Prayer – What’s the big deal?

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)

Pray without ceasing.

I came across this quote that inspired me to think more seriously about prayer. “If we don’t consistently fall on our face in prayer, we shouldn’t be surprised when we consistently fall on our face in sin.”

Prayer is a pretty cool tool.  Most Christians pray before meals and some before going to bed as a routine.  But why does Paul say in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we should “pray without ceasing”?

Well, the easy answer is because God said so, and that is a very good reason!

But it isn’t the only one.

To start off, prayer is a humbling action.  By praying, we acknowledge that we need help.

It’s yet another way to acknowledge that God is sufficient to fulfill our every need.

We pray to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.

We pray to thank God for our blessings and to ask for guidance.

All of the different reasons that we pray ultimately come back to one central idea—we need God’s help, and that’s awesome!

Also, as with any human relationship, communication is very important.  Through prayer, we can literally talk to God and He can even give us feedback!  How amazing is that??

However, this great privilege comes with a great responsibility.  While we are supposed to “pray without ceasing,” we are also supposed to be careful what we say.

In the Old Testament, the High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year and had to do so with extreme caution and reverence.  He would enter the presence of God and if there were sins that he was trying to hide or sins that hadn’t repented of, he would die.

So while it may seem like an easy thing to say a quick, mindless prayer before bedtime or when you’re really hungry, it is nothing to be taken lightly.

Prayer is a powerful tool which God has given us to help combat the powers of this dark world.  While we are told to pray constantly, our prayers should also be serious.  Developing a solid prayer life may be one of the most important steps someone could take after accepting God’s grace. 

The bottom line is that our lives are meant to give God glory and prayer is just one more way that we can do that.  Prayer not only helps us grow closer to God but also is an avenue to see Him work in your life.

Dear Lord, we thank You for all that You do for us. We especially thank You that we can come to You in prayer. Thanks for listening to us and help us to listen to what You have to say to us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.