Before we look at the reasons, maybe we should define prayer. The dictionary definition is: "a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship." The only aspect of this definition I would disagree is that nowhere in the Bible do we see that prayer should be solemn. It can be but it is not a requirement. Prayer is more like conversation with God. Some conversations are formal, some are not. Some conversations are happy and some are very mournful, but all conversations involve at least two individuals.
When we look at David, the man after God's own heart, we see that he included God in all his decisions (at least early on). He sang to God, inquired of God, listened to God, basically included God in all aspects of his life. This is prayer at its finest. We don't have time to go into all that here today, but if you read 1 Samuel starting at chapter 16, you will see what I'm talking about. Now that we have an understanding of what prayer is, let's now look at the reasons we should pray.
The first reason we should pray is that we are commanded to, several times. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44 to
"Pray for those who persecute you."Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17,
"Pray without ceasing,"
and
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer," Romans 12:12.Jesus also assumes we will pray. In Matthew 6:5 He says,
"And when you pray..."and in Matthew 6:9,
"This, then, is how you should pray..."
We are told to be imitators of Jesus in several places,
"Follow me as I follow Christ, " 1 Corinthians 11:1to name a few.
"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps," 1 Peter 2:21,
Jesus was a man of prayer. We see this over and over again in the Bible, Matthew 14:23, Matthew 26:36, Mark 1:35 are a couple of examples but the one I want to bring to your attention is Luke 5:16 which says,
"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."Consider also that answered prayer glorifies God. The best example I can think of for this is the Israelites in Egypt. The Bible says in Exodus 2:23-25,
"After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. So, God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice."We all know what happened after that. Well, maybe you don't, but God did the most incredible things to bring about the deliverance of His people from the ten plagues of Egypt, to the parting of the Red Sea, to the miracles in the wilderness. God answered the prayers of His people and is being glorified to this day over it.
We see also from this story that, answered prayer is a witness and can bring the lost to salvation. On a smaller scale, a story I like to think about is one that involved my late husband and my sons when they were little boys. Jim (late husband) was not saved but my sons had a mighty faith.
One day, Jim was working on our car and had to pull the steering wheel for whatever reason. He had been working at it for over an hour and was very frustrated by that point. My youngest son, who couldn't have been more that four or five at the time asked, "Did you pray over it, Daddy?"
My sons laid hands on the steering wheel and asked Jesus to make it come off. Jim kind of endured the prayer for the sake of the kids but put no faith in it. However, the very next try brought the steering wheel off.
Jim didn't fall to his knees that day. But, a lifetime of seeing God answer prayers, from small innocent prayers like the steering wheel prayer, to great big prayer like, "God please save my dying nephew," who sat up from a coma like nothing had happened, worked. When he died, he was a believer.
Prayer also builds your faith. Few things make us stronger in the Lord that having Him answer a prayer for us. From the very small prayers like the steering wheel to the massive one the healing of a loved one, when God answers a prayer, we are definitely edified and it gives us a testimony to build the faith of others.
Prayer allows us to be included in God's plan for the world. Remember our study of Samuel, how God never let his words fall to the ground? Samuel prayed. As a matter of fact, Samuel considered it sin for him not to pray. He said,
"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way,"Prayer brings intimacy with God. I think about what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23,
1 Samuel 12:23.
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’"
Think carefully about this passage of scripture. These people think they are getting in. They did all the right things, said all the right words but they lacked a very important thing. They lacked an intimate relationship with Jesus; a relationship that is developed through prayer.
It doesn't take much. How often do you think of your soon-to-be spiritual husband in a day? Often? Rarely? Not at all? Start with baby steps. All relationships require cultivation and prayer will do that. Just talk to him. Include Him in your life. There is no formal pattern and the more you pray, the more you want to pray and the more comfortable you will become with it.
God wants a family. Our existence is proof of that. Let's not leave Him at the door, knocking. Let's let Him in to sup with us (Revelation 3:20)
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