Saturday, March 7, 2015

Essential Prayer

Our greatest need as believers and followers of Jesus Christ is to understand the importance of prayer in our relationship with our Creator and with each other.  To see change in our lives and in the circumstances of this world we need to communicate our thoughts and deepest longings to a loving God who knows and cares about all that goes on in our daily lives. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” There are answers and blessings that God wants to share with us, but if we aren’t coming to Him and asking then why would He want to share those things with us. Prayer also needs to have a component of faith and trust, otherwise how we can believe that God would even take the time to listen and answer.


There are times in life that we don’t know what is right for us, sometimes it’s just the right timing and when we don’t wait for God’s timing it can bring trouble into our lives.  When God answers are prayers it can be yes, no or wait.  When we draw near to God in prayer we start to understand what His will is for us.


As ambassadors that carry on God’s work; prayer is the most necessary element so that we can be led by Him and know how He is directing us. It is the Holy Spirit that touches people’s lives. Without God and the power of prayer behind what we do leaves God out of the picture.

If we are too busy to take time to pray we need to ask what is important and what kind of relationship do we have with God? Even the legitimate and good things in life can take us away from a life of prayer. Take caution that those things don’t become more important than our conversations with God. It is God’s will and desire that we be devoted to prayer: Colossians 4:2, and in Romans 12:12. It is necessary for our spiritual life and being to give ourselves to prayer.

Ultimately God is in control of this world, He is not absent so why would we not want to give Him all the power and entrust everything we do to Him, instead of thinking that we know better? We are frail and stubborn if we believe that we have a better handle on life and all that goes on in this world.

When we pray and intercede for the things that are on our hearts and God’s, He will move in great and powerful ways. Because of prayer we will see God’s plans revealed.  We see this in His Word when Elijah was staying with a widow whose son who was dying.1 Kings 17:21-22 (ESV) “Then he (Elijah) stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived." Another account of answered prayer is in Exodus 17:11 when Moses gave an appeal to God and needed to to keep his hands help up to win the war between the Israelites and the Amalekites.  These are only a couple examples of His faithfulness, again and again God hears His people and answers.

If we are to know who God is, His purposes and plans then prayer is essential and not secondary. God’s word and prayer go hand in hand with our relationship with Him. Prayer is adoration, confession, praise, thanksgiving, consecration, communion, and petition. God longs to hear and see His people in relationship with Him, that is why it is so vital that we live a life of prayer.

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:14-17)

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