Prayer is one of the best known aspects of the Christian life… and also one of the least understood and most easily overlooked. For many people, prayer is seen as either a chore that religious people must do (think, for example, of Muslims’ daily prayers) or a desperate last resort when things are going badly. Even as Christians, we can fall into these traps. This leads to us finding reasons not to pray: we don’t know what to pray for, we don’t know what words to use, we’re too busy, or there’s no point because God will do what He wants anyway. Don’t feel bad if you’ve used any of these excuses; I have too!
And yet the Bible tells us prayer is essential. Paul tells us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The Psalms are all prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession and petition. When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, he said, “when you pray” (Matthew 6:5-7); when, not if! So prayer is not an optional thing to be done if we’re good enough or have a good reason. It’s a part of our walk with God every day.Why is this?
Why is prayer so important? Because, as Psalm 145:18 says, “the Lord is near to all who call on Him.” Prayer is not about saying the right words or getting the right stuff: it is about nearness! God is our Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:9) and when we pray, we are spending time with someone who loves us. That alone should be all the reason we need to “pray continually.”
James.