What Is Prayer?

"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples..."  (cf. Isa. 56:7).  When we pray we enter and gain access or entrée into the throne room of God and into another dimension.   We are not overcoming His reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness--not so much getting our will done in heaven as His will done on earth.  The best and most complete prayer is simply:  "Thy will be done!"  This divine power lies dormant in all believers and they don't realize their potential.  Prayer is where the action is and the goal of prayer is prayer, i.e., it has its own rewards!  We should enjoy dialog with the Almighty.  The problem with most prayer warriors is that they don't listen.  "But for me, it is good to be near God"  (cf. Ps. 73:28).

 It is better to be plainspoken than to preach and it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.  Indeed, we must learn to be straightforward and bare our souls to God.  If we really want the glory of God we have the right attitude and motive.  It is more an attitude than a dialog when we say we "pray without ceasing."   Prayer doesn't waste our time, but someone has said it is "the ultimate time-saver."  Saying "Amen" is not a magic word or formula, but an expression of faith and means essentially "so be it."  My tribulations and trials have kept me on my knees--so how's your prayer life?  Lincoln said that many a time he was driven to his knees, simply because he had nowhere else to go." 

One keynote:  Keep short accounts with the Father they say and remember the most important verse to keep the conversation going is 1 John 1:9  which says:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

Did you know that we can't pray for too big a request or to small a matter--His love is great enough for everything and nothing is too great for an infinite God.  How big is your God?   He has not given us a blank check or carte blanche but must ask in Jesus' name, which means we seek to honor Him and are asking on His merits, not ours.   Other provisos are abiding in Christ (cf. John 15:7) and obedience (cf.1 John 3:22).   "Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live"  (cf. Psa. 116:2). 

Seek God with all your heart!  Call upon His name in the day of trouble (cf. Ps. 55:22)!  Cast your burden upon the Lord cf. (cf. Phil. 4:6).  Continue in prayer (cf.Col. 4:2).  And above all be thankful!  This is only Prayer 101!  Some wise believer said to work as if everything depends on you, but pray as if everything depends on God. 

By definition, prayer is a two-way dialogue with the Heavenly Father or one of the other members of the Godhead, in the name of Jesus, according to God's will, in the power of the Holy Spirit. There are conditions: Prayer is communion (we bare our souls) and the Lord's Supper, or Communion, is an analogy or type of prayer whereby we cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of flesh and spirit and renew our fellowship with God. "If we regard iniquity in our heart the Lord will not hear us" (cf. Ps. 66:18). Peter said that a lack of harmony in a marriage can be an impediment to a person's prayer life and may hinder effective prayer. It is the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails"(cf. James 5:16) and so we must meet all the conditions of prayer: humility, reverence, and sincerity, for example.

Prayer is only to the Deity of the Trinity of Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit and invocation to any other person, saint, or deity is idolatry (cf. Ps. 5:2). We must pray according to God's will to be heard according to 1 John 5:14. We must pray in Jesus' name (our mediator) according to John 14:13,14, and not give up but importune according to Luke 18:1 ("One ought always to pray and not to give up"), and Matt. 7:7 ("keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking"). To gain entrée into God's presence, as if to another dimension, we must "enter His gates with thanksgiving, enter His courts with praise" (cf. Ps. 100:4).

Brother Lawrence wrote a book, Practicing the Presence of God. He learned to keep the conversation going. We aren't always uttering prayers, but the channel is open and we are in fellowship in an attitude of prayer, sensitive to His promptings. President Lincoln is quoted as saying that many a time he found himself on his knees, simply because he had nowhere else to go! It is well said that Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. Posture is not that important per se, but the attitude in prayer: i.e., we don't always have to lie prostrate or lift our hands to heaven.

 Scripture teaches both the efficacy of prayer and the sovereignty of God and we conclude that God ordains the means of prayer to His glorious ends. When we say "Thy will be done" this is not a cop-out but faith and it isn't trying to make a loophole if it isn't answered, but this is commanded by God and His will will be done despite our prayers, but He has chose as the means to His ends, that He will use our prayers. The prayer of relinquishment is the greatest prayer one can say.

Yes, indeed, prayer is the "acid test" of one's spirituality and as the famed follow-up counselor of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc., Charlie Riggs was known as one who could only pray and quote Scripture, and look at his success to become the head of follow-up. Many famous saints spent a lot of time in prayer, Martin Luther would spend at least 2 hours to start the day in prayer, and if he was busy he would spend more time! Yes,  again:   "Prayer doesn't just take time, it is the ultimate time-saver."

Prayer is entering God's presence (like into another dimension) or His sanctuary: We are to seek His face and His presence continually. "The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him" (cf. Hab. 2:20). "Be still and know that I am God" (cf. Ps. 46:1). Genuine prayer will always be answered: sometimes no, sometimes yes, and sometimes wait or I have something better! God does answer prayer: "Call unto Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me" (cf. Ps. 50:15); "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (cf. Jer. 33:3); "Before they call I shall answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear" (cf. Isa. 65:24).

My pastor keeps reminding us that prayer is where the action is and one cannot have a healthy relationship with God without a growing prayer life. We either grow or go backward; there is no treading water or standing still spiritually. To open prayer, it is helpful to just praise God for who He is and thank Him for your blessings. He is interested in everything ("Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you"). No problem is too big or too trivial; they are all small to God. The best single prayer I have ever seen is the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

In summary, prayer is seeking God and aligning ourselves with His will--we don't change God, prayer changes us! "Seek the Lord while He may be found" (cf. Isa. 55:6). "You shall seek Me and find Me, when you seek for Me with all your heart" (cf. Jer. 29:13); "The Lord has not forsaken those who seek Him" (cf. Ps. 9:10). "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me" (cf. Prov. 8:7). "Sow for yourselves in righteousness, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness on you" (cf. Hos. 10:12). Prayer is a blessing to God and to have a vital relationship with Him we must thirst after His Spirit and yearn for His presence, and seek His face. The Lord's Prayer is a paradigm prayer, not meant to be uttered word-by-word, but as a model and it is the prayer par excellence of Jesus. It is important to say, "Amen!" (So be it!) to our prayers as a confession of faith and relinquishment to God's will.  To reiterate let me say emphasize my point.   A word to the wise is sufficient: the goal of prayer is prayer.  Soli Deo Gloria!