Why do we need to pray?
Jeremiah 29:12-13 New International Version (NIV)
12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Philippians 4:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Once we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior in our lives, the bible states that we become a child of God and the relationship between God and us has been restored. This relationship that was established is such a big privilege to us, since we can come boldly to God as His sons and daughters.
Romans 8:15 New Living Translation (NLT)
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[a] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[b]
Unfortunately, coming to the presence of God through prayer is one of the biggest aspects of Christianity these days that is being neglected by many. But, just as a natural relationship blossoms by good communication, so our spiritual relationship with God will also nourish and mature faster if we do have a good communication with Him. Our communication with God is called prayer. Prayer is a direct communication to God by talking to Him expressing our adoration, needs, plans, questions or even just expressing how you feel.
Many think that since God is all knowing, there is no need for prayers, while some are just bored and too busy to do it to their lives.
Why do we need to pray?
1) Prayer strengthens our Faith in Him
Jeremiah 33:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Many thought that prayer is just a one-way conversation with God. But the bible clearly says that it is not a monologue conversation, but it’s a dialogue. Every time we pray, God responds to us and His answer is not just to help us in our current situation, but rather He continues to reveal Himself to us by revealing His will, purpose and character. This helps us to continue strengthening our faith and hope in Him as we prove that He is faithful to us with His answers.
2) Prayer shows our dependence on Him
God wants us to fully depend on Him since He knows what is better and good for our lives. John 15:5 says “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” and Acts 17:28 “For in Him we live and move and have our being”. Prayer shows our dependence on Him by asking Him what we need for our lives.
Matthew 7:7-8 New International Version (NIV)
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
3) Prayer keeps us away from temptations
Matthew 26:41 New International Version (NIV)
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Prayer keeps us grounded to our relationship to God. This helps us to be constantly aware of His heart and character as a righteous God who seeks righteousness for His people. Prayer also helps us understand that everything happening is not just due to a physical situation and condition, but rather it involves spiritual realms that Christians need to be aware of. Ephesians 6:12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. Prayer is a tool that works in spiritual realms that helps us overcome the works of the enemy by the power of God being granted to us every time we pray.
4) Prayer helps us to overcome fears and worries in life
Psalm 34:4 New International Version (NIV)
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Every time we pray to God, God helps us overcome our fears and worries by assuring us that He is there to help and deliver us. As children of God, when we cry to him for help, He is a good Father who will come and rescue us if we allow Him.
5) Prayer helps us experience God’s Power so we can become an effective witness to others.
Answered prayers are a good motivating factor for every believer to become an effective witness to the world once experiencing God’s Power at first hand. During the time of Jesus, when people asked for healing and help from Him, once they received it they become a good witness of God’s deity to their lives.
Things to keep in mind during Prayer:
1) God is looking to the heart and not to the words we say
Matthew 6:5-7 New International Version (NIV)
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 New International Version (NIV)
12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Many Christians are intimidated when asked to pray because they thought prayer should involve deep vocabulary and spiritual words to become effective. But in fact, God doesn’t want us to use babbling words which makes us look very spiritual but do not directly connect to Him, since the words are unnatural to us. God wants us to come to Him as we are, with humility and sincerity to Him. God is looking to the heart and we can only connect with Him when we seek Him with sincerity in our hearts.
“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” – Max Lucado
2) When you pray, Believe on it!
Mark 11:24 New International Version (NIV)
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Praying is not just saying words before God. Many people pray to God, but their hearts are filled with doubts if God is really listening to them and will eventually answer. Prayer should be composed of words of faith that, as you utter the words before God, you believe that God will move in your situation. God is always honored by our faith in Him and He will not let anyone who believes in Him to be put to shame.
Romans 10:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a]
James 1:6-8 New International Version (NIV)
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
3) Keep on praying: Pray consistently and persistently
Ephesians 6:18 New Living Translation (NLT)
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[a]
Praying is not just during a time of need, but prayer encompasses every situation of our life. We can talk to Him whatever situation we may have in our life, and God is delighted about it as children who spend time with the Father.
God is also encouraging us to pray consistently and persistently, since prayer with persistent moves the hands of God. Like the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, a persistent prayer will always touch the heart of God.
4) Pray to connect and not to impress
Matthew 6:6 New Living Translation (NLT)
6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
When you pray, your main goal is to connect to God. Many people pray, not to connect with God but to impress others. This type of prayer means nothing to Him.
How do we pray?
God give us some guidelines on how should be pray:
Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version (NIV)
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘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 today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
1) Pray with adoration to God
Philippians 4:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
2) Pray with humbleness
Asking God’s will to be done not ours.
3) Pray for your needs and needs of others
4) Pray with a repentant heart
5) Pray for God’s Direction to your life.
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Copyright © 2022 by God@Work Church - Singapore.
All quotations from scripture in this training material unless otherwise indicated are taken from the
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
