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The Importance of Prayer: 10 Reasons Why We Pray

Modified: January 9, 2024

Written by: Andy Reece

What is prayer? Why is it important? Find out the importance of prayer and how it can help us to grow in spirit and character.

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The importance of prayer is often overlooked. Most of us just pray for God to help us, or to bless us. And most of the time because of our busy lives, prayer is like an afterthought. But why is prayer important? In fact, what is prayer? In this article, we look at the definition of prayer and 10 reasons why we pray. Then, we can understand the power of prayer that God has so lovingly bestowed upon us.

What is Prayer?

Christian prayer is our way of communicating with God. Just like how a child talks and listens to their father, prayer is how we as Christians and children of God converse with Him. And everyone’s conversation with God is different. That is why prayer is the most intimate form of communication that directly connects us to God on a personal level.

Praying to God is simple – all you really have to do is speak to Him with a genuine heart. And the Bible also makes it clear that prayer is really that straightforward. If we call upon the name of the Lord and come to Him in prayer, God listens to us. (Jeremiah 29:12). Prayer is freely given to us by God, which is why we need to understand the importance of prayer. I like a quote by Hudson Taylor that captures the true importance of prayer – “When you work, you work. But when you pray, God works.”.

Read more : Why Do We Pray In The Name Of Jesus Christ

10 Reasons To Know The Importance of Prayer

1. praying to god helps us to grow closer to god.

If I can sum up the importance of prayer into one big reason, it would be this: prayers help us grow closer to God. When we pray, we are welcoming God to be in every part of our lives. The more you spend time talking and listening to God through prayer, the more we draw closer to Him and know more of Him. And thus, God naturally draws close to us too.

If God is close to us, what else do we have to fear? What else do we have to achieve? Nothing! Just like Paul, we can live fearlessly and courageously because we know that our mighty God is for and with us.

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Image by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

2. Prayer Helps Us To Align Ourselves with God’s Will

When we pray, we are also aligning ourselves with God’s will. We are asking Him to lead us and help us in our journey through life. Prayer is a way for us to surrender our lives to God and trust that He will lead us down the path He has planned for us. When we take the time to pray, we are opening up a dialogue with our Creator. We are able to hear from Him and understand His heart for us.

Additionally, through prayer, we are able to discern the will of God for our lives. As we spend time talking to God and listening for His guidance, He will begin to reveal His plans for our lives. And as we surrender our plans to Him, He will begin to work in ways that we never could have imagined because His plans and ways are higher than ours. That is the importance of prayer.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

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3. Prayer Shows You That Your Life is Not About You

Not only will praying help us to align to God’s will, but it also helps us come to terms with reality – life is indeed not about us after all. It has and always been about God and fulfilling His will on earth as it is in heaven. Prayer helps us to acknowledge that God is the center of the universe and in control.

Prayer is important because it also helps us to realize that others’ needs can also come before ours, especially when we pray for others. When we do so, we are putting others at the forefront of our minds. In a world that propagates self-centeredness, the importance of prayer cannot be slighted. It helps us to be humble and compassionate toward others.

John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Image by Danie Franco on Unsplash

Read more : 20 Reasons Why Giving Thanks Is Important

4. Prayer Gives Us Strength and Hope

It can be easy to feel like we are alone when things are tough, but God is always with us. When we pray, we are reminded that He is in control and will help us through whatever situation we are facing. Prayer for strength can help us get through anything life throws our way because God is always there for us. He will always give us the strength and hope we need to get through anything. So don’t be afraid to pray, because God is always listening and ready to help.

If you’re feeling lost or scared, take a few minutes to pray and ask God for strength and hope. Take some time to also pray the Armor of God prayer daily to help us overcome our battles.

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

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5. Praying Gives Us Wisdom and Guidance

Sometimes we pray to seek God’s wisdom and guidance, especially during times we need to make an important decision. When the going gets rough and we don’t know what to do, it’s important to remember that we can always seek guidance from God. Prayer is the perfect way to welcome God to help us. When we pray for wisdom, we are asking God to help us understand what we should do in a certain situation. And when we pray for guidance , we are asking God to show us the path that we should take.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

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6. Prayers Will Increase Our Faith

Another importance of prayer is that it puts our faith into action. We are acknowledging that God is real and that He is in control. That even though we have not received the answers yet, we are already believing that it has been done because God has already answered it. When we make time to talk to God, it helps us keep our focus on Him and His promises instead of our circumstances.

But bear in mind that prayer is not just about us asking God for things. It’s also about us listening to what He has to say. We can learn so much about His will for our lives when we take the time to be still and listen to Him. When we hear from God, it gives us the courage to step out in faith and obey His commands. So if you are looking for ways to increase your faith, start with prayer. It is one of the best things that you can do.

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power .

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7. Prayers Bring Peace and Comfort

The importance of prayer is also evident when trouble comes. In this fast-paced life, we are constantly bombarded with stress and anxiety from work, school, and other responsibilities. Sometimes, it can all feel too overwhelming and we just need a break. That is why we need prayers for peace for the kind of comfort only God can provide.

Whenever we pray, we are reminded that we are not alone in this world and that God is always with us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:16). So even when everything else seems to be falling apart, we can find hope and peace in Him through prayer.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God , which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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Read more : Why Is Prayer Important During Lent

8. To Seek God’s Forgiveness and Resist Temptation

When we are guilt-ridden because of sin, prayer is the most powerful tool we can use to seek the Lord’s forgiveness as we come to Him in repentance. Prayer allows us to pour our hearts to God, confessing our sins and asking for His forgiveness. When we are sincere in our prayer, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In addition, prayer is essential and is a crucial tool that helps us resist temptation. When we are feeling weak and tempted to sin, we can pray for God’s strength to help us overcome. Additionally, prayer gives us the opportunity to ask God for wisdom on how to avoid future temptations.

Psalm 86:5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good , abounding in love to all who call to you.

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9. To Give Thanks and Praise

We pray not only to ask things from God but also to give Him thanks and praise for who He is and all that He has done in our lives. Essentially, prayer helps us to count our blessings. Prayer allows us to remember all of the good things that God has done in our lives, no matter how big or small. We are also able to reflect on His abounding grace and mercy.

Our gratitude through our prayers is also an act of honoring Him. It is an acknowledgment that everything we have and all the battles that we have won are because of God who loves us so. That is why prayer is important for us to exalt God and show our love for Him.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights .

Image by Satyajit Bhowmik on Unsplash

10. To Experience God’s Miracles

Prayer also gives us an opportunity to experience God’s miracle. It allows us to tap into His infinite power that is much greater than ourselves. When we do that, amazing things can happen. When we pray, we are putting our trust in God and asking him to intervene in our lives. Sometimes, we may not even know the things to pray for. But that’s okay! God knows what we need and he is always ready to answer our prayers. We only need to look around us.

There are countless examples of people who have experienced amazing miracles as a result of prayer. Whether it’s healing from a serious illness, overcoming addiction, or finding a job when you’re unemployed, God can work wonders in your life if you let Him. This is the importance of prayer.

Job 5:9 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

Image by Lucas Ludwig on Unsplash

How To Pray to God

When you pray, you are talking to God. It is a conversation between you and Him. There is no wrong way to pray. Like how Max Lucado puts it, “our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”

If you aren’t too sure how to pray, here are the 15 most powerful prayers in the Bible that you can follow too. But, the one prayer that I always pray is the Lord’s Prayer by Jesus Christ himself:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Read more : Why Is Atonement Important In Christianity

7 Steps We Can Learn From The Lord’s Prayer

1. Declaration of God’s identity. Declare and acknowledge God’s rightful place as the Father of us.

2. Prayer of Adoration. Praise God for who He is and all that He has done for us.

3. Prayer of Surrender and Faith. Acknowledge that it is God’s Will and He is in control of our lives. This is one of the greatest forms of submission.

4. Prayer of Petition. Ask in God’s name for the things that we need such as strength, guidance, and wisdom to overcome whatever circumstance we might be facing.

5. Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness. We should always confess our sins so that we can receive forgiveness from God.

6. Prayer of Healing and Deliverance. Ask God for protection and help in overcoming our sins, to deliver us from Satan’s temptations so that we may achieve healing.

7. Glorify God’s name. When we glorify God’s name, we are bringing Him honor and He takes delight in that.

And if you don’t know how to get started, just say a simple prayer like this:

“Father, I praise You for the magnificent, loving, and merciful God that You are. I thank You for Your Son, Jesus. I confess that I have sinned against You and ask for Your forgiveness. Please help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me. I pray that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Please meet my daily needs and help me share the gospel with others. Protect me from evil and give me the strength to overcome temptation. All the glory, honor, and praises are Yours alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Short Prayer Quotes

“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.” – Billy Graham

Image by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash

“Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between his will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.” – Elisabeth Elliot

Image by Lachlan Gowen on Unsplash

“The reality is, my prayers don’t change God. But, I am convinced prayer changes me. Praying boldly boots me out of that stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself.” – Lysa TerKeurst

Image by Melissa Askew on Unsplash

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that – it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” – Charles Spurgeon

Image by Daniel Roe on Unsplash

“Prayer is simply talking to God like a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day.” – Joyce Meyer

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https://christian.net/resources/the-importance-of-prayer/

By BGEA Admin • January 21, 2022 • Topics: Prayer

If we read the Bible and are obedient to Scripture, why is it important to pray?

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Every person whose life has ever counted for God has been a person of prayer. We are called to follow Christ’s example, and His whole life was saturated with prayer. He rose early in the morning to pray, He prayed while on journeys, and He sought out solitary places to commune with His Father.

A friend liked to define prayer as “a declaration of dependence.” This is a wonderful way to look at prayer, because we are powerless without it. This is why so many people are driven to prayer when they get in trouble, never thinking to pray when life is going along the way they want it to.

What happens when war breaks out? Even news anchors will report on those who begin praying for solutions. When people receive bad news about a life-threatening disease, most people do not resist someone praying for them. This is true for countless people who never think about God until they suddenly find themselves in a crisis that is beyond them. The truth is, we are nothing without God in our lives.

If there are any tears shed in Heaven, they will be over the fact that we prayed so little. Prayers have no boundaries. They can leap miles and continents, and be translated instantly into any language. True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in emergencies. We must make it a habit, and when the need arises, we will be practiced up! Prayer is the voice of faith directed to God. When we know Him personally, we can be sure that God hears our prayers. What a wonderful thought!

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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The Doctrine of Prayer

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Prayer is the act of asking God to do what he has already promised to do, which is modeled throughout the Bible by the patriarchs, the psalmists, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles.

Prayer is the act of asking God to do what he has already promised to do. We do this through the power of the Spirit as adopted children through the Messiah Jesus. We see this kind of interaction with God evidenced throughout the Bible as his people continue to ask him to follow through on his promises and bring about his kingdom and rule. We can be confident that God will answer our prayer for his purposes because he has explicitly promised to bring his purposes to pass. These include for God to glorify himself, for forgiveness, for our own knowledge of God, for godly wisdom, for the strength to obey, and for the gospel to spread.

Prayer is not defined explicitly anywhere in the Bible, but its basic meaning is to ask. This is evident in, for example, the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13), where in response to a request to “teach us to pray!” from his disciples, Jesus gives them a framework for asking God to act by building his kingdom, promoting his reputation, and forgiving and sustaining them, his servants. Their ‘asking,’ then, is to be shaped by God’s prior action—to put it simply, to pray is to ask God to do what he in his grace has already promised to do.

Prayer in the Bible is not a generic word for a vaguely spiritual activity but is firmly rooted in the nature and action of God. John Calvin makes this point clear in his discussion of prayer in The Institutes of the Christian Religion (III.XX.1):

Just as faith is born from the gospel, so through it our hearts are trained to call upon God’s name [Rom. 10:14-17]. And this is precisely what [the apostle] had said a little before: the Spirit of adoption, who seals the witness of the gospel in our hearts [Rom. 8:16] raises up our spirits to dare to show forth to God their desires, to stir up unspeakable groanings [Rom. 8:26], and confidently cry, “Abba! Father!” [Rom.8:15].

Theologically, then, God invites us through the gospel to participate in the life of the Trinity through union with Christ, which entails asking God the Father to do specific things for us on the basis of the fact that we now participate in Jesus’s sonship by adoption through faith, which is brought about by the power of the Spirit. Matthew 7:7–11, with its repeated command to ask, makes this very clear—in particular in its closing assurance that “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” This asking is shaped and controlled by the gospel—that is, what God has already committed to do for his people. It is normally to be addressed to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit.

Prayer in the Old Testament

This understanding of prayer as asking God to do what he has promised is displayed in almost every part of the Old Testament. From Genesis 4:26, when men “began to call on the name of Yahweh” (presumably to fulfil the promise of a rescuer in Gen. 3:15), onwards, the prayers of God’s people are essentially gospel-shaped, asking God to come through on his covenant promises.

When Abraham and his family pray, they are asking God to come through on his covenant commitments. So Abraham prays (foolishly) that Ishmael might be his heir (17:18); both the unnamed servant of Abraham and Isaac himself pray for the success of the “wife project” in Genesis 24 -25, and then Jacob memorably prays in Genesis 32:9-12 to the “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Yahweh who spoke to me … ,” on the basis of his promise to make his “offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” (Gen. 32:9–12). For Jacob, prayer is clearly asking God to do what he has promised, which involves protecting him so that the promises to his grandfather Abraham might be fulfilled. This basic perspective is replicated in almost every prayer in the pages that follow.

