This last Sunday, Pastor Herk of Little Church in the Pines began a sermon series on Prayer. There is so much more to prayer than we imagine or practice. Prayer is defined as a solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God's glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed.
Prayer is nothing difficult because it is just having a conversation with God, whether brief, long, light, heavy, joyful or sorrowful. It is just talking with our heavenly Father. In public or in private, the Lord wants to hear our situations and circumstances, cares and concerns, good times and bad. Many are intimidated by others who pray with beautiful biblical words and terms, but that is not what it is about. It’s just about letting God know what’s on your heart. Our omniscient Lord knows what we are going to say before we say it, but want us to tell Him and He hears our words from our lips. We may not know what to say, but we find that the words come when we start because the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) is our Helper.
How often have you experienced the power of prayer in your life? Prayers may be answered quickly or over many years; it’s all in God’s perfect timing. Continue in your prayers. The Almighty created the Cosmos, the heavens and the earth, but you are a child of God. He hears all of our prayers, listens and responds (yes, no, later or I have something better in mind). All prayers are powerful and prayers change things. Prayer is one of the greatest blessings that God has given to every single person. Jesus instructed us in Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
Prayer is such a powerful instrument. Yet, the circumstance may require listening, sympathizing, silent prayer for everyone (God help them) and just be present as a comfort, cry with them, showing that you care until a more appropriate time to talk and pray. God may be with them and going to get them through the situation, but they have to be in the emotional state to hear it. In these circumstances pray for yourself that God lets you know what to do in the moment. The day will come when they are ready and ask for prayer.
Prayer is the mot important
thing in a Christian’s life. The knowledge that you can pray to God and He is
hearing you and that He is with you is foundational comfort, stability and peace.
Jesus said in John 10:27-30 “My
sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will
snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the
Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” God wants prayer to
change every one of His people. Even if you are a “prayer warrior” already, God
wants to continually improve our prayer life and make it better and better as
we grow. Move forward in your prayer life as you mature as Christians. The Lord
wants to hear more from you, more often.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on powerful prayer in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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