Praying Hyde

“I will pray until I become prayer itself.” (Psalm 109:4 TPT)

John Hyde was an American missionary who worked in the Punjab region of India. Since he was partially deaf, he had difficulty learning the native languages. This made it difficult for him to communicate with the locals. Unlike other missionaries, John did not become famous for his preaching, teaching, writing, or service to the poor. Instead, he was known as ‘praying Hyde’--a missionary who spent time alone with God in intercessory prayer. The native Indians referred to him as ‘the man who never sleeps’ because of his practice of praying through the nights. He felt a deep burden for the souls of those who did not know Christ. For John Hyde, prayer was not just something he did.  He prayed until he became prayer itself. 

For most of us, prayer is merely an attempt to get our wishes fulfilled. We ask for things that we think would feel good and make us happy. We treat God like a vending machine. Offer up a few prayers, tell Him what we want, and wait for Him to do our bidding. If we end up getting something different, or if what we ordered doesn’t satisfy us, we get disappointed in God. 

“We must exercise the greatest care to be utterly obedient to Him who sees all the battlefield all the time. It is only He who can put each man in the place where his life can count for the most.” (John Hyde)

Prayer allows us to melt into Jesus and to become one with Him. It is not just a bunch of wishes or words we utter, but prayer is our identity in Christ. God sees the whole battlefield while we can only see what is right in front of us. For this reason, obedience is not only wise, but also essential. Communion with God aligns our desires to His will. He will put each of us in the proper place that brings a fulfilling life if we yield to Him. 

Pray until you become prayer itself. Submit yourself to the Lord. Seek His will in all you do. Trust Him. Wait patiently and attentively for His directions.

“I do not live my own life any more. Instead, Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20 EASY)