The gospels often record that Jesus rose early and sought out a solitary place where He would spend time in prayer, communing with His Father. His disciples must have been impressed with His prayerful example, for they asked Him to teach them how to pray. The result of this lesson was the Lord’s Prayer, which is known and loved by Christians the world over for it teaches us important lessons on how we should approach prayer. (Luke 11:1)
What is prayer, and why is it so important? As we face the year ahead and considering the times in which we live, it is imperative that we grasp the true meaning and power of prayer. The Bible teaches in James 5:16 that the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much.
Prayer is more than just petitioning God, although that may well form part of a person’s prayer time. Prayer is a ministry. I once read a wise quote on what it means to be in ministry. To be a minister of God means helping, interceding and praying for others even though you yourself are in need of being ministered to. That means that prayer is not something we should do only when we feel like it. There will often be times when you don’t feel like praying, but keep at it. The Apostle Paul encouraged believers to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5:17)
Prayer does not consist of repeating a “shopping list” of your desires to God every day. The most powerful and heartfelt prayers are prayers of repentance, confession, and praying for the needs of others around you. Indeed, you can be truly blessed when you spend the least amount of time listing your needs and praying for yourself, and the most amount of time praying for others. Too often, our spiritual growth is stunted by “give me” prayers and we fail to ask God to deliver us from the temptations of the day ahead and the path of sin that lies ahead of us. True prayer comes from a heart of brokenness and a spirit that seeks after God Himself, and not just the things He is able to provide.
Prayer does not consist of vain repetition; Jesus said that we should not pray as the heathen do. Intimate times of prayer and intercession should not be done in public, but rather in the “closet” i.e. a solitary place of privacy with no disturbances. This ensures that your prayer time is productive and not used as just as an outward show only. If you find it hard to concentrate, keep a prayer journal and write down your prayers. This is an excellent way of reviewing your prayers and recording testimonies of answered prayer that can be used to witness to others. If you don’t know what to pray for, let the Holy Spirit guide you. Intercede, repent, confess, thank, admire and praise God! Ask for spiritual as well as physical needs. (Rom 8:26)
Take your first step in coming to Jesus today by praying the prayer at the bottom of this page. It will change your life forever (in a good way, of course!). He is longing for you to come to Him today!
Scripture refs: Luke 11:1-4, Matt 6:5-15, 1 Thes 5:17, Rom 8:26
