EXPLORING THE ESSENCE AND NATURE OF PRAYER
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Prayer is not an exercise. It is the life of the saint. – Oswald Chambers
Prayer is the spiritual lifeblood of the Christian. Just as blood brings life-sustaining oxygen to the body, so prayer brings life-giving power essential for spiritual growth and vibrance. When a prayer life is absent, or when obstacles to prayer prove insurmountable, faith becomes fragile and fruitless. The Christian walk comes to lack power, passion and purpose.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. – Matthew 6:8
Our Father knows us intimately and loves us devotedly. He desires our fellowship. Our omniscient God is aware of our requests before we even ask. Perhaps we assume He already knows our needs and concerns and so fail to take time to pray. Yet this mindset contradicts the intent and essence of prayer.
What is the essence of prayer? Why is prayer important?
Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need. – George MacDonald
† The essence of prayer is coming to know God personally – Prayer is conversing with our Father in heaven. It is a surrendering of the heart to Him… a heart that is open, devoted, receptive. Ideally, it stems from a desire to know Him intimately… to spend time in His presence… to be transformed by His power.
Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually! – Psalm 105:4
† Prayer is a powerful privilege – To come before the throne of God… to commune with our Creator is an honor unsurpassed. Still, too often we neglect to come into His holy presence. Prayer is also a high commitment… a commitment to our Lord. He asks us to pray at all times and to pray about everything. If prayer were of little importance, He would not ask this of us.
Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. – Luke 6:12
† Prayer is a spiritual connection with the Most High – It is an interchange between the finite and the infinite… a time when God softens our hearts to become like His. Prayer is focused, intentional, heartfelt. Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray. Where distractions are limited, we hear the words and wisdom of God spoken to our minds and spirits.
What wings are to a bird and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul. – Corrie Ten Boom
† Prayer brings clarity to our life purpose – Our thoughts, goals and desires become more closely aligned with His. His will melds to become our will. He comforts and strengthens us during anxious and distressing times, imparting His all-surpassing peace. He strengthens and emboldens us to face life’s challenges.
To pray is to cast off your burdens, it is to tear away your rags, it is to shake off your diseases, it is to be filled with spiritual vigor, it is to reach the highest point of Christian health. – Charles Spurgeon
† Prayer is transformative – Nothing may seem to change through our prayers, yet we are changed. Our faith is deepened. We come to trust that God’s perfect will is best. In His presence, we are cleansed, renewed, refashioned, restored. Our focus shifts from our doubts to His hope, our problems to His possibilities, our ordinary to His extraordinary.
What is the nature of prayer? How is prayer lived out?
By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. – Psalm 42:8
† The nature of prayer is coming to live for God – Prayer is loving fellowship with our Abba Father. We are favored with a personal, approachable, welcoming God. We come confidently before His throne of grace in the name of Jesus, by His sacrifice for us … and by the power of the Holy Spirit who guides and inspires our prayers. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf.
Learn to worship God as the God who does wonders, who wishes to prove in you that He can do something supernatural and divine. – Andrew Murray
† Prayer is entered into with awe and reverence – It is approached worshipfully before an almighty, wonder-working God. We recognize our absolute dependence on Him. We rest in His all-encompassing love. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the privilege of knowing this Omnipotent One. We appreciate His boundless grace and mercy, His guidance and protection, His favor and blessings.
Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. – Billy Graham
† Prayer is a dialogue with the all-wise God – Like the prophet Elijah, we listen for His gentle whisper, His still small voice speaking to our spirits. In the quietness of prayer, He shares revelations with us about His desires and His destiny for our lives. He offers answers to counter our worries and doubts. He directs us along His optimal path, corrects our course, and deters us from wrong turns and dead ends.
Only the prayer that comes from our heart can get to God’s heart. – Charles Spurgeon
† Prayer can be undertaken mistakenly – It is not a tiresome chore to be endured but an incredible privilege to be cherished. It is not a wish list presentation but a seeking after God’s will. Prayer does not follow a rote method or magic formula but emanates from a humble and sincere heart. It is not just for desperate times but for times of cultivating a covenantal relationship.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. – Acts 3:19
† Prayer allows repentance to flow naturally – In God’s presence, our sin stands in stark contrast to His holiness. We recognize our shortcomings, our mistakes, our wrongdoings. The ways we have missed the mark and disappointed Him grieve our hearts. As we turn from sin and turn again to Him, His absolute forgiveness is assured.
God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. – C.S. Lewis
† Prayer is an opportunity to confide with the Father – To bare our souls to the One who truly understands… the One whose compassion is limitless. He listens as we share our deepest thoughts and concerns, fears and dreams, sorrows and hopes. As we present our petitions to Him, we discern where our requests veer from His will. We come to view our lives from His heavenly perspective. Our Christian walk begins to more closely mirror that of our Savior.
† Eternal Takeaway – Prayer is a transformative time spent with our Heavenly Father †
