I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

1 Timothy 2:1 NLT

Sweet friends, prayer, like Bible study, worship, ministry, and fellowship, is a key piece of our daily walk with God.

I’ll admit, of those five, prayer is the one I am more likely to short change when I am feeling pressed for time. I am, by nature, a doer and for many years praying didn’t feel like doing to me.

BUT God, God shown me that praying is an act of doing just like study, worship, ministry, and fellowship.

Praying is a time when I am engaged one on one with God talking with Him, listening to Him. Out of love for others, I can jump in and take action, but if I do that action my way, in my timing, and my will, without first asking God what He would have me do, how He’s handling things, without asking Him to intercede on their behalf, my actions will always be flawed in some way.

On the other hand, if all I do is pray and I never crack God’s Word to see what He says, take time to listen to Him when I pray, worship Him, or join in fellowship with other believers, then it is difficult for me to do what God wants me to do because I’m not fully engaged with Him.

Dear heart, prayer is our quiet time with God – a very necessary time of thanking Him for everyone around us, not just those who bring us blessing but also those who challenge us in some way because they too need His love and good news.

God already knows our needs and the needs of others we pray for and so we engage with Him in prayer not to inform Him of what He already knows like a checklist, but to:

• ask Him how He would have us respond,
• inquire of Him what lesson we should be learning in this season,
• show Him our love for others by interceding on their behalf,
• demonstrate our trust in Him to handle all needs big and small,
• seek His will before acting because we have faith that He will act either through us, through others, or through a miracle.

The power of prayer has become so apparent to me in the past six months or so. There is power in prayer to transform the one praying and also the ones for whom prayers are lifted.

• Our God is mighty to save (Zephaniah 3:17).
• His power works in us and through us to do far more than we could ask or dream (Ephesians 3:20-21).
• From forgiveness (1 John 1:9) to salvation (John 3:16) to freedom (John 8:36) to healing (2 Kings 20:5) to strength (Isaiah 41:10) to restoration (Joel 2:25) to protection (Psalm 91:11-12) to the meeting of physical needs (Philippians 4:19) to so much more than we could think to ask for, there isn’t anything that God can’t do!

The prayer of one seeking God’s will is never in vain. Seek Him above all else and be amazed at the wonderful works He has in store for you to do, the blessings He has in store to give, the transformation that will come through you and in you!

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