“Pray, Pray, Pray, and Pray!”

When we hear the word prayer, for many of us, we automatically think that it means prayer to God. And in most cases it does. For the Christian, prayer is essentially an integral part of having faith in Almighty God as our heavenly Father.  

Here is an excerpt from the Sermon Notes by the late Dr Charles Stanley under the topic: Standing Tall And Strong Through Prayer. “Prayer is powerful. It allows us to cast our burdens on God and receive guidance and provision from Him. All too often, however, we take this privilege for granted. Instead of turning to the Father in prayer, we try to solve our problems on our own. You and I can experience God’s power for daily living when we are willing to bow before Him and seek Him earnestly. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees. Do we have to kneel every time we pray? No. In fact, some people are physically unable to do so.”

Prayer is much more than a request to God for help or an expression of thanks to Him. Prayer is communication and fellowship with God. Confess our sins to Him, requesting Him to supply our needs, praising and thanking Him for His grace and favor, interceding for others, and seeking His direction and guidance in various situations.

One of the many great things about prayer is that we can pray any time, anywhere, anyhow; kneeling, sitting, standing, walking, running, or lying down. The Scripture says, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18). Also, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Prayers are directed to God the Father in heaven in acknowledgment of His sovereignty over the universe which He created. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). Hallowed be your name means we praise and honor God. The Bible says, “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).

Because of God’s grace and mercy we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). This is because the Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, is appearing in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:24).

These attributes of God help us to maintain a constant desire to pray. God is omnipotent, meaning, He has unlimited power, He is omniscient, that is, He knows everything. And He is omnipresent, which means, He is present everywhere at the same time. 

Prayer definitely works with God, and God works through prayer. The Bible says, God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Therefore, we must take the time to pray if we are depending on God to come through for us. 

Prayer requires scheduling time. And because some of us have busy schedules, it may be difficult to set apart sufficient time to pray. The point is that each person knows his or her personal situation and must decide what to do. Obviously, the first thing to do is to take the matter to God in prayer for His guidance and direction. He has the answers that you need.

Here is a great encouragement from our gracious God to help us not to lack confidence and enthusiasm in praying. He says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you will seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

God gives us this great and wonderful assurance, not only I will hear you, but also you will find me when you will seek me with all your heart. This means our prayers are very meaningful to God, but they also require sincerity and commitment .