Power in Prayer
Introduction
Prayer helps bind our hearts and minds to what God wants. It is more than just a grocery list where we check off what we need from God each day. In fact, it is a way of loving those around us, a way of worshipping him, and a way of rejuvenating ourselves spiritually. We have been given the gift of communicating directly with God so it would be wise for us to use it. He desires a relationship with us and in order to establish that, we have to yearn for him.
The interconnectedness between our Minds and God’s
Prayer is so powerful, and things start to change, including the environment around us when we go to God in prayer. We can go to God about anything that we need especially when praying for our needs is reiterated throughout the Bible. Matthew 7:7 says “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” The Bible encourages us to go to God for what we need, and to be constantly looking for him. One of the most prevalent problems tactics the enemy uses is keeping us too busy to make time to pray for him. Like our daily devotions, prayer should be something intentionally set aside to cry, adore, thank, and love the Lord.
Prayer can also be a way to share our hearts, feelings, and emotions with God. This is often seen in the book of Psalms. Many of the Psalms written by David were cries of mourning and lament. God not only wants to hear about what we need, but he wants to comfort us when we are feeling sad, anxious, or overwhelmed. He is a steady foundation that we can turn to when we feel like there is no one who understands us or is there for us. Think of it this way, crying to other broken people can be helpful, but sometimes, they may not reciprocate the love we need. God, however, is always open ears and supportive of us no matter what so why not also consider crying to the perfect being?
Prayer can also be a time to let the Holy Spirit intercede on the behalf of those around us and pray for them to be encouraged. Through prayer, we can speak to Him on behalf of those around us who may be going through hard times. Galatians 6:2 says “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Sharing another’s burdens means carrying them to Christ and presenting them before Him, giving him space to work that situation. In doing this, we allow the Holy Spirit to move in the lives of others.
Most importantly, prayer is a way to come before God and ask for forgiveness of the sins that we have done in our lives. 1 John 1:9 says “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness’.” God is so good to us that He forgives us as soon as we repent, but in order to do that, we have to confess our sins to Him. This change in heart allows us to remain close to our Father by acknowledging our faults and weaknesses and surrendering everything to God.
Planning our prayer
One reason that we do not pray as much as we desire is because we do not deliberately set aside time to be in conversation with God. We can note how important it is and claim that we will do it but if we never incorporate it into our daily lives, then God will never have a place in our personal lives. Prayer should be something that we are intentional about. This could mean setting an earlier alarm for us to wake up for prayer, journaling out our thoughts to God, or continual prayer with an accountable friend. Purposefully setting aside that time means so much. It is a start to loving our God the Father and giving him his time he rightfully deserves.
Prayer is also something that should not stop after we do our daily prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:7 says to “pray without ceasing.” This means to establish a state of mind that is constantly in communication with God whether that means adoring God for each person you see on the way to class or thanking him for an opportunity. Starting with setting aside intentional times of prayer can help lead to a Christ-centered mindset throughout the day. That constant connection with God gives us the clarity and support we need to live in a world that tries to attack us with lies and temptations from Satan. It lets us zoom out, and not just live in the present but live for the future. Prayer prepares us for what is to come and helps us realize that those obstacles cannot be overcome unless we have God standing by our side.
Conclusion
End of the day, praying is an act of worship that has stuck around for centuries used by all sorts of people, religious or not. In Christianity, praying is a way to express our yearnings for God. But the question is, what are we yearning for? What is at the top of our priorities? Well, one indicator of that would be what we are praying for. Throughout the Bible, each and every one of Paul’s prayers focuses on advancing the kingdom of God. It does not necessarily focus on one that directly benefits Paul but one that directly contributes to God. In today’s world, that does not mean to never pray for our worldly circumstances, but rather, to not only pray for our worldly circumstances. Paul still prays about people being happy, for them to fight through their situation, he just does not stop there. He continues to forever adore and thank his Father for each and every single thing there is. As Christians, we should strive to emulate that same mindset as Paul and consistently pray to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Small Group Interns - Rosa & Stephen