The Exodus begins with a prayer like this (Exod. 2:23–25), and Moses’s interactions with God throughout the journey from Sinai to the land are characterized by this concern that God do what he has promised (for example, see Num. 14:13–20). Joshua picks up where Moses leaves off (Josh. 7:6–9) and this is reflected in the cycle of prayers for deliverance in the middle of judgment in Judges (for example, see Judg. 3:15). Prayer is never less (and seldom more) than asking God to do what he has promised.

This is even more striking when one considers the “big prayers” of the Old Testament. Hannah’s prayer in the wake of God ending her barrenness surprisingly focuses not on her own child, but on God’s commitment to work in our world by sending a rescuer (1 Sam. 2:1–10). When Solomon prays at the dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 8), he remarkably does not focus on the bricks and mortar but on the progress of God’s work in the world. In Hezekiah’s prayers, even when he focuses on his own misfortunes, God’s response graciously redirects him to the progress of his plans in the world. Similarly, the prayers in Daniel 9 and Nehemiah 9 barely touch on the circumstances or needs of the individuals praying; rather, these are cries to the Lord to continue to roll out his promises on the stage of world history. Even the angst-ridden “confessions” of Jeremiah (e.g. Jer. 12:1–12) derive their tension from the fact that God is apparently not doing what he has promised.

The book of Psalms makes a particular contribution to the Bible’s theology of prayer. Many of the Psalms are characterized by their direct, personal address to God (see e.g. Pss. 3:1; 4:1; 5:1 etc.). A large number of these Psalms are Davidic, and are concerned initially, at least, with the trials of God’s anointed. Where any given Davidic psalm is a prayer, it is first and foremost his prayer. On close examination, both David’s experiences and the way in which he reacts to these experiences are not intended to capture the generalities on life on planet earth for human beings—this is the intense reality of life as God’s “messiah,” the one who stands at the center of God’s plans on earth, and as a result is the focus of attention of God’s enemies. To attempt to pray the Psalms without recognizing this is a mistake! But this is not the end of the story. Within the Psalter itself there is also a progression to prayers prayed by the people of the Messiah, crying to God to do what he has promised both the Patriarchs, and his anointed King (see Pss. 77; 103; 130). In that sense, then, the prayers of the Messiah become the prayers of the people of the Messiah. The Psalter’s ‘teaching’ on prayer then is both more complex than is often realized, but also more integrated with the rest of the Old Testament’s teaching on prayer than one might think. The essential understanding of prayer in the Psalms is reflected by the way in which the king/Messiah prays—it is calling on Yahweh to deliver on his promises. This basic conception of prayer spills over into the prayers of the people of the Messiah, who continue to cry for God to work by sending the ultimate Davidic King, establishing his kingdom and drawing the nations to him.

By the end of the Old Testament, the need to cry out to Yahweh to plead with him to act is very clear. Chronicles, for example, records ten more specific prayers than the comparable sections of Kings. In each case, the prayers focus on asking God to do his work in the world. Or to express it differently, the prayers are gospel-shaped.

Prayer in the New Testament

Not surprisingly, we find exactly the same pattern in the New Testament. Prayer, which is made possible by the gospel and shaped by the gospel continues to work in exactly the same way.

For Jesus, prayer is basically a matter of asking his Father to do what he has promised. The “Lord’s Prayer” in both Matthew and Luke is the template for New Covenant prayer. The individual petitions in Matthew 6:9–13 (and Luke 11:2–4) are all requests which dovetail perfectly with the revealed purposes and promises of God earlier in Scripture. Asking in response to the gospel is the heart of prayer. The delightful truth is, that according to Jesus, we do not need to be anxious about asking for the wrong thing; instead, we are freed to ask knowing that our Father will not give us what it unhelpful for us (see e.g. Luke 11:5–13; although James does warn us about doubting God’s willingness to keep his promises when we ask—see James 1:5–6). Nor do we need to try to wring anything out of the hands of a reluctant God (see also Luke 18:1–8, where God is contrasted with the unjust judge who needs to be browbeaten into action). On the contrary, we can cast all our anxieties on him (1 Pet. 5:7, which must at least include praying), knowing that through the gospel God has already committed himself to answering our prayers.

Jesus makes this explicit in the double promise of John 14:13–14: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” The context makes clear that Jesus is talking about God’s revelatory work of opening people’s eyes to see his glory. As those who have been invited to address the Father in the same way as Jesus himself (calling him ‘Abba, Father’, according to both Rom. 8:15 and Gal. 4:6), we are encouraged to pray in line with his mission and his agenda, which, of course, is to do the work that the Father has given him to do (John 14:10).

We are now encouraged as sons and daughters to ask God to do what he has promised in and through the Son by “praying in the name of Jesus” (see 2 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 5:2). Throughout the Bible, prayer is always construed as asking God to do what he has promised—whether it be to send the Messiah and establish his kingdom or to continue to build the church of the Lord Jesus Christ until he returns. Essentially, we should pray for God to do his new covenant work through the gospel, which is by his word and through his Spirit.

Implications

This is confirmed by the specific prayers which the NT encourages us to pray (and which we can confidently expect God to answer). We can be confident that God will answer …

If we pray for God to glorify himself (Matt. 6:9; John 17:5)
If we pray for forgiveness (Matt. 6:12; 1 John 1:9; James 5:13–20)
If we pray to know God better (John 17:3, 24–26, Eph. 1:15–22)
If we pray for wisdom (to know how to live for God) (James 1:5–6)
If we pray for strength to obey/ live for God) (Eph. 3:14–21; Matt. 6:11, 13)
If we pray for the spread of the gospel (Luke 10:2; Acts 4:27–29; Col. 4:3)

God commits to answering these prayers because these prayers sum up the work of the gospel. They are all prayers for God to do his new covenant work through his word.

We should also note that a day will come when prayer is no longer necessary. Prayer is a gracious provision of God for life in a fallen world. In the new creation, all the promises of God will have been fulfilled in Christ, and in his immediate presence, there will be no need to cry out to him, merely to enjoy him forever (see Rev. 21:22–27).

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Why Do We Pray?

In the Bible, God commands people, multiple times, to pray. But why do we need to pray ?

This is a question many Christians, as well as people with other beliefs, have asked.

If God is in control of human history and also directs individual lives, what’s the point of praying? The answer lies in understanding what prayer is.

If you see prayer merely as a means of taking some level of control of your life and the world — as a means of leverage — then you will inevitably be troubled by what appears to be unanswered prayer. But if you see prayer primarily as an ongoing conversation with God , then you’ll realize there is really no such thing as an unanswered prayer.

If prayer is first and foremost a conversation between you and God, then His promise to always listen may be the answer your heart needs most.

God might not choose to do what you ask Him to do when you ask Him to do it. You might have seasons when you find it hard to hear what He’s saying for all sorts of reasons. It’s hard when someone says no, or even not yet, to what seems like a good and valid request.

But if prayer is first and foremost a conversation between you and God, then His promise to always listen may be the answer your heart needs most.

There is a famous verse in the Bible that is often misinterpreted, and it’s vital to the questions we’re thinking about here: “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, New International Version).

You can interpret this verse as saying if you focus on enjoying God, He will give whatever you want. Or you can understand it to mean that if you take delight in God, over and above anything else in your life, He will shape your heart so it wants the things He already wants to give you. His desires will become your desires.

It’s safe to say that the second interpretation is more consistent with the teaching of the rest of the Bible. Scripture does not guarantee God will provide you whatever you want right now.

With this in mind, let’s look at the reasons we choose to pray — and some reasons we often choose not to.

Here are some shortcuts to specific sections of content if you’re in a hurry:

Why Pray if God Already Knows What Will Happen?

Why Pray if God Already Knows What You Will Say?

What Happens When You Pray?

Why do some christians choose not to pray , why pray if god already knows what will happen .

What a great question. Prayer is counterintuitive. In what other situation do you ask for something or plead with someone when you know for certain their mind is already made up about what they will do?

Psalm 115:3 (NIV) even tells us, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”

To understand all this, we need to think about what Christians call “the sovereignty of God.”

It’s true that God already knows everything that will happen for the rest of eternity. He knows the big events and the small moments of each of our lives, and nothing is beyond His control. So it’s a mistake to think of prayer as the way we change God’s mind or alter His direction in a situation.

Prayer is a process through which we learn to trust God. He listens to us patiently. He takes our requests seriously. Then He considers everything in the context of the bigger picture only He can see.

Pete Greig, the founder of the 24/7 Prayer movement , says, “In prayer, we use our will to come into agreement with God’s will — ‘Let your kingdom come.’”

God knows better than you do what the eventual outcomes of every situation will be. If you pray for dry weather for an outdoor event your church has planned, God might know of another reason why it needs to rain that day. It’s easy to accept this idea when it does not affect a personal situation in your life, but the test of faith comes when God asks you to trust Him with something or someone that matters to you.

Why Pray if God Already Knows What You Will Say?

Again, this is a valid question. In the Bible, we read these words,

You have searched me, LORD, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, LORD, know it completely. (Psalm 139:1-4, NIV)

If God knows what you are thinking, why is He so concerned about you talking to Him? Because prayer is one of the main ways you develop a connection with God. In prayer, you’re talking with Him, not just to Him.

The apostle Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

It’s interesting that Paul does not say that when you bring your concerns to God, God will give you peace by explaining or resolving every situation you bring to Him. Instead, he suggests that the peace of God in your heart and mind is somehow more likely to satisfy you and ease your fears than if He fixed or explained everything immediately.

Through prayer, you develop a trusting relationship with God. Over time, you also learn to recognize His voice as He speaks to you. The Bible clearly shows Him choosing to act in response to the prayers of His people.

Through prayer, God transforms your heart so that having your requests fulfilled becomes secondary to feeling truly known by God and precious to Him.

If you are new to prayer, try using our beginner’s guide to prayer to develop the habit of talking with God.

God invites you to pray in all circumstances. Prayer is essential to the way He transforms you, and the Bible encourages you that your prayers can have a powerful effect in the world. So what can you expect to see happen as you commit to praying regularly?

You will recognize that you are not God. Every time it occurs to you to pray, you are saying, “In my own strength, I cannot do all that I want to do. I need something more, someone else.”

You gain strength from God Himself. Prayer is a way of inviting God to join you in life’s struggles. You invite the Holy Spirit to do what He was placed within you to do.

You realize the world does not begin and end with you. Being dependent on someone else to meet your needs is humbling. When infants cry or scream, someone usually comes and meets their needs. It’s easy to allow prayer to become too focussed on registering complaints or making requests (or demands). Whether you pray for yourself or another person, you acknowledge that someone else — God — is the center of the universe. You acknowledge that He needs to change something about you or the situations you are bringing to Him.

You surrender control to somebody else. Everyone craves control to one degree or another. Some just believe they’re better at being in control than others. Prayer allows you to admit to God that He belongs in the driver’s seat of your life.

You communicate your real feelings about a situation. Prayer creates a safe space to process your thoughts and feelings. Do you feel ready to give God control of your life? Do you feel safe being completely known by God, or does that make you feel exposed? You are under God’s protection — in His safekeeping. Over time, as you pray, you will feel able to bring the real you to your moments with God.

You trust that God is with you. Unless you are happy to admit that you talk to floors or ceilings, when you pray, you’re believing that someone is listening. The more you trust in the presence of God’s Holy Spirit as you pray, the more you will learn to trust Him with the outcomes.

You feel inspired to take steps of faith. Perhaps you have a desire to be bolder in talking about what you believe . Or maybe you have a neighbor or colleague you feel God nudging you to go deeper with. Praying for that person is a step of faith in itself, because God may invite you to be part of the answer to your own prayer. Explore what it means to take a step of faith.

The Bible shows God waiting to act in response to prayer. God knows what He wants to do in the world and in our individual lives. He wants us to lean on Him in every situation, and He wants to change the world through us. “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples” (John 15:7-8, NIV). Read more about how God acts in response to our prayers.

These are just a few of the outcomes when people come to God through prayer. As you choose to bring all your fears, hopes, ambitions and desires to God, you will see Him respond in ways that speak to you specifically.

So how does this sound to you? Scary? Intriguing? Exciting? Or utterly confusing?

All of those are natural responses. Prayer is a mysterious activity because, in prayer, you choose to humble yourself before someone you cannot literally see, hear or touch.

It’s not surprising that many Christians struggle with prayer, then, and some of us go through seasons when we choose not to pray at all.

Here are just a few reasons why people sometimes decide not to pray — and what we think God wants to say to you if one of these reasons keeps you from praying.

Fear of disappointment

Have you ever brought a need to God and felt like He did not do what you hoped He would or, worse still, gave you no sense that He’d even heard your prayer? You are not alone.

God never promises to answer prayers the way you want Him to. But as you spend time with God by praying and reading the Bible, you will develop trust in Him. This trust guards your heart during times when you feel let down by God, or even angry with Him.

God is also completely willing to listen to you no matter how you feel about Him at that moment. Try reading Psalm 13 to discover what honest conversations with God sound like.

