What Is Prayer?
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Prayer is communication between God and us
Simply put, prayer is the way in which we are able to communicate with God. This is the simplest and most basic way to describe what prayer is. Just like any good relationship, there needs to be communication. God wants us to talk with Him even when we feel like we can’t or when we come to Him with tons of requests.
But it is important to remember that we don’t have to come to Him with requests and words. Prayers can be in many forms that include our thoughts and feelings. He is our heavenly Father and just like any father, God desires to know His children and for His children to know Him in every way.
Prayer is a gift from God
God has given us the way to speak to Him. Not only to speak to Him but speak to Him DIRECTLY. We don’t have to rely on priests, pastors, or any other religious leader in order to let God know how we are doing or to get His direction for us in our lives. We can simply come before Him on our own. This is the gift He has given us. The ability to have that intimate conversation. This is an amazing thing, isn’t it? With billions of people on this planet, God desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us.
This gift of prayer is special because it was not given to us because we deserved or earned it in some way. God gave us prayer out of His love for us. And this gift was not just given to people that follow Him but everyone and anyone, both believing and unbelieving. Doesn’t that tell you how amazing God’s love is?
The power in prayer
God uses our prayers to show us more of who he is. He uses prayer to work in our lives and the lives of others. While there are many reasons that we should pray, there are 2 primary principles.
The first is to unleashe the power of God. Just one example from the Bible comes from the book of Luke. There was a man named Zechariah who prayed for a child of his own and his prayer was answered. It is quite an amazing story because the child that was born to Zechariah was John the Baptist. (Read the full details in Luke 1:5-15)
The other purpose in prayer is to change our hearts and for us to grow in our relationship with Him. As you pray, you will find that your heart will change. The desire to know Him will increase. Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. Remember, prayer is the way we communicate with God. So the more you pray the better you will be able to talk with God. You will begin to understand more of what He is trying to do in your life and how to deepen your relationship with Him.