“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray….” Luke 11:1
In Scripture, many verses tell us that Jesus went away to pray. He had a devoted prayer life. The disciples saw Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick, and restore health, and on several occasions, they saw Him feed thousands with very little. Yet, the only thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them was to pray. Jesus, though fully man and fully God, prayed often. If the Son of God needs to spend time with The Heavenly Father, how much more do we?
James 5:16 says,
“The prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.”
Prayer is action and accomplishes more than we could ever do in our own efforts. It isn’t docile or passive. It is taking a situation, need, or relationship and laying it at the feet of the one who is all-powerful and all-capable. You may be able to change someone’s mind, but they can change it back again. Through prayer, God can change someone’s heart - this is not spiritual manipulation because God is holy and will not impose Himself against someone’s will. However, He can help those we’re praying for to see what is best in ways they haven’t considered before.
Throughout The Word of God, there are accounts of people performing extraordinary feats because of their relationship with God through prayer. In 2 Kings 6, we find the story of Elisha being so powerful through prayer that the enemy of Israel’s king thought spies were among his ranks. Those closest to the king said, “No, none of us are spies…but Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you say in your bedroom.”
How would you like to have that reputation? Elisha had such a powerful and devoted prayer life that he was able to advise the King of Israel on how to avoid attack and defeat the enemy army.
The most valuable benefit prayer provides is access to the Heavenly Father in a deeply personal relationship. There is absolutely nothing we cannot take to God in prayer. The Lord honored the Father of the demonized boy in the book of Mark when he said, “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.” We can even let The Lord know we’re having difficulty believing in Him. When we share our cares and burdens, He gives us His peace and offers answers to whatever we need. Time spent with The Lord allows us to receive His perfect love, which heals all insecurities, emotional and physical pain, and weaknesses.
When we call on The Lord, it’s as though He leans forward and gives us His full attention because He longs to spend quality time with us.
In this series, we will study the answer to the disciple’s question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” As we practice our faith in prayer, we will know God’s heart, and He will know ours.