Struggling to pray “the right way”

Do you ever try to pray but struggle with the feeling that you’re doing something wrong? Maybe you do not feel as connected to God as you want to, or perhaps you just struggle with distraction.

Even the 12 men who spent three years with Jesus — His disciples — had to ask Him to teach them how to pray.

He answered by giving them a simple prayer that Christians the world over have been using ever since. You can read what’s known as “the Lord’s prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13 .

We have also created “How to Pray: A Beginner’s Guide” to help you develop the habit of praying regularly and to refresh your time with God if you’ve already had that habit.

There’s no getting away from the fact that sometimes you just want to do things in your own strength rather than relying on God. Human beings have a natural inclination to be prideful, wanting the credit for making things happen in their lives.

When you pray, it can feel like you are being passive about something important — asking God to act while you do nothing. This feeling is not the truth.

Prayer is about expressing our dependence on God’s Holy Spirit to live the way God wants us to live. Jesus warned His disciples about trying to branch out and do things in their own strength:

If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. ... If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:5,7, NIV)

Prayer is one of the most active things you can do as a Christian. It demonstrates that you are deciding to rely on God’s strength and not your own. It also demonstrates your willingness to give Him all the credit when your prayers are answered.

Your enemy, the devil, wants you to try to live in your own strength because he knows you will inevitably experience more failure that way. He knows those failures lead to disappointment that can turn into resentment toward God. His purpose is to break down your connection with God by whatever means possible. Exploiting your pride is one of his favorite tactics.

If you want your relationship with God to grow deeper over time, you need to communicate with Him regularly.

This is an example of what Christians call spiritual warfare.

Learn more about what spiritual warfare looks like and what it means for your growth as a Christian.

The reasons people neglect or avoid prayer are understandable. Everyone experiences times when praying feels like too much hard work without any obvious reward. But if you want your relationship with God to grow deeper over time, you need to communicate with Him regularly.

There are no rules about how many times each day or each week you need to pray if you want to see God respond. But the more time you spend with anyone, the more known and safe you will feel. The more you bring someone into the situations in your life that matter, the more you will understand how they think and respond. This is true of a friend or a spouse, and it’s true of God our Father.

God wants you to know Him in a way that transforms every aspect of who you are. Prayer is one of the ways He chooses to make that happen.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NIV)

Here are some resources we recommend to help you pray:

Things to pray for this year
How to pray for persecuted Christians
“How to Pray: A Beginner’s Guide”
Try Praying — a tool that helps you explore prayer for seven days.

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Why Is Prayer Important for Christians?

Melissa Henderson Contributing Writer
Updated Jan 20, 2021

Why is prayer important for Christians? Have you ever wondered why prayer is important, especially if we don’t receive the answer we are hoping for from God? Scripture shares that God calls us to pray ( Colossians 4:2 ). Being obedient to God means we will pray. We give thanks along with sharing our concerns. In every prayer, we know God hears our prayers. There is never a time when He doesn’t hear. Whether the answer is yes, no, or not now, we are called to pray and we can be assured God will answer.

We don’t pray only when in need. Christians pray at all times ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ).

A life filled with Christ means we will go to Him in joyful moments and in times of sorrow. We will pray for others. Family, friends, strangers, and enemies. Praying is an act of obedience.

Scripture shares how Jesus prayed ( Matthew 14:23 ). Jesus spoke to His Father in prayer.

When we pray, we are opening a line of communication with God.

Find comfort knowing when you pray, God is there with you and He is listening.

Why Is Prayer so Powerful?

Maybe you have heard people say, “There is power in prayer.” Yes, there is power in praying in the name of Jesus. When we tell someone we will pray for them, we are offering to open the conversation with God. Comfort can be found and burdens lessened when we pray and give our concerns to God.

What Does the Bible Say about Prayer?

The Bible is the Word of God. His Word tells us that we can be confident when we go to God in prayer (1 John 5:14 ). We don’t have to hide our flaws or insecurities. God already knows our every thought and action. Scripture ( Jeremiah 29:12 ) shares that if we go to God in prayer, He will listen.

When we pray, we must have faith and trust in the Lord. We must lay our burdens at His feet and trust Him. Pray to God and let Him handle the situation according to His will.

Some Ways on How to Pray

Have you ever considered the many different ways of praying? In the Bible, we read about Jesus praying alone. We also read how people prayed together ( Matthew 18:19-20 ). Think of the ways you have prayed. Have you prayed alone? Prayed in a group? Perhaps you have prayed with family and friends? A prayer before a meal? A prayer before bedtime ?

Consider these ways of praying. Each one of these ways can strengthen your relationship with God and draw you closer to Him.

Praying alone: When you are alone, ask God to open your heart and mind for Him to come in and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Feel His presence as you relax and concentrate fully on the Lord.

Reading Scripture: The Bible is filled with prayers to read and learn more about God. Try reading the Word of God aloud. Read with your family. Take turns reading Scripture and pause to discuss questions. Choose a special time with no distractions to read Scripture.

ACTS- Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication: Some people prefer a method to prayer, while others choose to speak from the heart. Either way, rest assured God hears our prayers.

With the ACTS method, the prayer begins with adoration and praise. Thank God for His love and mercy. Thank God for His forgiveness ( Matthew 6:9-13 ).

Confessing our sins and iniquities reminds us that we are flawed people. Salvation is found only through Jesus Christ. During this part of the prayer, ask God to forgive you for sinning, and thank Him for His forgiveness.

Supplication brings time to make your requests known to God. Yes, He knows your thoughts. Now, is the time during prayer to acknowledge your needs. God will answer in His way and in His timing. Be patient. Whatever His answer may be, know that answer is part of His plan for your life or the person you are praying for.

Using the ACTS method may take practice. Be patient. Try this method and feel the presence of God.

Reading prayers at the end of articles: With online and in print articles and devotions readily available, there is an opportunity to read prayers at the end of these writings. Some blog posts share prayers at the end of the message. The prayer may be used as a conclusion to the message and an invitation to walk closer in a relationship with God.

Starting a prayer journal: Having a place to note your prayers helps with remembering who you are praying for and allows us to rejoice when a prayer is answered. Note a date for each prayer. When the answer comes, record that in your journal. From time to time, look back at the prayers and rejoice in God’s answers.

10 Reasons Prayer is Important for Christians

Prayer is important for Christians because prayer opens communication with God.

Prayer strengthens our faith and trust in God.

Prayer has the ability to help bring other people closer to God.

Prayer is an act of obedience. God calls us to pray.

Prayer allows us to intercede on behalf of another person.

Prayer can show others the way to Christ.

Prayer brings comfort and peace.

Prayer gives us the opportunity to turn our concerns over to God.

Prayer provides a way to show others they are cared for and loved.

Prayer reminds us that we don’t need to worry. God is in control.

Whether you pray alone or in a group setting, those prayers are heard by God. If you are taking a walk and enjoying the beauty of God’s creations, pray. When you learn of someone in need of prayer, pause right then, and pray. As Christians, the world will know God’s love through our words and actions. May peace and comfort fill you as you go to Him in prayer.

Below, I’ve included an example of a prayer.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Fizkes

Melissa is the author of Licky the Lizard and Grumpy the Gator . Her passions are helping in the community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon, and Stephen Minister.

Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and at http://www.melissaghenderson. com

This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

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What Is Prayer? Why Do We Pray?

Prayer is one of the most basic religious practices, so basic that we may not have considered its implications. So, what is prayer exactly?

Prayer is a treasured privilege and mainstay for those who belong to God through the saving work of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The gift of communing with our Creator—child to Father—is the anchor and cornerstone of our life’s journey. For the unbeliever, a prayer cry to know and have a relationship with the Living God is precious and sacred. Repentance and acknowledgment of Christ as Lord leads to walking in joy and fellowship with the One who made us ( Romans 10:9-10 ).

So, what is prayer , and what does communing with God look like in our daily lives?

How Does the Bible Define Prayer?

The Bible provides myriad examples of prayer and how to pray. These examples show ordinary men and women laying their hearts before God, seeking Him in humility and praise. The following are several prayers we can ponder today.

The apostle Paul exhorted his readers to “not be anxious but pray about everything” ( Philippians 4:6 ). He also prayed that unbelievers would come to a saving knowledge of Christ ( Romans 10:1 ).

In fierce opposition, Peter and John prayed for courage to share the Gospel ( Acts 4:29 ) and that God would perform wonders to glorify His Name ( Acts 4:30 ).

The early church prayed over each other for healing ( James 5:14-15 ) and the release of those in prison ( Acts 12:5 ). They asked God for wisdom and discernment to carry out their work for the Lord ( James 1:5 , Philippians 1:9-10 ).

They prayed to know the will of the God they served ( Colossians 1:9 ) and for the ability to grasp the depth of their Savior’s love ( Ephesians 3:17-19 ).

Mary prayed in awe and wondered over the news that she bear the Son of God The beauty and humility of her opening words still bring joy to our hearts today. “And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant’” ( Luke 1:46-48 ).

The last prayer of the Bible is short but filled with power and anticipation. The apostle John, confined to the Island of Patmos, penned these brief but hope-filled words. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” ( Revelation 22:20 ).

Why Do We Pray?

We pray to align our hearts with God and to seek His guidance in the moments of our days. We find wonderful examples of this in scripture—from Abraham to David to the prophets—but one of the most powerful examples is in King Hezekiah’s life.

King Hezekiah, a God-fearing King, ruled the Southern Kingdom of Judah after the horrific reign of King Ahaz. A tribute to Hezekiah’s depth of character is found in 2 Kings 18:5 . “Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No one was like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after him.”

After the evil of Ahaz, Hezekiah was a tremendous blessing to the people of Judah. He moved to destroy idol worship, removed the high places that distracted the people from Jerusalem, and even broke the bronze snake of Moses’ day because the people burned incense in its honor ( 2 Kings 18:3-4 ).

However, amid the good he was doing, Hezekiah was under intense scrutiny and pressure from the evil leader of Assyria, Sennacherib. The Assyrian King repeatedly sent delegations to mock and taunt the nation of Judah, telling the people not to be comforted or fooled by their leader, Hezekiah, because the destruction of their nation was assured. The mighty Assyrians had conquered every other nation around them—why not Judah ( 2 Kings 18:31-35 )?

At one point, as the Assyrian delegation mocked Hezekiah’s commitment to God, they left their threats in a letter. The significance of Hezekiah’s response to this evil threat is life-changing . “Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD” ( 2 Kings 19:14 ).

As Christ-followers who long to seek God’s heart in all things, we mustn’t miss the magnitude of King Hezekiah’s actions. He took the letter—filled with terrifying details of certain destruction—and spread it out before the Lord.

Scripture doesn’t say this good king reread the letter and agonized over every word. He didn’t call endless meetings with his officials to discuss the horrifying details.

He read the letter. He went to the temple of God and placed the letter before the Source of all hope and deliverance. God heard his prayer, and the Kingdom of Judah was spared from the attack of the Assyrians ( 2 Kings 19:20-34 ).

Oh, how I love that God moved through the writers of scripture to record this hope-filled story for us today. And what a powerful, visual example of taking our fears and anxiety to our Heavenly Father.

We will face our own “Assyrian Army” on this earthly journey. This may include sickness, grief, job loss, heartache, betrayal, etc. But we can take it all to the One Who created us and knows us to our very depths.

(Read King Hezekiah’s amazing prayer in 2 Kings 19:15-19 .)

How Is Prayer Different from Meditation?

As followers of Jesus, we are called to devote time to prayer and meditation over His Word. Reading the inspired Word of God and praying as we read is a treasured gift from our Creator. God promises peace to those who keep their minds on Him ( Isaiah 26:3 ). Oh, to linger in quiet moments with Him!

But there is a type of meditation in our unbelieving world that we should avoid because of its emptiness and potential dangers. Any practice that directs us to clear or empty our minds is suspect because we are called to fill our hearts and minds with God’s promises and precepts ( Psalms 1:2 ).

If our minds are “emptied,” as the world suggests, there is a potential danger for the intake and acceptance of thoughts and philosophies contrary to God’s Word.

Where Is the Right Place to Share the Gospel?

Additional verses about godly prayer and meditation include Philippians 4:8 , Psalm 19:14 , Psalm 63:6 , Psalm 104:34 , and Psalm 119:15 .

How Does Jesus Say We Should Pray?

We learn vital aspects of prayer by following Jesus’ example in His years of ministry on this earth. From scripture, we know that Jesus prayed alone ( Luke 5:16 ), He prayed with others ( Luke 9:28 ), and He prayed for others ( Matthew 19:30 ).

In Jesus’ earliest teachings on prayer, He begins by urging His disciples to pray with humility, not to be seen and admired. Matthew 6:5 reads, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.”

And in Matthew 6:7 , Jesus focused on praying with humble simplicity, not with endless words and phrases.

From there, He moves to the beloved model of prayer still recited around the world today, what we call, The Lord’s Prayer ( Matthew 6:9-13 ). What a moment this must have been for Jesus’ disciples. To learn about prayer from the Author of their faith!

