Prayer

The Lord has been convicting my heart on the subject of prayer, which I have to admit is an area of my life that lately hasn’t been as fervent, disciplined, and devoted as it should or could be.  As I thought about it and sought the Lord, He brought a few different things to mind to remind me of and to share with every believer that may be experiencing a period like this in their own Christian walk.  First of all, we need to realize that we all have times where our prayer lives get a bit dry, so don’t condemn yourselves, because God isn’t condemning us, but because prayer is such a gift and such a powerful weapon against the spiritual battles that are being waged against us, we should want to minimize those “dry periods” and become “intentional” about prayer.  It’s important to realize that prayer is the way we commune with God, it’s what brings us into that fellowship of intimacy with Jesus as we pour our hearts out to Him.  He longs to hear our prayers and spend time in communion with us.  So here are some things to think about and ponder…

The Privilege and Effectiveness of Prayer

We have been granted the privilege to join with the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, the ONE who holds ALL things in His hands, in prayer.  Prayer is a gift beyond measure which allows us to come alongside the Lord in communion to intercede for our families, friends, strangers, our cities, our states, our schools, our nation, our leadership, our churches and Pastors, those we love, those that are lost, hurting, suffering, struggling, grieving, those who are hopeless and so much more.  Who are we that God would use us to work alongside Him in such an important task…we are HIS creation, and He loves and desires a relationship with Him.  That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us.

God hears every prayer, no matter how big or how small, and as we pray, He is working.  We can’t always see His work immediately or visibly with our human eyes, BUT I assure you HE IS WORKING!  There is NOTHING more powerful than the prayers of a righteous man…so remember this the next time you feel helpless…YOU ARE NOT! Lift your eyes to the heavens, lift your heart to the Lord and drop to your knees in prayer.  Your prayers are more powerful than you realize.

CHRISTIANS…WE ARE CALLED TO PRAY! 

Rom. 12:12 tells us to be “continuing steadfastly in prayer”

Eph. 6:18 tell us, “to pray always”

Col. 4:2 tells us to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”

1 Thes. 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing”

James 5:16 tells us, “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much”

The Greek word for “accomplish” is one from which we derive our English word “energy.”  The prayers of God’s people don’t merely drift into space but are avenues through which God does His amazing work on earth. 

What does James mean by “effective prayer”?  1 John 5:14 tells us, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”  Therefore, we can define effective prayer as that which is in accordance with God’s will.

What is required for us to pray effectively?  According to James, effective prayer requires a righteous life.  If we are harboring sin, pride and self-reliance, it’s doubtful that our prayers will align with God’s will.  We can’t hang onto our unrighteousness and expect to offer effective prayers because sin hinders our relationship with God.  Before coming to the Lord with our petitions, we must first confess our sins and turn from them.

Prayer is an amazing privilege by which God involves us as HE accomplishes HIS will in our lives and in the world.  Think about that statement… “God involves US as HE accomplishes HIS will in our lives and in the world!”  Prayer is a VERY powerful tool that we as Christians have been given, BUT are we using it to its fullest capacity?  Is prayer a daily part of our lives?  It should be!

Eph. 6:18-19 says, “Praying always with ALL prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with ALL perseverance and supplication for ALL the saints; and for me that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly…”

Notice the “ALLS” in this scripture.  We’re to pray always, at ALL times; we’re to offer ALL prayer and supplication in the Spirit; we’re to pray with ALL perseverance, and we’re to remember ALL the saints.

In his book on prayer, Samuel D. Gordon wrote that this world is God’s prodigal son and that God has devised a plan for winning His prodigal back.  He wants to use US in the process; and our greatest agency is prayer, which Gordon says, is communication between God and His allies in the enemy’s country.  We’re behind enemy lines, BUT prayer is our connection with the Commander.

He says also… “communication is the basis of all prayer; it is the essential breath of the true Christian life.”

The Secret of Powerful Prayer is Sacrifice

When I read these words a while back, they really got me thinking about prayer…what a privilege it is, how powerful it is and how much too often we take it for granted, and don’t invest in it as we should to the point of sacrifice.  Sure, we pray, but how often do we realize the power behind the action and put our whole heart, soul and being into it?  Far too often our prayers are surface prayers, with not much intensity, as was the prayer Jesus spoke in the Garden when He sweat drops of blood. That is a pretty graphic example, but you get the picture…Jesus’ prayer was intense…it involved sacrifice…of His comfort, of His time and of Himself.

Heb. 5:7 says, “While Jesus was here on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions ‘with loud cries and tears’”.  How often are our daily prayers offered in this same way?

When God tore the veil from top to bottom, after Jesus had given up His spirit, we were given the privilege of entering directly into the Holy of Holies, the throne room of God with our prayers, something that should not be taken lightly.  As I thought about this, my heart was convicted, wondering just how much sacrifice I make or am willing to make when I offer up my prayers.

True, earnest prayer should be a sacrifice, it is that important.  It should cost us the sacrifice of comfort, as we come before the Lord with our hearts burdened and heavy for whatever we are praying about.  It should cost us the sacrifice of our time.  Prayer is not something to be taken lightly with just a few words “shot up” here and there.  There is NO shortage of things in our world, our nation, our churches and yes, in our own personal lives with families and friends that need praying about, and true, honest prayer of that nature should take time, but are we willing to take the time necessary, or do we let “life” get in the way?

Lastly, true, earnest prayer should cost us the sacrifice of self.  Our time with our High Priest, the One who makes intercession for us with the Father, is precious, a gift beyond our comprehension, and it is not, or should not, be about us.  It’s about the One to whom we pray.  It’s about coming into communion with the Almighty God, the Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent One.  The One who is everywhere, knows all things and is sovereign in power and authority over all things.  The One who hears EVERY cry of our hearts and keeps our prayers in Heaven in golden bowls of incense as they are raised up to Him (Rev. 5:8).  Our prayers are a sweet aroma to Him.  That’s how important they are to Him.

Far too often we may feel like our prayers are powerless, especially when we don’t see any answers, or see them as quickly as we’d like, or the answers come in a different form than expected.  God answers ALL prayers, in HIS time, and according to HIS will (which may not be as we desire), BUT, could it be that our prayers might feel powerless because of our reluctance to make the necessary sacrifices while waiting on God?  Jesus Christ in whom we believe and in whom we live, offered Himself as a sacrifice to God in all things, including prayer…are we willing to do the same? 

Something to think about!

-Debbie Dorman