Some of the thoughts shared here come from the book, The battle plan for prayer, by The Kendrick Brothers.
It is important to know what prayer is as many think it is a genie bottle for problems. That is far from a correct and full definition.
Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:
1. Know Him intimately, love Him, and worship Him. This is numero uno of what prayer is for! It fulfills the first part of the prayer Jesus gave us as an example for prayer in Luke:
Luke 11:2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.
Get to know God better, deeper, and who He really is! Then we can glorify His name ever better!
Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
May we worship God as He deserves!
Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:
2. Understand and conform our lives to His will and ways.
When praying properly it will change us. God will reveal His ways to us through prayer and the Word and it will convict us and as followers we will change in obedience to King Jesus!
Again referring to the Lord’s example prayer this time found in Matthew:
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,
Key in on “Your will be done”, not what we want but what God wants!
Prayer is about transforming us to be Christlike!
Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:
3. To advance God’s Kingdom
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
What is the primary way to advance the Kingdom? By sharing the gospel and meeting the needs of others. That is why Jesus said:
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Praying for things and others is not the primary purpose of prayer, although it has its place, prayer is about God!
From the Kendrick brothers, “When (prayer) becomes merely about accessing the provision or protection of God rather than knowing and pleasing the person of God, then we are getting off track.” I agree whole heartedly!
Prayer is all about God and glorifying Him!
Tom
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