Tag: Pray

Is Prayer Essential?

My quiet time with God has been a struggle recently.  I’m not sure why accept that satan loves to get under my skin and annoy me.  I start to pray and I get sidetracked.  Or I’ll say at the end of the day, ‘Tomorrow will be different.  I’m going to pray and really spend time talking with God.’  The next day hits, and it’s more distractions and laziness.

Two weeks ago, I was listening to a guest preacher speaking to a small room of people.  What he said caught me so hard that I wrote it down:

A life devoid of prayer is an arrogant one.

Let me say it again for those who find it as powerful as I did 2 weeks ago.

A life devoid of prayer is an arrogant one.

Who am I to think that I’ve got my life handled on my own?  Who am I to not recognize the needs of others?  Who am I to think I don’t need to bend my knees to the Creator of this world in reverence, supplication, and thanksgiving?

Prayer is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible.  There are stories of Israelites praying in the wilderness.  We see Samson crying out to God for his strength during the last moments of his life.  We see David calling out to God for forgiveness. 

We, however, have the ultimate example of someone praying in Jesus Christ.  Directly after Jesus was baptized, Luke 3:21-22 says that “…Jesus was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’”

We see Jesus step away from the day of teaching and feeding the 5,000 to go up a mountain by himself and spend time in prayer to God (Matthew 14:23).

Jesus even tells Simon Peter at the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22:32 that He has prayed for him, that his faith would not fail.

If Jesus Himself prays to God the Father, why aren’t I also doing the same?

We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing;”  We rejoice in prayer.  We give thanks in prayer.  We come with requests in prayer.  We intercede in prayer.  Prayer is time spent with God.

Let’s remember that living a life without prayer, no matter how big the time gap, is an arrogant one.  I’ve written that quote down along with 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and it sits wherever I am so that I never forget that my life is God’s, not my own.  

~Erin

Prayer as a First Choice: Not a Last Resort

Divorce, termination from a job, miscarriage, death, COVID, deer hits your car, child drops out of college…and there are countless other reasons for us to feel despair.  Reasons for us to turn to God.

In the middle of one of those storms have you ever heard someone say…or have you ever said, “All I can do is pray?”

In many instances, we use prayer as a last resort.  We can’t figure out a fix, so all we have left is a petition to God.  The only thing left to say is “all I can do is pray.”  

Do you really believe that?  Do you believe that ALL you have left to do is pray?  

All I can do is pray? That’s similar to saying “all I can do is offer you food” to the homeless person who is hungry.  It’s like saying “all I can do is offer you medication” to the person who is sick. 

I would argue that prayer should be our first stop.  I can think of countless times that I’ve tried to figure out a remedy myself rather than turn it over to God.  I can also think of just as many times where I sought the advice of others before seeking the will of God.  Perhaps we should revise “all I can do is pray” to a phrase like “all I want to do is pray” or “I will pray” or “I will continue to pray.” 

I would also contend that prayer is absolutely the answer.  It’s not all we can do…rather it’s all we should do. Prayer literally releases the power of God and opens the doors of heaven.  James 4:2 says, “You have not, because you ask not.” In Matthew 21:22 Jesus said, “And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” 

When we utter a phrase that includes “all I can do is pray” it seems like we’re insinuating that is our last resort.  It’s our final hope.  When in reality, it is our one true hope and should be our first stop. 

When a situation arises where there seems to be no answers, prayer is the answer.  Not the last resort. 

~Emily