with the concept of prayer can blind us to its profound wonder. We can talk to the God of heaven and
He listens! Our quiet thoughts, spoken words, anguished cries and joyful praises enter the throne room
of Almighty God. God is exalted above us in every possible way, yet accessible to us. When we draw
near to Him, He draws near to us (James 4:8). We cannot overestimate the amazing privilege and
responsibility of prayer.
Prayer is equally simple and complex. Most simply, prayer is talking to God. Believers pray to the
Father (Ephesians 1:17; 3:14), through the Son (John 14:13; 15:16; Romans 1:8; 5:1-2; Colossians 3:17)
and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20). Christ broke the barrier between God and sinful people
and made access to Holy God available to those who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit prays for us with
groanings too deep for human words (Romans 8:26). All parts of the Godhead are actively engaged when
you pray.
Prayer reflects a relationship with God. Your love for God and desire for Him draws you to prayer.
God speaks in many ways – through His Word, creation, our circumstances, other people, through the
Holy Spirit. In prayer, we speak to Him. Do you want to spend time with God, to listen and to speak to
the One who knows the secrets of your heart? Prayer is more about surrendering to God than
communicating our agenda. Through prayer, God molds our hearts to His higher and better ways. By
praying, you acknowledge you need what you do not have in your own strength. When you pray, you look
beyond yourself to God who knows more and can do more than you could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20-
21).
Prayer expresses dependence on God. The depth and regularity of your prayers indicate how
much you depend on God and how much you depend on yourself. When you pray, you acknowledge
God’s attentive, active interest and involvement in your life. You recognize His compassion for your
needs and power to act on your behalf (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15). Your needs are never too insignificant for
God to care about or too big for Him to handle. Even when answers to prayer seem slow in coming, God
is at work. The way you pray indicates what you believe about God. Your faith is not in prayer itself, but
in the God who hears and answers prayer.
Prayer connects people on earth with God, their Creator. People do not pray because they do not
think rightly about God. Some reject God, and some ignore Him. They do not think God cares, listens to
them or will do anything for them. To fail to pray either ignores the reality that God exists or relegates
Him as a distant being removed from daily life and real people. People often treat prayer as a last resort
when all else fails. To fail to pray is to ignore a lifeline from God and to choose to live with only the
limited resources of this world. What keeps you from praying? What does your prayer life reveal you
believe about God?
Prayer can be as natural as breathing for a believer. A child of God needs neither fanfare nor formula
to gain immediate access to the Sovereign of eternity. How do you feel when you receive a telephone
call from someone you love? God loves it when you call out to Him. He wants to spend time with you.
He wants you to tell Him what He already knows. Nothing you pray about ever surprises God or turns
Him away from you. He is not offended when you ask Him honest questions, pour out your heart and
confess your sins. Those who love God deeply speak to Him often. When you believe your prayers reach
and move the heart of God, you know you are never alone, hopeless or powerless. The act of prayer
acknowledges the care and power of God. Answered prayer glorifies God. Will you cry out to God in the
middle of your day or your challenge? Will you express your gratitude to Him with actual words when
you experience joy or pleasure? How does thinking about the privilege of prayer offer fresh wonder and
worship of the God who loves you, hears you and acts on your behalf?
No comments:
Post a Comment