Prayer – Not an option, a Necessity!
When you think about prayer, how do you prioritize it in your life? Is prayer something that happens only when there is an emergency or crisis? Maybe prayer is only required when you truly want or need something important to you? Or is prayer something you do on occasion when you happen to remember to do so? The Bible gives us plenty of insight regarding prayer, but in this article, I want to focus on what Jesus specifically taught His disciples and followers about prayer.
Let’s look at the following verses from Matthew 6:5-15 from the sermon on the mount.
5 "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. 6 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. 7 "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Not If, but When
The very first thing I want to draw your attention to in these verses, is the word “when”. It is used by Jesus three separate times in this passage. Jesus could have used the word “If”, but he didn’t. He specifically used the word “when”. Jesus did not give His followers an option about prayer, He said “when you pray”. He knew prayer carried such a significant importance in the life of a believer, that it could never be considered optional. Prayer was a daily, moment by moment requirement to grow, to overcome, and to live victoriously! As we read the New Testament, we can see numerous examples of Jesus separating himself from His disciples, to be alone with His Father in prayer. (Mat. 14:23, Mk 1:35, Luke 9:18*) Even though Jesus was fully God, He recognized the importance of prayer and the need to seek His Father's will and guidance. If Jesus, who was perfect in every way, saw the necessity of prayer, how much more should we?
An Intimate Connection
Prayer is a fundamental necessity in the life of every believer because it intimately connects us to our Father in heaven, allowing us to bring our needs and concerns directly to Him. It is a way for us to also share our gratitude and joy for His blessings in our life. Faith filled prayer allows us to declare His perfect word over every situation we encounter, and to receive assurance from Him that it will be done. Take the time to spend a few minutes throughout your day and talk with your heavenly Father. Tell Him your needs, challenges, wants, and desires. Do not hesitate to remind Him of His precious promises in His word and stand firmly upon each one of them. He is actually waiting for you to meet with Him.
How Hungry Are You?
Prayer is also our opportunity to seek out the perfect plan of God for our lives. Jesus gave us this very promise when He said "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Mat. 7:7). It is my personal belief, that God provides answers in proportion to the same intensity we apply toward seeking His wisdom. Think of it in this way. Let’s say you are watching a television program, and you realize that you’re hungry. You decide you would like a sandwich. Your spouse happens to be in the kitchen, and you could just ask if he or she would make you a sandwich. It may not be exactly what you want, but it would satisfy you for the moment. Or are you hungry enough to get up off the couch and go get exactly what you are desiring? How hungry are you for the things you most desire? Those who are willing to get up off the couch and go get it for themselves are the ones who will truly receive the wisdom and the goodness of God! This is the essence of a successful prayer life. (Isa 1:19*) Until next time, seek the deeper things of God! (1 Cor. 2:10*)
(*I didn’t list out every scripture referenced in this article. I left you an opportunity to seek it out for yourself! Go ahead, dig deeper!