So do you like to pray? Does it help? Does it work? If you answered yes to either of these then prayer is an intimate activity with God that we should be doing every moment we get.
(Isaiah 40:31)…..But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…..
Too many people think of prayer only as asking God for what they want. But prayer is much more than that. Prayer is communication and communion with Almighty God. Somehow, in the act of prayer, we receive a transfusion of God’s strength. Just think about what Jesus said to His disciples the night in the garden before His crucifixion.
(Luke 22:46)…..”pray, lest you enter into temptation.”
Being strong enables you to not enter into temptation. Time spent in prayer strengthens you spiritually. So that when temptation strikes (and temptation strikes us all) we will be able to decide whether to yield to the temptation or not.
(Jude 1:20)…..But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,…..
According to Jude, praying builds you up or edifies you. Prayer is a spiritual exercise; the more you do it the stronger you get spiritually. Wow! You would think we would want to pray more and more so that we could get stronger in our prayer life then.
Some may protest that they don’t know how to pray. Just begin to talk to God. And listen for His response, not through a voice, but through His Word, or thoughts in line with His Word. God is not so particular about how His children visit with Him. Just do it!
(1 Peter 4:7)…..But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
I heard this story once of a foreign soldier who was brought before his commanding officer and accused of communicating with the enemy. He had been seen emerging from an area where their troops were known to patrol. The poor man summed up his defense in a few words, stating that he had slipped away to spend an hour alone in prayer. “Have you been in the habit of spending an hour in private prayer?” demanded the officer. “Yes, Sir,” he replied. “Well,” said his commander, “never in your life have you been in more need of prayer than right now. Kneel down and pray aloud so that we all may hear you.”
Expecting cruel punishment, maybe even death, the soldier dropped to his knees and poured out his heart to God. His prayer revealed a deep intimacy with God. His earnest fluency, humble appeal for divine intervention, and very evident trust in one who was strong to deliver and showed without a doubt that he came regularly to the throne of grace.
The officer told him that he was free to go, and saying to him, “No one could have prayed that way without a long apprenticeship.”
I heard a statistic not long ago, that the average Christian only spends about seven minutes a day in prayer. We need to practice prayer in our lives that we may be able to endure when trials come our way and stand strong against the enemy and his tactics!
Let’s ask the Lord to help us become disciplined in this area today. There’s so much work to be done!
Verses to encourage you in prayer
(1 John 5:14-15) (1 Chronicles 16:11) (2 Chronicles 7:14) (Ephesians 6:18) (James 5:13) (Mark 11:24) (Matthew 26:41) (Romans 12:1-2)