In John 17 , knowing His time of death was near, Jesus went to His Father in prayer. He prayed that the Father would be glorified through what was to come ( John 17:1-5 ). He prayed for His disciples, that they would be protected and sanctified ( John 17:6-18 ). And then, in a breathtaking moment of love and compassion, Jesus prayed for us.

John 17:20-21 reads, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

And in the Garden of Gethsemane, before laying down His life for the redemption of sinners, Jesus lay His deepening sorrow before the Father. Three times He asked that, if possible, the path before Him could be changed ( Matthew 26:39-44 ). But ultimately, for the joy set before Him ( Hebrews 12:2 ), He surrendered to the will of God. “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” ( Matthew 26:42 ).

Even on the cross, Jesus prayed. He cried out to His Father seeking forgiveness for His persecutors ( Luke 23:34 ), to express agony over the temporary separation from His Father ( Matthew 27:46 ), and to breathe His last words as He laid down His life for us all ( Luke 23:46 ).

What is prayer? Prayer is a priceless gift from a loving Father to His children. What a joy to walk each moment in close, sacred fellowship with our Creator.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” ( Jeremiah 33:3 ).

If you enjoyed this article on prayer, you may enjoy this perspective by Dr. Jack Graham:

If God is All-Knowing, Why Do We Pray?

"Prayer is communication with God. It is not only talking to God, but it is listening to God. And we are to pray, first and foremost, because we are commanded to pray. It is an act of obedience. I may not always understand the process of prayer or the behind-the-scenes work of prayer, but God wants me to depend upon him and to ask him for those things that are needed most in life. Yes, God is going to give us good things. He's going to provide for us. But it's clear in scripture that we have not because we ask not. And they're just too many scriptures that tell us that we're to pray. And if we don't pray, we limit what God will choose to do in our lives. It is the process.

I read a book years ago called The Cycle of Prayer , which indicates that the prayer that starts in heaven is the prayer that gets to heaven. And that simply means that there's a need that God wants to fulfill, a desire in the heart of God, that by the Holy Spirit he sends it down to my heart as I am sensitive, as I am listening, as I'm reading God's word. God puts a desire in my heart. God allows a need in my life. And what I do in prayer is simply close the cycle. I close the circle by taking what God has placed in my heart and sending it back to him.

And every time God answers prayer, it strengthens our faith. Every time we get an answer and God delivers in his own way, in his own time, we develop as disciples in Christ. So of all the things Jesus taught, he was a great preacher and communicator, obviously, but when the disciples came to him, they didn't say, 'Lord, teach us to preach.' They said, 'Lord, teach us to pray.' There was something about the prayer life of Jesus that was so powerful, so persuasive that these men wanted to know how do we pray like that. And so getting in touch with God, knowing God, growing in our faith, getting the things that we need, all of this comes from the hand of God. I believe in prayer, and not just the idea of prayer, but I believe God really answers prayer." - Dr. Jack Graham, PowerPoint Ministries

Why Do We Pray?

10 good reasons to make prayer a priority

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M.P.A., University of Illinois–Springfield
B.S., Psychology and Criminal Justice, Illinois State University.

Prayer is an essential part of Christian life. But how does prayer benefit us and why do we pray? Some people pray because they are commanded to (Muslims); others pray to offer gifts to their many gods (Hindus). But we all pray for strength and forgiveness, to wish blessings upon each other and to be one with the Lord our God.

Prayer Brings Us Closer to God

Prayer time is our private meeting with God. We can spend time in church , we can read our Bibles and even have a pile of devotionals next to our bed, but there is no substitute for one-on-one time with the Lord.

Prayer is simply talking to God and listening for his voice. Time spent in a relationship with him reflects in every other part of our lives. No other human knows us as well as God, and he keeps all of our secrets. You can be yourself with God. He loves you no matter what.

Prayer Brings Divine Help

Yes, God is everywhere and all-knowing, but sometimes he wants us to ask for help. Prayer can bring divine help into our lives when we need it most. That goes for others, too. We can pray for loved ones to receive the help they need.

We can pray for divine peace . God's intervention often begins with a simple prayer of trust. Before you pray, think of people who need God's help, including yourself. What are you struggling with in life? Where does hope seem lost and only God's intervention can redeem the situation? God will move mountains when we ask for his help in prayer.

Prayer Keeps Our Selfishness in Check

By nature we humans are selfish. Prayer helps keep our self-absorption in check, especially when we pray for others.

Oftentimes God allows us to see our true selves more clearly through prayer. Think about how often our prayers are centered on ourselves versus on those we love or other believers in the world. When we add fellow Christians to our prayers, we will grow less selfish in other areas too.

We Gain Forgiveness Through Prayer

When we pray, we open ourselves up to forgiveness . It's obvious that there are no perfect people in this world. You may strive to be the best Christian you can be, but you will still slip up from time to time. When you fail, you can go to God in prayer to ask for his forgiveness .

During our time in prayer, God can help us to forgive ourselves. Sometimes we struggle with letting ourselves off the hook, yet God has already forgiven our sins. We tend to beat ourselves up too much. Through prayer, God can help us walk free of guilt and shame and begin to like ourselves again.

With God's help, we can also forgive others who have hurt us . If we don't forgive, we are the ones who suffer from bitterness , resentment, and depression. For our own good and for the benefit of the person who hurt us, we must forgive.

Prayer Gives Us Strength

God fills us with strength through prayer. When we feel God's presence in prayer, we are reminded that he is always with us. We are not alone in our struggles. When God gives us direction, our faith and trust in him grow stronger.

Often God changes our perceptions and our perspective on a situation as we pray about it. We start to see our problems from God's vantage point. Knowing that God is on our side gives us the strength and ability to stand up to anything that comes against us.

Prayer Changes Our Attitude

Prayer demonstrates our willingness to be humbled daily and depend on God to meet our needs. We admit our weakness and our neediness by turning to God in prayer.

Through prayer, we see the vastness of the world and how small our problems are in comparison. As we thank and praise God for his goodness, with gratitude in our hearts, our troubles start to seem trivial. Trials that once seemed huge grow small in light of the difficulties other believers are facing. As we pray in faith, we find God changing our attitudes about ourselves, about our situation and about others.

Prayer Inspires Hope

When we're down in the dumps, prayer gives us hope. Laying our problems at the feet of Jesus shows that we trust him. He knows what's best for us. When we trust God, he fills us with the hope that everything will turn out fine.

Having hope doesn't mean things will always turn out the way we want them to, but it means we want God's will to be done. In fact, something better than we could imagine might be about to happen. Also, prayer helps us see things from God's perspective, and we know that God wants good things for his children. This opens us up to all kinds of opportunities that we may never have seen before.

Prayer Reduces Stress

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This world is filled with stress. We are constantly bombarded with responsibilities, challenges, and pressures. Stress will surround us as long as we live in this world.

But when we lay our troubles at God's feet in prayer, we can feel the weight of the world tumbling off of our shoulders. God's peace fills us as we know he hears our prayers.

God can calm the storm in your life even when you are in the middle of it. Like Peter, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus to stop from sinking under the weight of our problems. But when we do this, we can walk on water .

Each new day, turn your pressures over to God in prayer and feel your stress levels go down.

Prayer Can Make Us Healthier

A number of scientific studies have shown that regular prayer is an important factor in living longer and staying healthy.

This article in The Huffington Post by Richard Schiffman details the well-documented link between prayer and good health , both emotional and physical: "It doesn’t matter if you pray for yourself or for others, pray to heal an illness or for peace in the world, or simply sit in silence and quiet the mind—the effects appear to be the same. A wide variety of spiritual practices have been shown to help alleviate the stress levels, which are one of the major risk factors for disease."

Some studies have even shown that people who attend church services regularly tend to live longer. So keep calm and pray on.

Prayer Can Help Us Understand Ourselves Better

When we spend time in conversation with God, we get to hear the way we talk about ourselves. We can hear the negative things we say about ourselves along with our own hopes and dreams, and how we want our lives to turn out.

Prayer gives us an opportunity to better understanding who we are in Christ. He shows us our purpose and gives us direction when we need to grow. He demonstrates how to have more confidence in the Lord and pours out his unconditional love. Through prayer, we see the person God sees when he looks at us .

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Insight for Today A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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The Importance of Prayer (?)

Father in heaven, we call upon You today. We know that You are the Giver of all good things . . . and that You never change like shifting shadows.

O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." (Nehemiah 1:11)

Father in heaven, we call upon You today. We know that You are the Giver of all good things . . . and that You never change like shifting shadows. We believe that Your heart is moved when Your people pray. So remind us, our Father, as we bow before You, that there is nothing more important we can do when facing situations that are beyond us . . . than to pray.

We remember that prayer forces us to wait, and we must learn to wait patiently for Your timing. Prayer quiets our hearts before You. The chaos subsides and life seems to settle down around us as we pray. Prayer clears our vision, Father, as we think about our lives, as we ponder where we're going, and as we pursue Your will. May we walk with You in such a way that our obedience is revealed through deeds that honor Your name . . . even when that means doing the hard things You want us to do.

For those who are in a difficult strait, under pressure, up against a wall, facing a test—perhaps the greatest in their lives—we ask that You remind them that the saint who advances on his or her knees never retreats. Help them remember that You are still on Your throne and they are still at Your footstool . . . with only a knee's distance between the two of you.

May we all become people who pray. May we also learn to leave the burden with You, rather than pick it up and carry it with us after claiming that we're trusting You. Right now, Lord, take the burden. We cast it upon You, knowing that You’re better able to handle it than we ever will be. We ask that this time of prayer might make a difference in the balance of this day . . . which we commit to You now, in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

See also Psalm 40:1; Mark 1:35-39; 1 Timothy 2:1; James 1:17; 5:13; 1 Peter 5:7.

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Many have trouble dealing with fear. It's possible to replace fearful anxiety with assuring truths from God's Word. Find helpful guidance in this article for overcoming isolation and finding peace-filled living.

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The Importance of Prayer: 7 Reasons Why We Should Pray

Categories Faith , Featured , Prayer

In this article, we will dig deep into God’s Word and answer why is prayer important. These 7 reasons will bring clarity and show you the importance of prayer for believers.

Have you ever wondered why we should pray? Or why it’s important to our walk with God? Prayer is an important part of the Christian life, and it is a way for us to pour out our hearts to God as His children.

When we pray, we are communicating with God; we are worshipping God, and also let Him know what we would like from Him.

We are to pray all the time and not only when we need something from God. He is our Father and our joy should be to come before Him in awe, and tell Him how much we love and adore Him.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; – Philippians 4:6

The Importance of Prayer

Prayer is seen all throughout scripture. There isn’t a book in the Bible doesn’t mention someone calling on the name of the Lord.

In the four gospels, Jesus is seen many times hiding away to pray, and he even taught His disciples about prayer. He wanted them to learn how to pray the right way. ( Matthew 6:9-13) Jesus knew the power and importance of prayer and wanted his disciples to understand this as well.

In Mark 11:24, He said that we should believe that we have received the thing for which we have prayed.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.- Mark 11:24

This means that when we pray, it is important to believe that you have received your prayer request.

God answers prayer, and sometimes it takes time, but that does not mean that He has not answered. If we are patient, we will see the answers to our prayers.

Now, let’s look at 5 reasons prayer is important in the life of a Christian.

Why is Prayer Important

1 . Prayer Is Important Because It Provides Solutions

When we are in trouble, we pray because we want God to intervene on our behalf. We want Him to provide us with a solution to our problem.

Being children of God does not exempt us from trials and challenges in life, but through prayer, we can invite God to help us deal with them.

Jesus said that in this world we would have trouble, but we should take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). This is God’s promise to help us whenever we encounter problems in our daily lives.

When we pray for others, we also invite God into their situations so that He can bring His will to pass. We should always pray for ourselves and others, keeping in mind that we are praying for solutions to our situations so that we can receive breakthroughs.

2. Prayer Is Important Because It Helps Us Overcome Temptation

We are to watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation because our spirits are willing, but our flesh is weak.

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41

Sometimes we get disappointed in ourselves because of giving in to the temptation to do things we are not proud of. What we probably don’t always remember is that we can pray for ourselves beforehand so that when temptation comes knocking, we can overcome it and avoid sin.

This is what Paul talks about when he tells us to put on the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

That we may be able to stand. We do this praying!

When we pray before leaving home for work, dates, school, events, etc., we strengthen our spirits to avoid temptations and the fiery darts of the enemy.

3. Prayer Is Important Because It’s Obedience to God

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests for the Lord’s people.

When we pray we are obeying God’s command to pray for everything and everyone we can think about in our surroundings and around the world.

Prayer is part of our walk with God and it enables us to go before God with our needs and those of others. There are times that others cannot pray for themselves and our prayers give them the breakthroughs they need. (This is called intercession…you can learn more about the different types of prayer here )

Daniel was a man of prayer. One time, the king passed a decree that anyone found calling on any god or human being other than the king would be thrown into the lion’s den.

Daniel prayed to God and ask for help (Daniel 6:11). When word got to the king that Daniel had disobeyed his decree, he had him thrown into the den of lions. Daniel survived because God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions. God had come to Daniel’s rescue because he prayed for help.

This is just one of many stories in scripture, not to mention tons of testimonies from Christians around the world that have experienced God answering their prayer.

