The Importance of Prayer

This year, I have realized the importance of prayer. Our family has endured so much and God has made a way for us in so many ways. He never left us or had us to go without; and I am so grateful! Before, I would just go through the motions of living day by day thinking that if I don’t go through then God is not in the success. But God does want us to have joy and want to give us the desires of our hearts. I must say, with prayer, you see God in everything…good and not so good, but it is all to try our faith and build our relationship with Him.

What is prayer? Prayer is to be in communion with God or a dialogue. Our dialogue with God determines the quality of the relationship. Like with any relationship (i.e. marriage), when we continue to have dialogue with our husbands or wives, we expand our knowledge of them. The more you talk the more you know and are comfortable and trusting you is of that person….same with God. The more we communion
with Him, the more we know of Him and His promises to us.

Why pray? We should pray because we want to know God. The more we pray, we are gravitating toward the things of God. When we desire God, we desire things that are beneficial to our relationship and lives. We must stay in the Word of God daily to know what to pray so that when things don’t always goes the way we think it should go, doubt won’t enter. We are in constant warfare with the enemy who tries to deter us from God’s truth. We must equip ourselves with the armor of God (Ephesian 6:11-18).

Are there different forms of prayer? There are several forms of prayer: confessions, repentance, thanksgiving, intercession, praise, worship, petition, and more. There is no wrong way to pray, but you must come with a pure heart. Prayer is not simply saying words. It is not repeating formulas. God is looking for heartfelt relationship. We are told by Jesus not to make meaningless repetitions of words when we pray. Matthew 6:7 says, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

How to pray? Previously, I mentioned that there is no wrong way to pray, but Jesus provides a blueprint in which our prayer should be. With everything, there is order. Many say “The Lord’s Prayer” but in fact it is the prayer that the disciples learned. (Matthew 6:9-13) As we have read, there is an order in which Jesus has given us.

I am still maturing in my prayer life and am not ashamed to admit that there is definitely room for growth. I am in awe of the Lord and in all that He does for this family… I want to give Him the best of me…all of me! He’s worth it.