If you could name me a more potent tool available to the child of God I’d like for you to name it. There may be some as important, but none more so. Prayer represents the opportunity that Christians uniquely have to have a candid conversation with Almighty God, the Creator of the universe. To offer Him the praise that He is due. To petition Him for those things that we need. To give Him thanks for those things He had provided. To seek strength in the midst of weakness. To plead for direction when we feel like we are lost. Prayer gives us the ear of God.
For all of these reasons and more, prayer ought to enjoy a much more prominent role in our lives than it sometimes does. Because prayer works on God’s terms and not ours’ sometimes we get confused, frustrated, and even doubtful about the real significance of our prayers. It was because of that confusion, frustration, and doubt that Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to not give up on prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We don’t need to give up on prayer either and perhaps we can find some motivation to pray with a better understanding of what happens when we pray.
- When you pray you exalt the preeminence of God. Man in some respects is a very independent being. There are clear exceptions to that rule, but I think it is still generally the rule nonetheless. And because of that we tend to think we know what is best, will do what is best, and can do it in the time that is best. Because of that we tend to neglect prayer assuming that we can take care of things ourselves. But the reality is that we can’t always take care of things ourselves. We don’t always know what is best, we won’t always do what is best, and we certainly don’t always do things in the time that is best. So when we pray to God we exalt the preeminence of God who does know what is best, will do what is best, and will do it in the time that is best. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah” (Isaiah 55:8).
- When you pray you trust in the power of God. You know the power that created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)? You know that power that formed man from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7)? You know that power that parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) and made the sun stand still (Joshua 10:13)? The power of God that healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, and raised the dead? That’s the same power that we place our trust in when we turn to God in prayer. Can you think of a more valuable resource to which you could have access? The power of God is “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
- When you pray you yield to the prerogative of God. Even Jesus, who is God, understood that His prayers were subject to the will of the Father. In the midst of great anguish of spirit Jesus prayed for relief from the cross, but preempted His request by making known He was only concerned that “thy will be done” (Matthew 26:39,42,44). If Jesus, God incarnate, accepted the fact that the answer of His prayers were at the prerogative of the Father what makes us think the same is not true of ours’? All of our lives should be governed according to the concept of “if the Lord will” (James 4:15), including our prayer lives.
- When you pray you accept the purpose of God. There are many roles that God plays in our lives – Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Savior, Director, etc. But in them all He is also Provider. He is the Provider of life, He is the Provider of needs, He is the Provider of forgiveness, He is the Provider of salvation, He is the Provider of direction, etc. In many ways God’s purpose is to serve as the Provider of man. When we place our confidence in Him through prayer we accept that fact and whatever comes as a result of it. “Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3).
No doubt you are aware of just what a strong and active prayer life can do for you. All of these realities exist to serve as reminders of just how important it is that we regularly spend time in prayer. But what really needs to be understood is that, yes when we pray all of these things happen, when we don’t pray we do just the opposite. When we don’t pray it is the same as not exalting the preeminence of God. When we don’t pray it is the same as not trusting in the power of God. When we don’t pray it is the same as not yielding to the prerogative of God. When we don’t pray it is the same as not accepting the purpose of God. Let’s be a people who are given to prayer!
-Andy