Power of Prayer
Often people ask questions such as, “why do we pray when God already knows our thoughts?” or, “how is prayer powerful when we know we can’t change God’s mind?” The simple answer is that God has called us to pray to Him.
Ephesians 6:18, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Prayer is powerful. It not only helps build our relationship with Christ and expresses our dependence on Him but it changes our focus. God desires to have a relationship with us, and He delights in His creation.
Psalm 147:11, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Since the LORD delights in His creation, He wants to hear directly from us about little things that happen in our day along with big things such as what is going on in our heart. Prayer is how we are able to communicate those things to Him. In the Bible even Jesus prayed to God. Shortly before Jesus was to be taken prisoner and crucified, He was overwhelmed with sorrow and fell on His face and prayed.
Matthew 26:39, And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’
He was vulnerable to God and showing how He felt about the painful death that was about to occur. Jesus was showing His dependence on God in that moment. He was showing obedience to God no matter the outcome. In this instance God’s answer was to not take away the painful death, but Jesus was content in the fact that God had a plan for His life that was ultimately good. Jesus’ desire was what God desired for His life, even though it brought great sorrow. Our focus may now be shifted in regards to prayer because of the newfound confidence we have not in ourselves, but in Christ.
1 John 5:14-15, And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
The Bible clearly states that LORD hears our prayers and faithfully answers them. He answers our prayers in a way that may be unexpected. That could potentially mean a prayer being answered in a way we aren’t particularly in favor of. Praying to God confidently is a personal reminder of the faith and trust we have put in Christ. Prayer isn’t to change God’s mind, but to rather keep our heart in check and to act in faith. Prayer is NOT to be mistaken as a way we can use God has a “wish machine”. God is not our genie. He answers us in accordance to what is good for us, which is not necessarily what we desire for ourselves. God is so sweet in faithfully reminding us of His goodness through answering every prayer. It truly shows us the faith we have in Him and how much we trust Him with our life.
Colossians 4:2, Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.