Pray Is Important Because We Communicate With God

When we pray to God, we are communicating with Him and this is how we build our relationship with Him. Just like our earthly relationship. Communication is vital for the health and growth of a relationship.

The outstanding thing is because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we have permission to approach His throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

We can talk to God anytime that we want to open our hearts to Him, and trust that He will respond to our prayers with His love and grace. Praise God!!

As much as we pray to God when we go to our prayer closets, we can also talk to Him anytime. There is no set time when we can talk to Him. His door is always open day and night, and we can tell Him anything.

5. Pray Is Important Because We Gain Wisdom

James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. Through prayer, we access God’s wisdom, which is unlike that of the world. It comes to us through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13) and we know things we would otherwise not know with our human minds.

We need God’s wisdom to navigate the issues we face in life, many of which are beyond the understanding of the human mind. With God’s divine wisdom, we can gain spiritual insight into situations and know how to deal with them effectively. God imparts His wisdom to us when we pray and ask for it.

6. Prayer Is Important Because It Changes Our Perspective.

Many times we will enter prayer with certain emotions and feelings towards a situation and/or person. Prayer has the incredible ability to bring us into God’s presence and change our perspective on those situations and people.

It’s like we go into prayer with something on our glasses. We see everything through those glasses, including that ugly spot. When we enter God’s presence, it’s like He cleans our glasses so we can see clearly and see what He sees.

This is painted beautifully in Psalm 73, when Asaph is having a hard time understanding why the wicked prosper. He even says in vain he has kept his heart pure. Asaph is having a bad day! But tucked into all of that frustration is a little verse…

till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. – Psalm 73:17

When Asaph entered the presence of God everything shifts for him as he sees what God sees! Then the rest of the psalm changes its tune from Asaph’s revelation. ( read the whole psalm here )

This is exactly the we need prayer. Prayer is necessary because it helps Christians to be able to see what God sees.

7. Prayer Is Important Because It Allows Us to Hear His Voice.

I mention this in my What Does It Mean to Wait On The Lord, but I believe it’s worth saying again. Prayer is about communication and that communication draws us closer to Him.

If you are 50 feet away from a friend who is talking to you in their normal talking voice. You won’t be able to hear them, well or not at all. But if you are only a foot away from them you can hear them clearly.

This is how prayer works. It brings you closer to Jesus so that you can hear Him more clearly.

This doesn’t just mean you talk the entire time in prayer, this means you give Him room to speak while in His presence. He may highlight a verse to you or show you something. (For more ways he speaks…check out: 11 Ways We Can Hear God )

We Need to Pray

Prayer is important and the above seven reasons highlight this truth. To learn how to pray the right way, learn the principles of prayer from the Word of God.

We can be sure that God will always answer our prayers, and if there are any hindrances, we can identify them when we read the Bible.

To have a steady walk with the Lord, prayer has to become a daily practice for us so that we can always know His will for our lives. When we pray, things definitely change!

If you would like you, can leave me a comment below and share what God is doing in your life. I would love to know!

Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading.

She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. Read More…

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pastor patrick kimere

Monday 1st of January 2024

these is a wonderful article.prayer is breathing in and out!

Maurine Okinda

Thursday 22nd of December 2022

Thanks for the nice insights of prayer I have learnt alot

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Powerful insight of the word God am blessed

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You're blessed Sir/madam may the Lord Almighty God bless you in any ways this is very helpful

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Prayer and Possibilities | Prayer - Discipleship - Spiritual Disciplines - Discernment - Trusting God

Prayer & Possibilities

December 18, 2018 ·

7 Reasons Why Prayer Is Important

For most of my life, prayer was relegated to Sunday mornings, a quick bedtime prayer (maybe), and in those times of most desperate need. I thought I was doing enough to check the box on my list of things “good Christians” do, only that’s all prayer was to me – a to-do list item, not an essential priority in my day. I didn’t understand the importance of prayer.

Why Prayer Is Important

Do you want to experience the power of prayer? Want to know firsthand the benefits of prayer and spending time with God? Want to know if prayer really works?

Prayer is more than something to check off a to-do list. It’s more than an obligation or expectation. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts and privileges we have as Christians. It’s God’s gift of his time to be available for conversation at any time of day or night. His gift to listen to your heart, and to answer in ways beyond your comprehension.

Commit to daily prayer and open the conversation with God to allow prayer to transform your heart.

Is daily prayer a priority or is prayer often deferred to Sunday mornings or times of need? What is the importance of daily prayer in our lives? Daily prayer is powerful and effective to develop a relationship with God and fill your heart with God's peace. Find encouragement from these 7 reasons to pray daily.

7 Benefits of Prayer

Prayer isn’t meant to be an afterthought, a last resort when nothing else has worked. It’s meant to be your guiding star, the most crucial conversation of your day.

Prayer is your conversation with God and how you can develop a personal, meaningful relationship with the God of the universe who loves you. It’s how he can do miracles in your heart. Through prayer, he can bring your life into alignment with his vision and plans.

It’s your great privilege to enter into prayer with God, yet through prayer he will bless you immensely. Let’s look together at seven reasons prayer is necessary and vital for your life.

1) Prayer can set (or change) the tone of your day

What sets the tone of your day? The frustration of a long commute to work? The pile of dishes in the sink and the never-ending loads of laundry? The mailbox full of bills and bad news?

You wake up full of hope for a new day, then it inevitably hits a snag and you’re sent swirling into frustration, anxiety, or worse.

Starting your day in prayer will help to get your mind in the right place for more joy-filled day.

Start your day with praise for all God is and all he’s doing in your life.
Set your mind on God and all his goodness.
Fill your morning with thankfulness over all the blessings in your life.
Invite God into the day ahead and ask his help in the areas you know will be difficult.

Turn your daily frustrations into prayer prompts and call upon God to help you reset and restore peace to your heart. Ask him to help you find the joy, even in the struggle and the mundane.

Prayer is the antidote to daily frustrations.

2) Prayer helps you make better decisions

How often do you find yourself making poor decisions and wishing you’d acted differently?

What difference would it make in your day if you instead…

Decided to react with calm and reasoning instead of yelling?
Decided to take the time to really listen to a friend instead of rushing off to your next appointment?
Decided to make a healthier choice instead of falling into old habits?

Even the small decisions in your life make a big difference, so how are you approaching them?

Praying about each decision will help you make better choices.

Ask God for help and guidance. Consider each decision in light of Jesus’ teaching.

Include God in big and small decisions and you’ll find that he’ll lead you make wiser choices.

3) Daily prayer keeps God in the forefront of your mind, not forgotten until Sunday

What role does God really have in your life Monday through Saturday? Or he just for Sunday mornings?

God wants to be in your life every day, all day, not just on Sunday. He wants all 168 hours of your week, not just the 1 you spend in church.

What happens when you make prayer part of your every day , not just your Sunday?

The more you pray, the more you’ll notice God at work all around you all week.
When you lean on God in times of trouble, you’ll be filled with his peace and comfort.
As you ask God’s guidance when faced with decisions, you’ll learn to hear his response.

Daily prayer helps you tap into the full potential of your faith for a life filled with God’s peace, grace, and joy all week long.

4) More frequent communication builds a stronger relationship

How often do you talk to your best friend? To your spouse? To your children? Probably more than once a week, right?

Developing a strong relationship requires frequent communication. The more we talk to each other and have quality conversations, the better our relationship will be.

The same is true with God. If you desire a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God, you need to talk to him more than once a week. You need to have frequent, quality conversations with him .

Go beyond merely reciting corporate prayers (although these are great places to start).
Open your heart and invite him into your life.
Share your struggles and challenges.
Celebrate the blessings and victories with him.
Ask his help and guidance.
Ask forgiveness for the areas you fall short.

The more you pray and share your heart with God, the stronger and more personal your relationship will be.

5) The discipline of daily prayer is submitting your heart to God

Giving your life to Jesus is not a one-time event, but a daily discipline of submission. It’s the daily release of your control to instead live under God’s rule and guidance.

Praying daily is part of that discipline. Not a rule or qualification, but an act of love for the One who loves you dearly and wants to lead your life.

Daily prayer is a way you express your devotion and commitment to God, giving him a priority in your day, precious time from your schedule.

Prayer is an act of love for the One who loves you most, submitting your heart to God’s rule.

6) Answered prayers are prayers prayed

If you aren’t praying and asking for God’s blessings and help, how do you expect him to answer your prayers ?

He’s ready and waiting to bless you with good gifts in his time and his way, but he wants you to first engage him in prayer. He wants your heart and that’s something you can only truly give him through the daily practice of prayer.

Make God a priority in your schedule, opening your heart, and submitting to his lead.

If you want your prayers to be answered, pray daily and pray sincerely.

7) Opening your heart to God daily allows God to transform your heart

Prayer isn’t a transaction. It’s a relationship with God.

God’s focus isn’t results but hearts. He wants to win over your heart and move it closer to his.

He may do that through answering earthly needs, or he may do that by working in your heart to shift your focus to him. When you spend regular, frequent time in prayer, you allow God to do his work in your heart. Through prayer, he will transform your life and bring you to new joy in him.

Prayer is where transformation happens, where your heart is healed and renewed.

Will you make daily prayer a priority?

Learn for yourself why prayer is important. Experience the power of prayer when you commit to regularly spending time with God in prayer.

Prayer – especially regular, daily, personal prayer – can transform your day and your heart.

So, will you take the next step to make prayer a priority in your life?

I know your day is busy (so is mine!), but I promise you can find time for what you hold as a priority.

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Imagine igniting a spark in your prayer life, bringing new inspiration and depth to your prayers.

Through this 8-week, video-led study, you’ll:

Begin to pray deeper, developing more confidence in your prayers, making your prayer life more vibrant and meaningful.
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Understand how God answers prayers and begin to see the answers in even your unanswered prayers.
Find solutions to your biggest challenges and struggles with prayer.
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Renew your prayer life and grow your faith.

Pray Deep: Ignite Your Prayer Life is the essential course you need to renew, recharge, and inspire your prayer life.

Through 8 video-based lessons and guided reflections and prayers, you’ll learn to:

Develop a discipline of prayer
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Practice taking prayer to the battlefield of life .
Learn 22 different ways to pray !

Begin the journey of a lifetime, learning to PRAY DEEP, developing a powerful and life-changing prayer life.

Seek and you will find . Knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

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The Importance of Prayer in Our Lives

Have you ever asked yourself, “is prayer important?” For any follower of Christ, you would say yes, right?!

Prayer is communicating with God. It’s an intimate way of connecting with him and building a deep and lasting relationship with our heavenly Father.

As Christians, we often get so busy that we only turn to prayer when we need the Lord’s help.

But prayer is vital to our Christian faith and a blessing that we often forget or overlook. The truth is though we can’t afford not to pray.

The Bible assures us that God is always listening and ready to connect with us and help us in our time of need which is encouraging. The Lord wants us to pray in times of joy, gratitude, sorrow, and hardships.

You may have wondered Why is Prayer Important? We will go into the benefits of prayer and why it’s necessary for us to connect with God regularly as his children.

the word prayer in letter blocks on a wooden table

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The Importance of Prayer

Prayer is such a vital part of our lives if we know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is our way that we can speak to God, come before Him with boldness, and listen to Him speak as well!

Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. It strengthens your character and helps you grow spiritually.

While we teach our kids to pray before meals and before sleeping, as we grow we realize that prayer is a lifeline not just something we do occasionally.

Relationships thrive with communication. As we communicate with God our relationship with Him deepens. It helps us become one with the Creator of the world as we get to know him more.

As we learn to express ourselves to our Heavenly Father, we are transformed and become more like Jesus. God desires all kinds of prayers from us.

There are warfare prayers and breakthrough prayers in tough times, confession prayers when we sin and need grace and mercy, and prayers of praise and worship.

Then there are thanksgiving prayers and supplication prayers for our needs and the needs of others.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 NIV

If you are new to prayer and not sure exactly how to get started, here are some creative but powerful prayer methods .

Why is Prayer Important

Prayer is part of our walk with God and it enables us to go before God with our needs and those of others.

It helps us enter the kingdom of God to access solutions, breakthroughs, healing, and deliverance.

A prayer is a form of worship where we connect with the Lord and get to know him. These are the important reasons Why Prayer is Important in our lives as Christians.

Prayer invites the presence of God

When we pray to God wholeheartedly, we invite his presence in our lives. This releases his power, guidance, wisdom, and strength. Daily prayer allows us to be still and know the mind and heart of God.

When God is present, we bear much fruit because the Holy Spirit will be with us.

As transformation takes place in our hearts, it will have a snowball effect and change our families, schools, workplaces, communities, countries, and the world. That’s the power of prayer.

“But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3 WEB

Prayer allows us to hear God’s voice

We often think of prayer as a chance to tell God what we need and when we need it. It’s often us who do the talking and we don’t allow the Lord to speak.

A physical relationship requires two-way communication and so does our spiritual relationship with God.

When we are still and listen he gives us revelations, ideas, divine inspiration, his will, solutions to our problems, deep secrets, mysteries of his word, and guidance.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

We pray so we can experience the peace of God

Day-to-day life can be overwhelming. There are times and seasons when you are stressed, worried, and anxious about what tomorrow will bring.

That’s when our Heavenly Father invites us to go to him in prayer so we can experience the peace of God .

