Your Prayer Request

PRAYER

Our Communication with God

You have access to an unparalleled wellspring of strength and power. There is no price, and the supply is unlimited. Through prayer, humanity can get direct contact with the great God of Heaven and Earth.

 

Many individuals are unsure what prayer is. Others do not pray because they believe they do not know how. However, prayer is not a complicated activity that requires years of study or experience to master. Praying is simply communicating with God. It is communicating with God like we would with a friend. It is necessary to approach God with respect, but we must also remember that He is interested in every aspect of our lives. According to Scripture, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7). It sounds simple enough, but is it usually effective? It does if people pray appropriately, but there are some requirements.

 

First and foremost, realize that God does respond to prayer, even if His answers are not always positive. He may respond with no or wait. Also, our petitions must be consistent with God's will. "Ye ask, and re­ceive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:13). Some requests are made for selfish reasons, while others may be harmful or hinder spiritual growth if granted. When God says no, He is looking out for a person's best interests.

 

God also wants us to pray with faith. "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,

 

believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:22). As we ask God, we must believe He is able and willing to answer in our best interest.

 

We must pray with all our hearts, completely submitting to Him and His plan. We will find it difficult to approach God in faith if we have sin in our hearts. If we have an unforgiving attitude or live an impure life, we must seek forgiveness and ensure that we are following God's commandments. Then we can approach God and expect Him to respond. We also need to ask with gratitude. God wants to know that we appreciate everything He has done for us.

 

Sometimes we need to be persistent. Jesus recounted the story of a lady who petitioned an unfair judge. The judge granted her motion due to her importance. It is often far easier to give up and believe that God does not want to respond than to continue praying until we succeed. Sometimes we may need to have others pray with us in order to hear an answer. Jesus said that if two people agreed to pray, it would be done. At other times, we will need to pour out our hearts to God in secret. According to God's Word, such prayers will be freely rewarded.

 

Sometimes the burdens on our hearts are so great that we do not know how to pray. A groan from the soul could be all that is conceivable. However, the Holy Spirit has the ability to hear those unspoken cries and intercede on their behalf. It is clear that such sincere prayer will be answered.

 

The key thing is to pray. Prayers must be prayed before they are answered. The Bible encourages us to "pray without ceas­ing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should begin each day with prayer, asking God for direction and protection in the hours ahead. We must ask Him to deliver us from temptation. If feasible, it is beneficial to spend some time in prayer in the middle of the day. We can converse with God about anything we do, and He is present in all situations and trials. When the day is ended, we must praise Him for His supply and assistance.

 

Rest assured, however, that as soon as we attempt to pursue God, Satan will do everything he can to undermine our attempts. He will send interruptions, distractions, and other potential roadblocks. We must resolve to fight him and persevere in prayer regardless of what happens.

 

What happens when we take the time and make the effort to pray? Sometimes the response comes quickly, but other times the enemy may try to convince us that our prayers have vanished or are ineffectual and lost. The Bible reveals something about what happens to prayers. An angel informed Cornelius that his prayers and offerings had been remembered before God. According to the Book of Revelation, all of the saints' prayers are preserved in golden vials and given with incense before God. What an honor to be able to send something to Heaven that is worthy of being kept in a golden vial and spilled out before God!

 

Even with this awareness, how many people truly attempt to pray? Nobody who has tried to pray would say that real prayer is simple. Is it worth the effort? Those who have demonstrated its effectiveness would enthusiastically agree. Any mother who has prayed for her child's safety and then heard how he was miraculously spared would attest to the effectiveness of prayer. Anyone who has prayed for the conviction of a sinner and saw circumstances in that person's life led to repentance would agree that prayer works. A person who has interceded and witnessed the Lord intervene in impossible situations understands that prayer works.

 

Let us resolve in our hearts to pray. If we wait until we have the time to accomplish it, something else will always appear more urgent. However, if we set aside time to pray and make it a priority in our lives, God will respond.