Pray Anytime

May 20, 2026

From Pastor Joseph Wamack

Hello, MAC Family!

This week we are concluding our preaching series about prayer. We began the series, looking at The Lord’s Prayer, then prayers Jesus prayed and finally prayers other Biblical characters prayed. It has been inspiring to me personally, and I hope to you also. I have realized prayer is a very intimate connection between an individual, their community and God.

We conclude this week with a parable about prayer, “The Tax Collector and the Pharisee.” Interestingly, the verse that struck me was Luke 18:10, “Two men went up into the temple to pray.” There were steps a worshipper climbed, leading up to the temple, so these men in the parable were literally “going up” into the temple. I thought of the three times of prayer, when the people were encouraged to go to the temple or turn towards the temple to pray. These weren’t random times. These were three appointed times so the practice and ritual of prayer (hopefully) became a blessing and meaningful.

In the Old Testament the hours to pray were also known as the hours of "offering” or “sacrifice.” (Daniel 9:21). The prophet Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). Daniel did not pray three times a day because he felt "inspired". He prayed three times a day because it was part of his heritage and worship. The three times were a meaningful component of his daily prayer life. The times to go to the temple to pray were the third hour (9 AM) the sixth hour (noon) and the ninth hour (3 PM). The 9 AM and the 3 PM times coincided with the morning and evening temple sacrifices.

Although this prayer practice was established in the Old Testament, it is also in the New Testament. These three times of prayer (particularly the third and ninth hours) were prophetic in nature. Jesus fulfilled these times with His life.

Jesus was crucified in the third hour of the day (Mark 15:25). This was the first time for prayer and also the time for the first sacrifice in the temple. While Jesus hung on the cross, there was a darkness that fell over the whole land at the sixth hour (Mark 15:33-34). This was the second time for temple prayer. Finally, at the time of the evening prayer and evening sacrifice, the ninth hour, Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last (Mark 15:34, 37). The three appointed times of prayer all point forward to Jesus on the cross.

It was Jesus who made it possible for you and me to enter the sanctuary of prayer, coming boldly before the throne, making our petitions known (Heb.10:19). He calls us to draw near in prayer. What a beautiful reminder of how important prayer is in God’s plan of salvation. Jesus is the fulfillment of every prayer. No wonder He wants us to pray-anytime! Any day! Any way!