Recently I had the privilege of participating in a nationwide prayer event hosted by True Women 2016.  The theme was Cry Out.  Usually, when children are asked the question, “what is prayer?” the most common response is ‘prayer is talking to God’. But prayer is more than just a one-sided conversation, isn’t it? Very few of us enjoy one-sided conversations. As a matter of fact, the very word conversation implies an exchange of words between two or more people. Prayer has to be more than me doing all the talking and God doing all the listening…  What then is prayer?  Prayer is communicating with God.  True prayer takes place when God’s will take precedence over my will. When ‘Thy’ or ‘His will be done’. Prayer is our communication highway to the throne of the Almighty, All Powerful God.  I talk to Him and He talks back. 

Jesus, the Son, who is God prayed constantly to His Father.  There are at least twenty five recorded times when Jesus prayed.  He prayed before and after healing, He prayed before choosing His disciples, He prayed before feeding the five thousand, He prayed on the cross.  If Jesus Christ, who is God prayed; do we dare not pray? Luke 22:39-44 is just one example of Jesus talking to His Father.

I thought I should perhaps ask the question; ‘Why do we not pray?’ Here is the fundamental answer; we do not pray because we do not know God.  Perhaps we do not know the Lord as our Savior.  And again, those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior, we do not KNOW God.  We do not know Him, because we do not read His Word, we do not meditate on His Word.  We do not regard prayer as the honor and privilege it is to enter into the Lord’s presence, because we do not know that we should.  We do not know Him; therefore, we do not trust His Word.  In Romans 8:28, He said, “All things work together for good”.  The Lord will always do what is best for us; ALWAYS!  We are told in Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus”.

Jesus prayed before His betrayal, “… but Thy will be done” (Luke 22:42).  Romans 8:26-27 reminds us of our frailty, it points out… “For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us…”  And again we are told in 1 Peter 5:7 “...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”.  In Him, we find rest, we find peace, and comfort for this life in spite of the trials we may be facing. We have the assurance, when we communicate with a Holy and Awesome One that He is working it out for our good. In communicating with my Creator God, I talk to Him. I bring Him worship because He is worthy; Revelation 4:11  exclaims “You are worthy, O Lord,To receive glory and honor and  power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” I bring Him my cares because “…with God nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). I know that about Him because He spoke back through His Word.  “Pray”, says the Lord, “pray without ceasing”. (I Thessalonians 5:17)