“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The Bible tells us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). God commands people multiple times to pray. When we don’t pray we are disobedient to God and the scriptures. If we don’t heed to God’s command and that is dangerous. If prayer doesn’t come easy for us, consider ourselves fallen and sinful. Don’t let your sins and weaknesses and struggle to achieve it. When we pray, we serve God (Luke 2:36-38). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, then we should.
The needs in our lives, family, church, missions and culture are colossal and desperate. Because our life is routinely smooth, all is well, so we resist prayers. In reality, life is at war and we need prayers to see and feel the needs around us.
Prayer is first and foremost a conversation between us and God, then the promise to always listen may be the answer our heart needs most. If we use it as leverage dictating to him and as a means of taking control over our lives and the world then we will inevitably be troubles by unanswered prayer.
God acts when we pray and he can do more than what we can achieve going on our own strength. Try to bow or go on my knees when I want to do something like planning a meeting, studying God’s word, listening to a hearing to solve disputes and to have breakthrough which did not come until I prayed. When on my knees with so much on my head and no solution in sight, God tumbles ideas into my mind on how to handle a problem or shape a message and save myself from frustration. Prayer works and is fruitful. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father in heaven.
When I pray, I pray with adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. He grants me strength, relieves me of my worries and anxieties through His spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. I feel the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. I feel better and bring me closer to God and less stressed. It reduces ego and promotes humility. Day-to-day issues affect our stress level and mood. Daily early morning prayers lifts us to look forward with confidence for a better tomorrow.
When praying for other people we tend to sympathize to others’ problems rather than to be selfish.
If you have been wondering if you should pray or take more time for prayer, the answer is a resounding yes! Grope for Him and find Him. He is not far from us.
Leave a Reply