Why Prayer Needs To Be A Christian’s Knee Jerk Reaction
Do you ever wonder why Christians are supposed to pray? Why do we need to tell God our needs even if He already knows what we need before we ask? Does God even hear and answer our prayers? Should I really talk to God about the seemingly small “stuff” in my life?
During the course of the writing of that first paragraph, my daughter approached me to ask if she could “swish” a dog hair in the trash can, brought me a book that so we could read together, and is currently sitting in my lap “helping” me type this post. As her mom, I am thrilled that I am one of the most important people in her life. It delights me that she wants to be in constant communication!
Constantly Connected with God
God is our Heavenly Father. Psalms 116:2 states that, “Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”
Wow! I don’t know about you but the idea that I can be in constant communication with the God and Creator of the universe overwhelms me with peace and hope!
Growing up, my dad modeled this principle to me beautifully (a blessing I am beyond grateful for!) Whenever I had a question, a random funny story, or a heartache, he was always there with a listening ear. Over the years that has translated into my prayer life as well. If my human father could be so willing to hear me, how much more true that must be of my Heavenly Father!
Along these same lines, God does want us to pray even though He already knows everything. As a mom, I already know when my daughter accomplishes something new but I LOVE when she comes to share it with me anyway. We are created in God’s image therefore we can rest assured that He also thrills and as the verse says, “bends lows” to hear what we have to say.
Our Heavenly Father is excited when we share our hearts with Him! As His daughters, we should enjoy the privilege of being in constant communication with Him.
Commanded To Communicate
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul commands believers to, “Pray without ceasing.”
As we move throughout our busy days, it’s easy to be distracted and let our prayer lives take a back burner on the priority list. Some look as being commanded to pray as a hindrance to loving communication. Shouldn’t we only communicate when we want to?
I propose that it is exactly the opposite. God loves us and knows we need to be grounded in Him, especially when we don’t “feel” like it. His command to keep the communication lines open with Him is actually His way of trying to ensure that we always lean on Him, no matter what we are facing.
Commissioned to Fight Spiritual Battles through Prayer
James 4:7 exhorts, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Spiritual battles against Satan and his evil realm must be fought first and foremost on our knees! We cannot successfully overcome Satan and his schemes unless we are rooted in God’s Word and praying for God’s power.
It is easy to forget there is a battle for our souls and the souls of our husband and children. During the hustle of the day, do not skip praying for yourself, your family, and your friends as they face the obstacles that Satan puts before them!
It may feel weird at first to make your first reaction prayer but it will be well worth it. The rest of your reactions can then be based in God’s power and led by His Holy Spirit. (Which means your reactions will be glorifying to God and devoid of our flesh’s desires.)
Examples of Prayer
Luke 11:1 records, “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ “
If you are like me and often feel like prayer is some mystical “thing” to be decoded, delight in this fact! Jesus’s disciples were recorded to watch Him pray and they asked Him to teach them how to pray like He did! Even more wonderful, He answered their request! There are several place in Scripture that record examples of what our prayers should resemble.
In addition to great examples is an encouraging verse in Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
The Apostle Paul even confirms that we won’t know what to pray for but in those cases the Holy Spirit will be there to help turn our weak mumbling into petitions worthy to go before God. Personally, I find that extremely comforting because there are a lot of days when my weary heart doesn’t know what to say.
Final Thoughts
In closing, let us remember that no matter where we are, God wants to hear from us. He bends low to listen to His daughters as we struggle through our days on this earth. Let’s look to the examples of Jesus in prayer and seek our Heavenly Father in prayer. Let us find our joy in walking in God’s commands to communicate with Him!
Your Turn!
What are some ways that you seek to spend time in communication with God throughout your day?
Has God been prompting you lately to pray for something in particular?
How has the relationship with your parents possibly affected your view of talking to God?
How can your relationship to your kids be used to positively impact their prayer life?
What has God been teaching you about prayer lately?
Does it excite you to think that God really does want to hear from you about anything and everything?
Take a few minutes and give thought to the questions above. If you want, feel free share your thoughts in the comments!
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Thanks for stopping by!
