PRAYER - OUR POWERFUL SECRET WEAPON
I am not sure how many of us take prayer for granted. I can only speak for myself, I have lapsed in my prayer life previously. It happens to the best of us, a busy schedule, a hectic day, someone may have gotten us angry or situations may not very well go our way. There are many factors that can contribute to why many times we feel discouraged to pray. Although we may stumble to regain our prayer life, we should remember making the effort is most admirable despite life circumstances. Prayer is our fuel for life.
Read with me below the importance of prayer.
1. Prayer makes us more like Jesus. If we look at the life of Jesus, we see that he prayed—with others (Luke 9:28), for others (Matthew 19:13-14), and on his own (Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12). It was a fundamental part of how he approached each day and every decision, retreating faithfully to spend time with his Father. Clearly prayer was important to Jesus—it was his lifeline and his connection to the Heavenly Father. It equipped him for the battles he was about to face. It kept alive the intimate relationship that sustained him. And it revealed to him God’s desires and direction. If the goal of a Christian is to become more like Jesus, that process should include imitating his actions and living out his words. As we pray, we will become more like Jesus, and we will find that prayer changes us.
2. Prayer shows us the heart of God. When Jesus prayed for his disciples in John 17, he prayed for those who would believe in him, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21). Prayer helps us become one with the Father and have the kind of relationship Jesus had with him. The Bible is filled with stories illustrating God’s desire to have an intimate relationship with his people, and any close relationship involves communication. When two people have no contact with each other, their relationship will never advance. And since prayer is, quite simply, a conversation with God, it is how we get to know him.
When we come into his presence, all pretense is gone—there is no longer anything to hide because he sees all and knows all. Prayer humbles us because as we spend time with him, we realize how powerful and able and good God is and how much we need him. And yet, God accepts us as we are—not because he wants us to stay that way, but because he knows that the relationship comes first. As we grow to love him, we will want to become more like him. When we find forgiveness through prayer, God softens our heart and allows us to forgive others. When we experience God’s compassion and mercy, we will share that with others. When we understand that God’s grace is freely given, we recognize that no one is any more or less deserving of God’s love than we are, and it transforms our hearts and our actions, helping us reveal God’s generous love to others.
3. Prayer reveals the wisdom of God. The best part about prayer is that it’s a conversation that goes both directions. Yes, we will talk to God, but when we spend time with him and are willing to receive, we will also hear from him. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Jesus prayed all night before selecting the 12 apostles (Luke 6:12-16), and he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane to try to ascertain God’s will regarding what God was asking him to do. His time in prayer helped align his will with that of the Father, just as our time with God will do for us. After getting in touch with the heart of God and realizing how much he loves us, we will learn to trust him and value his insight and guidance.
Bearing all of the above in mind, let us all try to prioritize prayer and make spending time with God the highlight of our day and by extension lives.