We are not promised a trouble-free life as Christians but we can we can pray about any and every situation.

When we pray with thanksgiving we will experience God’s perfect peace even during life’s trials and fiercest storms.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 NIV

Prayer is important because it changes situations

Esther fasted and prayed and saved the nation of Israel from genocide.

Daniel prayed and when he was thrown into the lion’s den the lions didn’t harm him. Hannah prayed and God opened her womb so that she could bear children.

These are just a few examples that show that prayer changes situations in our daily lives. When we pray, we tap into God’s infinite power that is greater than ourselves.

The Lord releases divine solutions to our problems. Miracles, healing deliverance, and breakthroughs happen when we pray.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” James 5:13 NIV

Prayer is important because it changes you

When Hannah who had been barren for years, offered a powerful prayer in the temple for God to grant her a child, she met with Eli the priest who blessed her and asked God to answer her prayers.

Even though she had been sad and hurt, after praying she left encouraged and hopeful.

We pray because prayer changes us. Talking to God and being in his presence changes your attitude toward your circumstances positively and powerfully.

The way you think and respond changes after you have connected with the Lord.

“Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.” 1 Samuel 1:17-18 ESV

We pray because we love God

When you’re in love with someone you want to be close to them and bond in a special way.

Similarly, prayer is the natural result of our love for God. This is the greatest commandment we need to follow.

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 ESV

Praying gives you strength

In times when the pressures of life overwhelm us and we feel like we can’t take it anymore, prayer sustains and strengthens us .

God carries and leads the way for us when we run out of strength to go on.

“Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).” Psalm 46:1 AMP

We pray because Jesus prayed

As disciples of Jesus Christ, follow his ways. He showed us how to live a prayerful life. He prayed for others, with others, for food, miracles, healing, and breakthroughs.

He taught his disciples how to pray The Lord’s prayer and how to pray in private.

In John 17 , we see one of his longest prayers as he was about to be crucified. Jesus often went to pray alone in a secluded place.

Even though he was the Son of God, he needed that daily prayer and deep connection to access God’s power for the work that lay ahead of him.

In a similar way, we need to follow the example of Jesus and long to connect with our Heavenly Father too.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 NIV

Prayer enables us to be compassionate

When we pray we realize that we need to love others and show them compassion. Loving God and loving others is the greatest commandment we’ve received from God.

It’s when we pray for the needs of others whether they are family members, friends, colleagues, or the church.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16 ESV

Praying for others is important because it helps us to realize that others’ needs can come before ours. Putting the interests of others above our own shows that we care.

We pray because it’s an act of obedience

Jesus Christ encouraged us to pray and even in the New Testament letters to the church, Apostle Paul often encouraged the church to pray for each other, for themselves, and for him.

God’s Word tells us to pray and our desire should be to obey our Heavenly Father’s commands because our goal is to bring him glory and honor.

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

Prayer helps us fight the enemy

Life is a spiritual battle against the spiritual forces of evil. That’s why the Bible says we need to wear the armor of God to fight and be victorious.

Prayer shields us from the enemies’ schemes, breaks strongholds, and empowers us to fight against sin and evil attacks.

When we pray, we call on a power higher than our own to come and help us. Prayer is a spiritual weapon in warfare.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NIV

We pray so that we can connect with God

To be in a relationship with someone you need to spend quality time with them.

Along Biblical disciplines such as Bible Study, fasting, and praise and worship, prayer is important because it draws us closer to the Lord.

It allows us to know his ways, character, principles, and promises. In turn, the Lord also draws near to us as well.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18 ESV

We pray to get guidance and wisdom

As believers, we need the Lord’s guidance to walk on the right path in life. We also need wisdom to make the right decisions and practice the word of God.

Prayer is important because it allows us to get guidance and wisdom from the Lord.

Wisdom will sustain you more than material possessions and riches.

That’s why when God asked King Solomon what he wanted he asked for wisdom and God granted it to him. He understood that wisdom can unlock blessings, favor, long life, and success.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5 ESV

Prayer comforts us in our time of need

A vibrant prayer life is crucial when you’re going through difficult times.

While you can go to a friend, first seek the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter when we experience sorrow and pain.

You can release all your burdens to him and receive his comfort, care, and compassion.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

Prayer helps us rely on God fully

God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Prayer is important because it humbles us and reminds of that God is in control, at the throne, and sovereign.

As we realize that he is all-powerful and all-knowing, yet loving, good, and faithful we realize that we need him in our daily lives.

This compels us to humble ourselves, surrender to him, and rely on him fully focusing on bringing him glory and honor.

“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:30 NLT

Prayer enables us to grow in our faith

Faith is crucial in our relationship with God. When we trust in him, he is moved to act.

As we pray and God answers our prayers, we believe him, trust him, and grow in our faith.

This means even as we wait for answers we focus on his promises, not our circumstances, and trust that we will receive what we ask.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 NIV

Prayer allows us to align ourselves with God’s will

Prayer allows us to discern and know the will of God for our lives and align ourselves with it. This may not be easy but the Lord helps us to obey him and rewards us for our obedience.

Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion chose to obey God’s will and he was rewarded with power, glory, and honor.

“And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39 AMP

Prayer helps us overcome temptation

The importance of prayer should not be underestimated. It’s a powerful tool that we can use to resist temptation and sin.

We can pray for strength and wisdom when we are weak so that we avoid present and future temptations.

Our Lord Jesus Christ encouraged us to do this because he knows how weak the flesh is and that we need God’s power to fight against sin.

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Matthew 26:41 NLT

Prayer gives us a chance to ask for God’s forgiveness

God is holy and he’s also wonderful, gracious, loving, merciful, and forgiving. He wants us to be holy and righteous but so many times we stray from his standards, disobey him, and commit sin.

That’s when we need to approach the throne of grace, confess our sins, and ask for his forgiveness in our time of need.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

Prayer releases God’s protection

When you read the word of God in 2 Chronicles 20: 1-30 , you’ll find an encouraging story on the power of prayer.

King Jehoshaphat who reigned over Judah heard that his enemies were coming to attack him. He was alarmed and concerned for the safety of his kingdom.

But the king humbled himself and led his people with a prayer and fasted before God. When they did that, a miracle was released.

The Lord fought for them and they didn’t need to do anything to defeat their enemies. Prayer is important because it releases the protection and safety of the Lord to us as his children.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 ESV

Prayer is a way of communicating with God. It helps us know him, his ways, his principles, and his promises. It’s a form of worship and a natural result of our love for the Lord.

Are you looking for some tools and tips to boost your prayer life? If so, be sure to visit our Prayer Resources Library where you’ll find everything you need to become a powerful prayer warrior!

Prayer should be the most important conversation of the day and an important part of our lives as Christians.

Prayer is a gift and a blessing. It grows and shapes us to become more like Jesus Christ.

God’s Word assures us that there are many benefits to prayer which can help us to see prayer as a priority in our lives and not the last thing we think of.

There are different types of prayer we can offer to our Lord. These can be gratitude prayers, praise and worship , confession prayers, warfare prayers, and supplication prayers.

Why is Prayer Important? Because there is power in prayer.

It changes us and the situation and people around us in ways that we can never guess or imagine.

May the Lord help us commit to a vibrant prayer life and develop a meaningful relationship that transforms our hearts and lives.

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How Can We Embrace the Power of Prayer?

When the disciples walked the earth with Jesus, they had the privilege of being able to ask him any question they wanted. (We have that same privilege as well.) But of all the things that they asked Jesus, one of the things that sticks out above the others is when they asked him to teach them to pray.

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples’” ( Luke 11:1 ).

What is it about prayer, or what is the power of prayer, that would cause the disciples to want to learn how to do it correctly? A basic definition of the power prayer is when you invite heaven’s resources to intervene in your earthly situation. Since heaven’s resources are unlimited, then you are inviting the omnipotent God into the equation and asking him to fix or do something about your circumstance. When you grasp that, then you are getting ahold of what the power of prayer is.

What Does the Bible Say about the Power of Prayer?

There are numerous scriptures throughout the Bible that encourage us to pray and highlight the true power that is in prayer. Here are just two.

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven” ( Psalm 107:28-30 ).

“’Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” ( Acts 4:28-30 ).

From these two verses and so many others, you can see that one of the powers in prayer is when God’s people ask for his help in their current situation.

Why Is Prayer So Powerful?

There is an old expression that says, “God helps those who help themselves.” Many people think this is in the Bible, but it is not. Not only is this not in the Bible, but this is also not really true. If you hold onto this type of thinking you will nullify prayer’s power.

When you think about what the real power of prayer is, it is not coming from a person who believes they can help themselves, but from a person who knows they can’t.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus told this parable, and when you understand it you will understand what the power of prayer is.

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ ‘ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted’” ( Luke 18:9-14 ).

There is a stark difference between these two men praying. One came with full confidence, knowing he had done everything right and his praying was just the icing on the cake of his self-righteousness. The other one could barely lift his eyes toward heaven, yet he is the one that experienced the power in prayer. There were two simple but important reasons why:

If there is a key to experiencing power in prayer, it is making sure you pray from a place of reality. What I mean by this is that you don’t hide the truth of your situation and how you feel about it.

One reason we never have real times of breakthrough in prayer is because we often approach God like the Pharisee, either falsely believing we have it all together or thinking we must get it together before we approach God, because “God helps those who help themselves.” The truth is you need to come to God just the way you are, bring the situation just the way it is and be open, real, and honest before God. This is what God wants from you and when you do this, you position yourself to experience the real power in prayer.

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2. Humility

I mentioned earlier that statement about God helping those who help themselves. The truth is the opposite. God helps those who realize they can’t help themselves – those who cry out to him for his help. When you invite heaven’s resources into your situation, that means you are acknowledging that what you have is not enough.

If you are repenting of sin, you are admitting you don’t have enough righteousness on your own.

If you are praying for opportunities, you are admitting you can’t create them on your own.

If you are praying for wisdom, you are admitting you don’t have all the answers.

It does not matter what you are praying for, when you humble yourself and recognize that without God’s help this is not going to happen, then you have positioned yourself to know and experience what the power of prayer really is.

Does Prayer Physically Aid Us?

As great as the spiritual benefits are from prayer, there have been studies that show there are physical ones as well. Admittedly this is not my area of expertise, but here is information from a 2009 study :

“A 2009 study by Koenig and colleagues found that six weekly in-person Christian prayer sessions with patients at a primary care office lowered their depression and anxiety symptoms and increased their optimism.”

Because God understands fully all the benefits of prayer, it is no surprise that he would encourage us to do it. It is why verses like this make more sense.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” ( 1 Peter 5:7 ).

As these patients continued in prayer, their anxieties and worries were lowered. This happens because in prayer, they transferred their anxieties from themselves to God and allowed him to carry them.

In prayer God is not just concerned about your need, he is concerned about you as well. Part of the reason God desires you to pray is because he knows it is good for your health. The things you let go of and give to God are not only good for your spirit, but they are also good for your body and mind too. This is a power of prayer that we most certainly overlook.

Is There Anything Prayer Cannot Do?

As powerful as prayer is, there is one thing that prayer, faith, or anything else can’t do. Prayer cannot supersede or override the will of God. You can pray as much as you want, for as long as you want, and with as much faith as you can muster, but it will not change what God has willed to do. For this reason, one of the most powerful weapons in prayer is agreement with God’s will. Not only are we encouraged to pray God’s will be done (think the Lord’s prayer) we are also assured that when we pray according to God’s will, he will do what we are praying for.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” ( 1 John 5:14-15 ).

When we consider this verse, we get an even better understanding of the power of prayer. The real power of prayer is when your will and desires come into alignment with God’s will and desires. When this happens, there is nothing that God will not do in answer to prayer because your prayers are already aligned with what he wants to do in the first place.

How Can We Become Prayer Warriors?

I wish there was some secret to becoming a prayer warrior that I could share with you, but honestly there is none. The truth is the only way to grow in prayer is by praying. You can study the prayers of Jesus and all the prayers in the Bible, which is a good thing to do. However, as much as you do that, you won’t grow in prayer until you do it.

So go and study prayer, but don’t stop there. Put everything you learn about prayer into practice, and you are on your way to becoming a prayer warrior. You can use the wisdom of James in this situation.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” ( James 1:22 ).

As you apply this principle to prayer, do not just merely learn about it, study it, and read all about it. Go and do it. Without that step you can never become a prayer warrior.

Truthfully speaking, prayer is the most powerful force or weapon on earth. You can be in one place and impact situations around the world simply by asking God to intervene. That’s why it is important for us who are Christians to make prayer a priority and not leave it on the back burner. When we do, we position ourselves to see God’s power in operation, which will happen when his people pray. God’s power activated in response to his people calling upon his name. That my friends, is what the power of prayer is all about.

Related articles Why You Should Hit the Road for a Prayer Walk Today How Do I Get Started Praying? Is Prayer Really That Important?

Essay on Importance of Prayer in Our Daily Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Prayer in Our Daily Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Prayer in Our Daily Life

Introduction.

Prayer is a powerful tool in our daily life. It provides mental peace, guidance, and a sense of connection with the divine.

Peace of Mind

Prayer helps us find inner peace. It allows us to express our fears, hopes, and issues, giving us relief from stress.

