To pray or not to pray?

 “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”