Prayer

This week I wanted to talk about prayer because I have noticed that in my friendship circles they have been struggling with understanding how to pray or having the desire to pray. I've been there, too. So I thought I would help all of us understand some of these topics today! Have you ever wondered why we need to pray? Or how we are to pray? Let's start off with what prayer does, and why we need to pray according to Scripture.

Prayer brings peace and reduces anxiety. Philippians 4:6-7 says, 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So, when you are anxious, pray. Prayer draws us closer to God, which gives you peace. James 4:8 says:

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Through prayer, you are growing your relationship with God more and more. This is one of the reasons why we need to pray. It's like this, if you don't talk to someone, you won't get to know them. But if you do, you can grow a very close relationship with that person.

Prayer ensures God’s Help in Weakness. Romans 8:26 says:

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

During our suffering, when we seem to be at a loss for words, we have comfort knowing that the Holy Spirit is praying on our behalf. Prayer helps us to get through hard times because we learn to lean on God, instead of our own abilities.

Now, let's talk about how we are to pray in Matthew 6:9-13,

"Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."

The Lord’s Prayer is basically Jesus giving us an outline for how to glorify Him: it starts by giving God the respect He deserves, asks Him to take the lead in our world, and then lets us get real about needing His help with our daily stress, our mistakes, and the tough choices we face.

Prayer is for God, and not to look good in front of friends. Matthew 6:5–6  says:

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Jesus is saying here, don't put on a performance, because this is a conversation between you and God only. You are to be alone with God in prayer so that there may be no distractions, and so that your heart is in the right posture as you pray.

Lastly, we are to pray with Faith and alignment. James 1:6 says,

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."

James 1:6 is stating that when we ask God for things, we should not doubt. We need to stand firm in faith knowing that He can, and will, if it's for His glory and our good.

To close today's devotional, prayer is a very important part of the Christian life. Without prayer, we cannot thrive in our relationship with God. God gave us prayer to deepen our relationship with Him, to fashion a heart of humility and to deepen our faith through dependency on Him. Prayer is such a wonderful gift from our Father!

Come get your faith in five.