Through prayer, we seek divine guidance. It helps us make better decisions and leads us on the right path.

Connection with the Divine

Prayer strengthens our relationship with the divine. It makes us feel loved, protected, and cared for, enhancing our overall wellbeing.

Prayer is essential in our daily life. It gives us peace, guidance, and a deep spiritual connection.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Prayer in Our Daily Life

Prayer, a universal phenomenon across cultures, is an integral part of human life. It’s a spiritual practice that transcends religious boundaries, offering solace, hope, and a sense of connectedness. For many, it’s an essential daily ritual, akin to eating or sleeping.

The Psychological Benefits of Prayer

Prayer is a form of meditation, providing a moment of solitude in our busy lives. It allows us to introspect, reflect on our actions, and gain clarity. This introspection can lead to enhanced self-awareness and emotional stability. The act of prayer also helps reduce stress and anxiety, fostering mental well-being.

Prayer and Personal Growth

Prayer is not just a plea for help or an expression of gratitude; it’s a medium for personal growth. It encourages humility, patience, and resilience. It helps us to accept our shortcomings, seek forgiveness, and strive for betterment. Thus, it aids in character development and moral fortitude.

Prayer and Social Connection

Prayer often brings people together, fostering a sense of community. It can serve as a bridge, connecting individuals with diverse backgrounds and beliefs. This social aspect of prayer can nurture empathy and tolerance, promoting social cohesion and harmony.

In essence, the importance of prayer in our daily life is multifaceted. It offers psychological benefits, aids personal growth, and fosters social connections. Regardless of our religious beliefs, the act of prayer can provide a sense of peace and purpose, making it a valuable practice in our daily routine.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Prayer in Our Daily Life

Introduction: the role of prayer in our lives.

Prayer, across various religions and spiritual practices, is a fundamental part of human life. It serves as a conduit between the individual and the divine, providing a platform for expressing gratitude, seeking guidance, or requesting assistance. Prayer is not merely a religious ritual; it is a tool for self-reflection, introspection, and personal growth.

Modern psychology recognizes the potential of prayer as a coping mechanism. In the face of adversity, prayer can provide a sense of control and stability. It offers a way to articulate emotions and thoughts that may otherwise remain suppressed, contributing to mental health and emotional well-being. The act of praying can also foster a sense of hope, a crucial element in combating feelings of despair and helplessness.

Prayer as a Source of Moral Compass

Prayer often involves meditating on moral and ethical principles, reinforcing one’s commitment to these values. It serves as a moral compass, guiding individuals to make decisions that align with their beliefs and principles. This moral grounding can contribute to a more empathetic, compassionate society, promoting harmonious coexistence.

Prayer, particularly communal prayer, can foster a sense of belonging and unity. It can bridge the gap between diverse groups, creating a shared sense of purpose and identity. This social aspect of prayer can mitigate feelings of isolation and loneliness, promoting overall well-being.

Prayer also serves as a tool for personal growth and self-improvement. It encourages introspection and self-reflection, allowing individuals to assess their actions, acknowledge their mistakes, and seek improvement. It fosters humility and gratitude, essential virtues for personal development and growth.

Conclusion: The Indispensable Role of Prayer

In conclusion, the importance of prayer in our daily life extends beyond religious observance. It is a tool for psychological well-being, a source of moral guidance, a platform for social connection, and a catalyst for personal growth. Regardless of one’s religious or spiritual beliefs, prayer can provide a sense of peace, purpose, and direction in life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Happy studying!

The Prayer-Life of C.S. Lewis

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Prayer, perhaps more than anything else, is a true test of a Christian’s devotion and intimacy with God. Its presence in a Christian’s life says it all. Its absence is the evidence of a merely theoretical framework of faith. So to try to enter into the understanding of Lewis’ prayer life is an attempt to penetrate his very mind and spirit in the most intimate way. Can we do so without presumption? Is it speculative to try to do so? I knew Lewis personally, enough to have a clear impression of his personal faith in the years between 1946 and 1953, when we met in a group discussion that was held in the home that I shared with Nicholas Zernov, during those years. Zernov was then leader of the Society of St. Albans and St. Sergius. It was through him that I got to know Lewis. While he was a witty raconteur and provocative debater, Lewis was essentially shy about his inner life, so it would be an impossible task to describe his prayer-life unless he had written significantly about prayer. But he made a substantial contribution to the theology of prayer.

His last work, published posthumously, Letters to Malcolm , he completed in April 1963, just seven months before his death. It deals frankly with issues that he faced privately in prayer. His Reflections on the Psalms , published two years earlier, deal with his personal difficulties in reading the Psalms, and also his appreciation of the Christian liturgy of the Psalter. But Lewis was never enthusiastic about his own church life, which in the setting of college chapel was atypical of parish life. So his own focus upon prayer was more personal than corporate. Several of his essays, notably “Work and Prayer” and “The Efficacy of Prayer,” challenge us with specific issues of personal prayer. His autobiography, Surprised by Joy , and The Screwtape Letters also contain personal comments on prayer.

In my own encounters with Lewis, he never spoke about prayer. I did communicate once with him directly about the daily prayer meetings of the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union where much prayer had been made for the conversion of Sheldon Vanauken, whose wife was active in our prayer-group. Indeed, I told Lewis of Sheldon’s conversion the day after it happened. But Lewis was never forthcoming about his own prayer life. A shy man, he was all the more sensitive to the Oxford atmosphere then prevailing, that you no more discussed religion too intimately than you talked about your kidneys. So he simply responded positively to Vanauken’s news as a confidant who expected it anyway.

It is only now that some of us have wakened up to the fact that if all of life is carved up among the professions, so that there is likewise no room left for being dilettantes or amateurs in the arts or culture generally, then we shall all be cheated of humanness itself. Lewis got away with it in his day, for when he was questioned about his preaching as a layman at RAF stations during the Battle of Britain, he could genuinely reply he was just doing his war work, like any other old don who did his duties as an air-raid warden, certainly not very trained but doing his best in an emergency. In such a crisis there is no need for any further apology than what he writes in the preface to his published BBC talks given during the war, when he first came to public attention:

There is no mystery about my position. I am a very ordinary layman, of the Church of England, not especially ‘high’ nor especially ‘low,’ nor especially anything else. 2

When I first met him in the 1940s he looked like Mr. Badger from The Wind in the Willows 3 : stout, in an old rumpled brown tweed jacket, brown shoes, pipe in mouth, looking like an Oxford farmer. However, once he began to speak, I realized that few people I had ever met, other than perhaps his friend Dyson, could articulate so well, so humorously, and exactly to the point. In this paper, I want to describe six traits that I think characterize the personal prayer-life of Lewis, and then to look at three aspects of his own theological reflections on prayer.

1. The Earthy Realism of His Prayer-Life

Lewis was no mystic. He admits this several times in his letters. Others might climb daringly in the mountains of mysticism, but he simply slogged around in the foothills. Rather then, his spirituality is earthy, full of realism, for he was dead scared of sentimentalism. It was expressive of a no-nonsense kind of faith. The first poem of his collection edited after his death spells out his similar poetic credo:

I am so coarse, the things the poets see Are obstinately invisible to me. For twenty years I’ve stared my level best To see if evening—any evening—would suggest A patient etherized upon a table; In vain. I simply wasn’t able. To me each evening looked far more Like the departure from a silent, yet crowded shore Of a ship whose freight with everything, leaving behind Gracefully, finally without farewells, marooned mankind— I’m like that odd man Wordsworth knew, to whom A primrose was a yellow primrose, one whose doom Keeps him for ever in the list of dunces, Compelled to live on stock responses, Making the poor best that I can Of dull things... 4

Lewis is admitting to us all that his spirituality, like his poetry, is prosaic, ordinary, about the world around him. This down-to-earthness about him, is perhaps the greatest impression he left upon me. Neo-platonism was anathema to Lewis. So instead of saying “we must be spiritually regenerated,” he confesses, “we’re like eggs at present. And you can’t go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” 5 Thus his style is vivid, concrete, practical, empty of “gas,” full of solid stuff. So too his faith is all for “sound doctrine,” not the woolly-mindedness of contemporaries he debated with, who wanted “religion without dogma.” Growing up as a child in a “low” church milieu, he felt later that it did tend to be too cosily living at ease in Zion, 6 not the tough, realistic faith and prayer-life Lewis was to develop later.

2. The Practical Realism of His Prayer-Life

The practical rhythm of Lewis was simple enough each day. He would rise at about 7 a.m., take a walk, attend matins at 8 a.m. in college chapel, breakfast, and start tutorials at 9 a.m. Late in the afternoon he would make time for prayerful thought and contemplation, as he walked around the college grounds. Never would he recommend saying one’s prayers last thing at night. “No one in his senses if he has any power of ordering his own day, would reserve his chief prayers for bed-time—obviously the worst possible hour for any action which needs concentration. My own plan when hard pressed, is to seize any time, and place, however unsuitable, in preference to the last waking moment. On a day of travelling...I’d rather pray sitting in a crowded train than put it off till midnight when one reaches a hotel bedroom with aching back and dry throat, and one’s mind partly in a stupor and partly in a whirl.” 9 In a letter to a friend in 1955, that is to say shortly after he had taken up his professorship at Cambridge, when he used to return home to Oxford at weekends, he said:

Oddly enough, the week-end journeys (to and from Cambridge) are no trouble at all. I find myself perfectly content in a slow train that crawls through green fields stopping at every station. Just because the service is so slow and therefore in most people’s eyes bad, these trains are almost empty—I get through a lot of reading and sometimes say my prayers. A solitary train journey I find quite excellent for this purpose. 10 All this is consistent with Lewis’ earlier observations, that much of prayer is really a disposition of heart that is in tune with God’s presence in one’s life, so that the more our hearts are in tune with and obedient toward God, the less fuss do we need to make about how vocal and articulate we are in “saying our prayers”; provided, of course, that we do not succumb to merely having “warm feelings” or vaguely imaginative thoughts we mistake for real communion with God. This will always demand the most rigorous attentiveness and serious intent to be called real prayer.

3. His Natural, Simple, Unstructured Attitude to Prayer

As we have noted, Lewis was a private person, concealing his soul in the midst of convivial friendships. He remarked on one occasion that friends are not like lovers who look at each other, but in what they hold in common. So friendships were outward looking, not introspective for him. Several times he observes the importance of “looking at,” rather than looking “through” things. So he would never have analyzed his prayer-life as we are attempting to do. He would bury us in a loud guffaw of the absurdity of such action.

While still agnostic, in October 1929, Lewis read the Diary of an Old Soul by George MacDonald. “He seems to know everything,” Lewis confided to Greeves, “and I find my own experience in it constantly.”

My surgent thought shoots lark-like up to Thee, Thou like the heaven art all about the lark. Whatever I surmise or know in me, Idea, or symbol on the dark, Is living, working, thought-creating power In Thee, the timeless Father of the hour. I am Thy book, Thy song—Thy child would be. 11

By the following summer term he had also perused The Practice of the Presence of God , by Brother Lawrence, and Centuries of Meditation by Thomas Traherne. By the following term he was attending 8 a.m. chapel regularly. But on Christmas Eve, 1930, he writes his friend Greeves, “I think the trouble with me is lack of faith. I have no rational ground for going back on the arguments that convinced me of God’s existence; but the irrational deadweight of my old skeptical habits, and the spirit of the age, and the cares of the day, steal away all my lively feelings of the truth; and often when I pray, I wonder if I am not posting letters to a non-existent address.” 12 The reason for the remoteness of Lewis’ faith at that time was he was still a deist rather than a Christian. So after a long talk one night with Tolkien and Dyson in July 1931, Lewis wrote Greeves further: “I have just passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ—in Christianity—my long talk with Dyson and Tolkien had a great deal to do with it.” 13 Later that year he also read William Law’s Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life . Lewis was now finding it meaningful to pray for his brother Warren in Shanghai. So he wrote to him at the end of 1931:

When you ask me to pray for you—I don’t know if you are serious, but the answer is yes, I do. It may not do you any good, but it does me a lot, for I cannot ask for any change to be made in you without finding that the very same needs to be made in me; which pulls me up also by putting us all in the same boat, checks any tendency to priggishness. 14

All this may seem to be biography about prayer rather than theology. But to Lewis the one was impossible without the other. To look at prayer in detachment from its exercise was inconceivable. And since most of one’s existence is usually pretty dull and routine stuff, one’s prayers are not exceptional either. Indeed, the more honest we become with ourselves, the more “normal” our prayer life will be. As Lewis said early on in his BBC talks on Christian morality, at first Christianity seems to be all about rules and regulations, guilt and virtue, only to find its members are really living in another country. “Every one is filled full with what we would call goodness as a mirror is filled with light. But they don’t call it goodness.

They don’t call it anything. They are not thinking of it. They are too busy looking at the source from which it comes.” 15 So too, in prayer, Lewis sees that it should become so natural to the believer, that we do not make any fuss about it, but simply do it because that is the nature of the Christian life. Speaking about the struggles we may have in prayer, the distractions and dryness in our lives, he comments: “The disquieting thing is not simply that we skimp and begrudge the duty of prayer. The really disquieting thing is that it should have to be numbered among duties at all. For we believe that we were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And if the few, the very few, minutes we now spend on intercourse with God are a burden to us rather than a delight, what then?...if w were perfected, prayer would not be a duty, it would be a delight.” 16 Clearly our sins handicap us from the openness that prayer requires, while the unreality of the unseen realm of prayer only shows how distant we may be from God and his ways. Like friendship with a dear friend, however, prayer is never forced nor irksome. It grows as the relationship grows too.

