“What’s the point?”
This is a question that
many, including myself, are always asking.
If someone is asking me to do something, especially something that takes
time and effort, I would like to know what will come of it, before I spend my
energy on it!
If people see no
purpose behind something, chances are they will not give it much thought, time,
or effort.
This is why it is
important for us to understand the purpose and results of prayer. I am
convinced that many Christians do not spend time in prayer not because they
don’t have time, or just “don’t feel like it”, but because deep down they don’t
think it really matters.
To many of us it is
just a ritual, but we don’t truly see it as the weapon that it really is.
The bible says in James
5:16 that The Prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective!
Abraham prayed and
pleaded with God and saved the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18)
Rachel prayed and God
opened her womb, after being barren, and she gave birth to Joseph; the future
ruler of Egypt. (Genesis 30:22-24)
Daniel prayed and the
mouths of lions were shut. (Daniel 6)
Prayer is the strongest
weapon we as Christians have, for prayers move the hand of God! Knowing this we
must have faith that when we pray God not only hears us, and moves in our
situations!
But we must also understand
that God’s version of praying may not be the same as yours!
We as a culture
have made prayer to be something done in a few minutes before a meal, bed, or a
scary situation. Something done half-heartedly and quickly!
Prayer is to be treated
as neither! Anytime prayer is mentioned in scripture it is described as an
aggressive act that is given much time and attention.
Acts 6:3-4- says to “be attentive toward prayer
Col 4:2 says to “devote yourselves to prayer”
2 Thes 5:17 says to “Pray continually” (without ceasing)
Once you understand
that prayer is not a ritual or passive activity but rather a weapon of the
spiritual realm, you must make every effort to use that weapon!
Satan is a smart enemy
and will try to distract you from your most powerful weapon! Be on guard!
E.M Bounds explains
this perfectly-
“It is so easy to be seduced by good to neglect the best. How
easily believers, even leaders of the
church are led by the deceptive wiles of Satan to cut short their praying
in the interest of the work! How easy it is to neglect prayer or abbreviate our
praying simple by the excise that we have church work on our hands. When he can keep us too busy to stop and
pray, Satan has effectively disarmed us”!
To be an overcomer we
HAVE TO see prayer for the weapon that it is and use it consistently and
aggressively in battle, not letting Satan or anyone, or anything distract us
from it!
I challenge you to
start spending a little more time, having a little more tenacity, and having
more faith in the power of prayer and start seeing how God moves!
Matthew 7:7- “He who
seeks, find, and to him who knocks, the door WILL be opened”
