Prayer is one of the most important parts of the Christian life. It is the lifeline between our Heavenly Father and us. It is simply talking to God from your heart. You can talk to God about ANYTHING. Prayer helps you to develop a close relationship with your Heavenly Father. Yet many believers are unsure what prayer truly is or how it relates to their relationship with God. Some think prayer is simply asking God for things, while others see it as a religious duty they must perform. Prayer is NOT a religious duty, it is how we communicate with our Heavenly Father, and how He communicates back to us.
Christianity is not merely a religion of rules and rituals. It is a relationship between God and His children.
God’s desire has always been that His people know Him personally.
John 17:3 (NKJV)
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
At its most basic level, prayer is communication with God. Just as communication is essential in any human relationship, it is also essential in our relationship with God. Prayer includes speaking to God, but it also involves listening and being open to His guidance.
God wants us to call on Him. This shows that prayer is not something God is reluctant about; it is something He encourages.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)
‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
One of the most powerful truths in the New Testament is that believers are children of God. Let’s look at the beginning of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9.
Matthew 6:9 (NASB)
Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
Jesus taught His disciples to approach God as their Father. Instead of approaching God as distant or unreachable, believers are invited to come to Him as children come to a loving father.
Romans 8:15 (NLT)
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. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
The word Abba expresses closeness and intimacy.
Just as relationships between people grow through communication, our relationship with God grows through prayer.
If two people never speak to each other, their relationship becomes distant. The same is true spiritually. Prayer keeps our relationship with God active and alive. The more we spend time with Him, the more we learn His heart and His will.
Many people think that prayer is only about asking God for something. While asking God for help and provision is certainly part of prayer, it is not the only purpose.
Mark 1:35 (NKJV)
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Jesus often withdrew to spend time with the Father. This shows that prayer is about relationship, not just requests, and Jesus demonstrated this kind of prayer throughout His life.
From the beginning of creation, God desired fellowship with mankind. In the Garden of Eden, God walked and communed with Adam and Eve. Sin broke that fellowship, but through Jesus Christ that relationship has been restored.
2 Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV)
all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
Because of what Jesus accomplished, believers do not have to approach God with fear or uncertainty. We are invited to come boldly and with confidence to Him.
Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)
Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
1 John 5:14 (NASB)
And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
This confidence (boldness) does not come from our own goodness, but from the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Prayer is communication with our Heavenly Father. Through prayer, we grow in relationship with God, learn His will, and experience His presence in our lives.
God desires more than occasional prayers from His people. He desires fellowship.
Through Jesus we have been invited into a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have as believers. We are to pray always and to give thanks.
1 Thessalonians 5:17–18 (KJV)
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Prayer keeps our hearts connected to our Heavenly Father.
Next month I will explain the different kinds of prayer and I will share how to approach prayer with faith.