Prayer

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Prayer is an important part of our relationship with God: it is how he communicates with us. Through prayer God gives us direction and encouragement in our daily lives so that we can help others in need, and pray for those who don’t know Him.

Jesus made it very clear in his ministry here on earth that prayer was not just another thing believers should do or another ministry for the church. In Matthew 21:13 He said, “My house will be called a house of prayer. . . We know that if we go into a “House of Pancakes” that pancakes are not just a second thought on the menu. No, in a “House of Pancakes” it would only make sense pancakes are served with nearly everything. In the same way prayer should be an integral part of who we are and all that we do in the church.

Why is Prayer So Important?

We pray because God wants us to pray. In fact God has chosen to do little or nothing except through the prayers of His people.

In the New Testament we are commanded to pray (Matt. 13:33, Luke 10:2, etc.) taught how to pray (Matt. 6:5-13) and for what we should pray (Matt. 9:38, Luke 22:40, etc.)

Jesus himself prayed a great deal. In fact Luke 6:12-14 tells us that He prayed all night before He chose His disciples. Nearly all of John 17 is Jesus praying for His disciples, then and now.

Prayer is also important because it works. The truth is that when we Seek God and pray according to His heart’s desire He answers in unbelievable ways. Prayer works!!

Though there are other reasons that prayer is important, the last one I want to mention here is that it changes us. It changes us as individuals to spend time in prayer. Our perspectives and priorities are changed the more we pray. But it also changes us as a church. The ministry we do is more fruitful because God is directing and blessing the efforts. We are no longer working in our own power but in God’s power. That power is able to do more than all we ask or imagine.