Prayer, for the Christian, is not a duty but his spiritual breathing. Just as «natural man» must breathe to stay alive, so the Christian should pray to stay spiritually alive.
God created man to be in communion with him. And even today, He patiently and continually searches for the man whose heart sighs after Him. Prayer is that moment of spiritual communion between man and his Creator.
Job 27:10 « 10Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? » KJV
That is why it is much more than a ritual or a religious obligation; it is one of the most exciting aspects of a life of faith, with a power to transform lives, to change circumstances, to give peace to a heart in the midst of trials, to change the destiny of nations and to win souls to Christ.
Colossians 4:12 « 12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God » KJV.
Nor is it a monologue, begging God to do what we want but a conversation with the heavenly Father, a communion and communication that touches His heart.
God grants many things without even having to ask Him – sun, rain, life, etc. – but He decided that other things would only be granted to us if we ask Him for them, like salvation, the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, our daily bread, healing and so much more.
If prayer is a waste of time, why did the Lord Jesus spend so many hours praying? He made no decisions without first praying. It was in prayer that He spiritually renewed His perception of His mission on earth.
Luke 6:12-13 «12And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles. » KJV
When we integrate prayer into our lifestyle, we must also be aware that there is an invisible world that is evil, very real and in full action against us.. Most of the things that happen on earth are the fruit of this world that we do not see, and whose «members» work tirelessly. This invisible world is that of Satan and his demons. After having chosen to face God and be his equal, Satan now attacks, violently and without respite, “those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17).
Revelation 12:17 «17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. » KJV
If the devil exercises his authority over the earth, it is because he has legally received this right, a right he holds from Adam who gave him his authority in Eden. Therefore, God cannot undertake anything on earth if one of His inhabitants has not asked Him. As Pastor John Wesley said, “God only acts in response to prayer.”
Prayer is therefore not an option for man, but an urgent necessity. For if we do not pray, heaven cannot intervene in « our affairs ». It may sound strange, but heaven is waiting for us to authorize it to act on earth (Matthew 6:9-11).
Matthew 6:10 « 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. » KJV
In Christ, we have regained that authority that Adam originally had. We can – and must – use this legal authority, making requests that will trigger divine power on earth, allowing God to intervene in “the affairs of this world”.
God’s way of dealing with humanity reveals that He has never done anything on earth without the cooperation of a human being, whether it be Abraham, Noah, Moses or Esther. To save humanity, He had to become a man, in the Person of Jesus Christ.
This same God also needs each of us. His will can only be carried out with our cooperation. Prayer is THE only way He has given us to achieve this. It is therefore the most important activity for humanity.
Colossians 4:2 « 2Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. » KJV
So let us start in the state we are in, with the abilities we have today; and the more we persevere, the more we will want to spend time with God in prayer.
Be blessed
