First of all, what is prayer? My simple answer is…spiritual and verbal communication with the God of the universe. And we know that communication involves more than one party. Intercessions, supplications, praises and adorations, pleadings, fasting, blessing, listening, and so much more. And it’s communicated to the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Triune God is involved in all prayer, and if you are in Christ, you are there in the midst of them.
So, who needs it? The short answer is…everyone! Maybe we should address…why do we need to pray? Well, if you are unsaved, not in Christ, then you need to pray a prayer of salvation, confessing that you cannot save yourself, that Jesus is your only means of eternal life, the only means of reconciliation with God. For he said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” Jn. 14.6.
But for the Believer, it is ‘life sustaining’. Actually, it is everything! It’s like oxygen, breathing in and breathing out. Praying and receiving God’s answers. It’s not knowing the future, but putting the future into the hands of the one who knows it. It’s the peace for anxiety, cure for the common cold, wisdom, daily and life decisions, faith enhancer, knowing God, fellowship with the Trinity, contentment in face of trials, understanding hardships, casting cares on Him, lifter of our spirit, opportunity to praise, security from the enemy, our fuel for sanctification, assurance when doubt creeps in, and so much more.
A couple of scriptures that address our need for prayer and his sovereign grace. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved” Psa. 55.22. That last promise should encourage us to keep on praying and believing. Never is powerful incentive! “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” I Pet. 5.6,7. God opposes the proud, but this promise for those who are willing to humble themselves, especially in prayer, results in things we could never accomplish on our own. What a God we serve! So, just like fly fisherman, keep on casting until you catch something. With God, there’s definitely fish in the water.
A few quotes on prayer that shed light on the value of prayer.
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
Martin Luther
“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in case of emergency, and when the need arises you will be in practice.”
Billy Graham.
To close, while I was in the middle of writing this message, I received a text from my spiritual brother, Dr. John Tolson. It was all about prayer and it just hit me that God was sending me this to be a part of the life message. With his permission, this is what John shared. He said he daily prayed it for himself and others by name. He strongly encourages everyone to do the same.
PRAYER AGREEMENT
Jesus, be the Lord of my life today in new ways.
1.Help me to do only the things You want me to do
2.and to only do them in Your power.
AMEN.
Friends, make prayer your primary exercise each day, all through the day, and when God awakens you in the night. As a Puritan pastor once preached, “If prayer is anything, then it is everything.” YES, and AMEN!! So, pray we shall!