He had less real faith than he supposed, and more eagerness than his faith would justify. He was undaunted in his willingness to follow his Lord, but still easily prone to failure. He was allowed to learn his true character while also learning of his dependence on Jesus; a lesson which all Christians are permitted sooner or later to learn as they experience their own failures.

Being a fisherman, Peter no doubt could swim very well; but after Jesus said to him … come … did not just dive in to swim to Jesus, but rather stepped out onto the water and begins to … walk on water … just as his Lord was doing.

Everyone knows the story, Peter begins to sink. I've heard many people say as if in judgment … Peter didn't have enough faith or he wouldn't have sunk. But they forget or else don't realize … Peter walked on water … have they?

But Jesus lets Peter begin to sink; teaching him that it was the hand of God reaching him through Jesus that was his real security. Upon the failing of his faith, Jesus did not immediately grab Peter and hold him up; but rather gave him time to cry out … "Lord, save me" … the greatest prayer ever prayed.

Matthew 14:30 … "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."

Why do I say … it was the greatest prayer ever prayed? Because when your physical or spiritual life is in danger of being lost … "Lord, save me" … are the only words needed to be spoken. All Jesus needs to hear is a cry for help and He reaches out to save us.

Jesus gives Peter a mild rebuke when He says to him as they both walk on water back to the boat … "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

I've heard Him say the same thing to me on occasion.

Our faith may be real and true, and yet at the same time weak. Peter had faith enough to cause him to walk upon the water; yet, because it wasn't enough to carry him all the way, Jesus tells him he was … of little faith. That must be true if Jesus said it … but it's more faith than I've ever had.

The doubts and fears that discourage us are all because of the weakness of our faith. We doubt, because we are … of little faith. It is the business of faith and the work of faith to resolve and dispel doubts. We could believe more, if we would doubt less.

Jesus asked Peter … "Wherefore didst thou doubt?"

The word wherefore means … What reason was there for doubt? If we could just stop and think about our doubt or fear, when compared to our God … there would be no reason for doubt. This is exactly what Jesus was telling Peter.

It is true, that He is not pleased with weak faith. But it is just as true, that Jesus does not cast off or throw away weak believers.

God permits storms to arise … so we will put our faith on trial. If our faith is untried, untested, unproven, it becomes just our opinion, what we want to believe.

But when we know that Jesus can and will walk with us on the stormy wave that comes as well as on the calm … the storm makes no difference.

He who without faith sinks in the waters does so in the calm as well as in the storm; but he who by faith can walk upon them will do so in the storm as well as in the calm … unless circumstances only are looked at and the Lord is forgotten; if so … faith fails.

Remember Peter's words … "Lord, save me." That's all Jesus needs to hear.