Prayer is one of the greatest gifts given to us believers in this stage of redemptive history.
How did you feel when you read that? Did you feel nervous or cringe? Did you get excited and passionate? Perhaps somewhere in between?
The beautiful reality about salvation is that we are no longer separated from God. Our sin required us to be separated from the God who is perfect and holy. The veil in the temple in Jesus' day symbolized that separation, and it tore in two when Jesus paid our death penalty and allowed us to be united with God again. (Isaiah 59:2; Matthew 27:51).* If you are a Christian, you are now a priest to God (1 Peter 2:9), which means we commune with Him. We as people of God can boldly approach the throne and receive grace (Hebrews 4:16). Being united with God is a wonderful part of being in Christ (Ephesians 2:15). The best thing about heaven is spending eternity with God!
Prayer, reading the Bible, and fellowship with other believers are ways in which a Christian spends time with God before Jesus returns. That is why it is one of the greatest gifts given to us. It is how a believer feels close to God and one of the ways they draw near to Him. Prayer is simple, yet so rich in depth. It is mysterious in power and mighty in sanctification (God's perfecting process for us). Prayer is the communication and fellowship with God both individually and corporately, and it is a means through which God works in the lives of those prayed for and those praying.
Prayer has multiple purposes and benefits:
Prayer is so important that we are told to do it without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. This does not mean constantly talking to God, because we cannot talk to others and God at the same time. It does mean having our mindset focused on heaven (Colossians 3:2; 4:2), God Himself (Matthew 6:9-10, 33; Isaiah 26:3; 1 Chronicles 16:11), and God’s Word (Romans 12:1-2). The Greek word for prayer is made up of two parts; the first part being “towards, exchange” and the second being “to wish, pray”.** It has the idea of turning over our thoughts and desires to God and exchanging them for His. Directing our thoughts to God and exchanging our thoughts for godly thoughts is praying without ceasing.
Philippians 4:6-8 says “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Paul says to be reasonable and not anxious because God is at hand; He is present. That was given to us through the blood of Christ bringing forgiveness for our sins..Because He is present, we should pray with thanks, humbly present our requests, and think about God-glorifying things. This is what it means to pray without ceasing. To have a mindset wholly devoting every thought and desire to God by taking each thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). To always be aware and thankful for His presence. To worship Him with every good thing. To submit to Him in His will with trust and patience. To ask Him for what we desire and trust Him with the results.
Prayer is a beautiful thing because it is the way a sovereign (omnipotent; reigning) (Psalm 115:3) God lets His children love Him and the way He makes His love known to us. He knows what His will is for every moment, both the things we deem good and bad. (Genesis 50:20).Prayer is a means by which He makes His good will happen. God's sovereignty is on display through Jesus' death on the cross, for example. He provided prophecy years in advance regarding the people and circumstances surrounding the crime and sin of killing Jesus. God uses people to accomplish His plan for His glory, and it is good. God used the prayers of Moses to turn God's wrath away from Israel (Exodus 32:9-14). God has a plan for each of your prayers, whether they are answered positively or negatively. They matter.
We should pray because we are commanded to, it directs and corrects our mind, and it gives us a way to praise and thank Him; thus showing God’s care about His children and their requests (Matthew 7:9-12). He will give us what He wills, and it may not be what we asked for; even so, it is better for us! Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” May we embrace our relationship with God and pursue a renewed mind for our good and His glory.
Prayer is one of the greatest gifts given to us as we wait for Jesus to return. Prayer allows us to be with God! What a wonderful gift! Being in God's presence makes us more like Christ and more pleasing to our Father. We can be in God's presence every day, all the time, because we are no longer separated from Him. That does not mean we have our eyes closed all the time, but it does mean we should take every thought captive and, with God's help, make those thoughts godlier.
* All scripture in this article is referenced from the English Standard Version (ESV) translation.
**Bible Hub, accessed June 21, 2023, https://biblehub.com/greek/4336.htm.
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