4. Supplicatory Prayers for Others

Praying for his brother was perhaps the first step that Lewis made in supplication for many other people throughout the rest of his life. In the correspondence to an “American Lady,” begun in October 1950, we read Lewis promising again and again, “I will have you in my prayers,” “of course we’ll help each other in our prayers,” “let us continue to pray for each other,” “of course I have been praying for you daily, as always, but latterly have found myself doing so with much more concern.” On this last occasion, he narrates an event that was of special circumstance. He had felt one night with strong feeling how good it would be to hear from her with good news. “Then, as if by magic (indeed it is the whitest magic in the world) the letter comes today. Not (lest I should indulge in folly) that your relief had not occurred before my prayer, but as if, in tenderness for my puny faith, God moved me to pray with special earnestness just before He was going to give me the thing. How true that prayers are His prayers really: He speaks to Himself through us.” 17

Lewis was not prepared merely to hold that while petitionary prayer is expressing personal need before God, supplication is praying on behalf of others. Early on he had seen that to supplicate for others to be changed by prayer, implied the pray-er was also willing to see changes in his life as he prayed for others. But petition and supplication are also part of a greater, more mysterious reality of divine soliloquy, since God intends to be not merely “all” as pantheism declares, but “all in all.” If the Holy Spirit is the one who prompts us and gives us the gift of prayer itself, are we not in our supplications and petitions actually entering into divine soliloquy, to celebrate the sovereign good that God has intended for all his creatures? So Lewis quotes a poem he found in an old notebook, author unknown, to illustrate this.

They tell me, Lord, that when I seem To be in speech with you, Since but one voice is heard, it’s all a dream, One talker aping two.

Sometimes it is, yet not as they Conceive it. Rather, I Seek in myself the things I hoped to say But lo!, my springs are dry.

Then, seeing me empty, you forsake The listener’s role and through My dumb lips breathe and into utterance wake The thoughts I never knew.

And thus you neither need reply Nor can; thus, while we seem Two talkers, thou art One forever, and I No dreamer, but thy dream. 18

“Dream” does suggest pantheism, so Lewis adds, perhaps it is more accurate to call it rather “soliloquy.” In fact, Lewis sent Bede Griffiths this poem in 1938, to describe the growing convictions of what prayer meant in his life. 19 For this reason, he worked over this poem several times. 20

5. Prayer as Friendship with God

Perhaps many of us find that the growth of prayer is also associated with the cultivation of friendships. It is as if the relational quality of life that is nurtured and cultivated in personal friendships on the horizontal level of companionship assists us also to deepen friendship with God in prayer on the vertical level. This, then, is another trait of Lewis. He grew in prayer as he grew into friendships. Sometimes they were boon companionships, at other times they sprung from correspondence with strangers who became real friends, like “the American Lady.” Perhaps too, as Lewis leaned on confidants in his distresses, so he should reach out to others in their needs too. “Forgiveness,” he once said, “is another name for being forgiven.” This reciprocity explains perhaps the largesse he gave to others in his enormous correspondence, indicative of what he felt he received from his trust in God.

So at the outbreak of the war in 1939, he wrote to his old pupil and friend Bede Griffiths, “I was terrified to find how fearful I was by the crisis. Pray for me for courage.” 21 Again he writes to him in 1954, “I had prayed hard for a couple of nights before that my faith might be strengthened. The response was immediate, and your book gave the finishing touch” (that is, The Golden String , Griffiths’ autobiography). 22 Again, on December 20, 1961, Lewis wrote Griffiths after his wife’s death: “I prayed when I buried my wife, my whole sexual nature should be buried with her, and it seems it has happened. Thus one recurrent trial has vanished from my life—an enormous liberty. Of course, this may be old age....” 23

Another special friend was Sister Penelope Lawson. His first letter to her he wrote in 1939, saying: “Though I’m forty years old, I’m only about twelve as a Christian.... So it would be a maternal act if you found time sometimes to mention me in your prayers.” 24 Then on October 24, 1940, he told her: “I’m going to make my first confession next week, which will seem an odd experience. The decision to do so was one of the hardest I have ever made; but now that I am committed (by dint of posting the letter before I had time to change my mind) I began to be afraid of the opposite extreme—afraid that I was merely indulging in an orgy of egoism.” 25 A month later, he wrote again to say, “well—we have come through the wall of fire, and find ourselves (somewhat to our surprise) still alive and even well. The story about an orgy of egoism turns out, like all the Enemy propaganda, to have just a grain of truth in it, but I have no doubt that the proper method of dealing with that is to continue the practice as I intend to do. For after all, everything—even virtue, even prayer—has its dangers and if one heeds the grain of truth in the Enemy propaganda, one can never do anything at all.” 26

A particular thorn in the flesh for Lewis was Mrs. Moore, who was the mother of a friend killed in the First World War, and with whom Lewis had had an unfortunate romance that turned sour. She continued to live with Lewis and his brother for many years, and her last years in the household got progressively worse. During one particular crisis over her, Lewis wrote to Sister Penelope, “It was a bad time, but I almost venture to say I felt Christ in the house as I have never done before.” Signing himself “Brother Ass,” he added contritely, “but alas such a house for Him to visit!” Years before his brother had wistfully compared their own troubled household with that of the Dysons, where life seemed one long series of delightful picnics! So again Lewis wrote to Sister Penelope on January 3, 1945: “Pray for me, I am suffering incessant temptations to uncharitable thoughts at present; one of those black moods in which nearly all one’s friends seem to be selfish or even false. And how terrible that there should be even a kind of pleasure in thinking evil.” 27

As Mrs. Moore sunk into senility and kept the household in constant discord, he wrote, I have been feeling that very much lately: that cheerful insecurity is what our Lord asks of us.”28 Again, on June 5, 1951, Lewis wrote her “I especially need your prayers because I am (like the pilgrim in Bunyan) travelling across a plain called Ease! Everything without, and many things within, are marvelously well at present.” 29 It was at this time that he began to think of writing a book on prayer.

Perhaps it began to dawn upon him that he could not do this without more experience of its reality in his own life, for on February 15, 1954, Lewis wrote again to Sister Penelope, “I have had to abandon the book on prayer, it was clearly not for me.” 30 He kept this postponement for the next nine years of his life, indeed to the year he died. But while he was writing it, his wife Joy Davidman commented how excited she was about his project, as perhaps one of the most important things Lewis would ever do.

6. Prayer-Life is Matured by Suffering

Perhaps in the meantime, Lewis began to think of what was involved symbolically in the change of locale from Magdalen College, Oxford, to Magdalene College, Cambridge. “My address will be Magdalene, so I remain under the same patroness,” he wrote to Sister Penelope on July 30, 1954. “This is nice because it saves ‘admin.’ readjustments in Heaven.” At the end of the year, he wrote to his friend Veto Gebbert, “I think I shall like Magdalene better than Magdalen.” “It is a tiny college (a perfect cameo architecturally) and they’re so old-fashioned, pious, and gentle and conservative—unlike this leftist, atheist, cynical, hardboiled, huge Magdalen” that had caused Lewis so much hurt. 31 In a letter to Bede Griffiths on November 1st, he asked: “Has any theologian (perhaps dozens) allegorized St. Mary Magdalene’s act in the following way, which came to me like a flash of lightning the other day!…The precious alabaster box which we have to break over the holy feet is her heart. It seems so obvious, once one has thought of it.” 32

So Lewis had come to see that prayer grows in the breaking of the human heart before God. His perhaps was broken since Oxford never recognized his worth to offer him a university professorship, and later still, it was broken again by the far more poignant grief of losing his wife in bereavement. Like all of us do, Lewis continued to struggle with God when,

By now I should be entering on the supreme stage Of the whole walk, reserved for the late afternoon. The heat was over now; the anxious mountains, The airless valleys and the sun-baked rocks, behind me… .33

Yet in June 18, 1962, he writes: “the plumbing often goes wrong....I need to be near a life-line.” 34 Worse was to come. After the loss of his wife, he asks the raw and naked question:

Where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be—or so it feels—welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is in vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and the sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. There are no lights in the windows. It might be an empty house. Was it even inhabited? It seemed so once. And that seeming was as strong as this. What can this mean? Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble? 35

In times of such bitter sorrow, Lewis admitted that “I am not in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him.” 36

Of this we’re certain; no one who dared knock At heaven’s door for earthly comfort found Even a door—only smooth, endless rock, And save the echo of his voice no sound. It’s dangerous to listen; you’ll begin To fancy that those echoes (hope can play Pitiful tricks) are answers from within; Far better to turn, grimly sane away. Heaven cannot thus, Earth cannot ever, give The thing we want. We ask what isn’t there And by our asking water and make live That very part of love which must despair, And die, and go down cold into the earth, Before there’s talk of springtide and re-birth. 37

Yes, this is perhaps one of the deepest experiences of prayer, to be able to say to our Heavenly Father, “Lord, not my will but thine be done.”

Lewis’ Theology of Prayer

If Lewis’ personal experience of prayer has these six traits—an earthy realism, a practical import, a natural and simple attitude, a strong supplicatory concern for others, warm and honest expressions of friendships, and matured by suffering—how do these characteristics shape his theology of prayer? Perhaps two features he stressed most in his writings were: the problem of causality in prayer, and the nature of petitionary prayer. But like other human beings he had first to overcome morbid experiences of childhood before he could enter into a more truthful realism about the nature and exercise of prayer, so this we must consider as a necessary prelude.

Then at the age of ten his mother died. He remembered what he had been taught, that prayer offered in faith would be answered. Then when she died he shifted his ground to believe he now needed to believe in a miracle, seeing God merely as a Magician. It left him with theological confusion about God for years to come. All happiness left him, and like the solid continent of Atlantis that disappeared under the waves, “all that was tranquil and reliable, disappeared from my life...it was all sea and islands now.” 40

At boarding school later, Lewis says he began “seriously to pray and read my Bible and to attempt to obey my conscience.” 41 But his slight alienation from his distanced father increased, and there was emotionally no solid ground for the child. Sometimes he would awake at night afraid that his only brother had slipped off with his father to America, and left him behind. His prayers became sheer acts of despair. Having said them at night, his conscience would whisper he had not said them properly enough, so he would try and try again until he fell asleep in frustration and lack of abiding assurance.

A deepening pessimism eventually led him at university to decide he was an atheist, which for many has been the cold comfort of forgetting God in a conversion of relief. Perhaps the dread of frustrated prayers at night-time never fully left him, and the issues of a reasoning faith about prayer were colored perhaps as much from his early alienation as from his heightened intellectual search for the appropriate enquiry that would serve the logic of the mind, more than the rest of the heart. Perhaps Lewis’ cure was to rest in the presence of God, rather than be always enquiring about its appropriateness.

Lewis’ Emphasis upon “Festoonings in Prayer”

The bad situations of imagination and conscience that Lewis had placed himself in, as a child, explain perhaps the emphasis he placed later in life upon the importance of placing one’s self in what he called “prayerful situations,” or “festoonings.” Perhaps he learnt this from his own failures as a child to ever pray “properly” at all. Francis de Sales might also have helped him when he advises that in meditation, “place yourself in the presence of God.” In honest humility, Lewis also learnt to see that at prayer one is in a more “real” situation than ever one could be in the “real world.” Prayer is the struggle to come to grips with “rock-bottom realities.” Prayer, then is the struggle for the “real I” to meet with the reality of God. Prayer then is saying, “may it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.” This is the prayer that precedes all prayers. Then, as the great Iconoclast, God in his mercy may shatter all our false ideas and conceptions of him, that so hinder our real prayer in life.

Another area where “festoonings” of prayer are needed is in the realm of causality. Several times in his writings, Lewis recites the Pensées of Pascal: “God instituted prayer in order to lend his creatures the dignity of causality.” Lewis’ comment is that God perhaps “invented both prayer and physical action for that purpose.” 42 For God has granted us the dignity of both work and prayer together. So a proper attitude to both is to pray as we work responsibly with the gifts that God has given to us, as well as to go on praying when we can work no more. Indeed, prayer is a stronger force than causality, not a weaker form. For if it “works” at all, it does so unlimited by space and time. Prayer then, is not a direct action over nature, it is action in co-operation with God, so we are most in harmony with God’s provident action when we are in prayer before him. Perhaps the post-Einsteinian worldview ahead of us, still little appreciated in Lewis’ day, now frees us from being so “hung up” with causality, as some of his contemporaries were, but neither is God. Our relationship with God in faith that pleases him, is therefore still the vital prayerful situation for all praying.

Lewis and Petitionary Prayer

Wisely then, Lewis argues that it is a wrong kind of question to ask, “Does prayer work?” It misleads us about the true nature of prayer. The quiet composure of heart before God rests in a relationship that is deeper, far deeper than words can ever express. This is where Lewis so clearly rested, and explains why so little need be said really about prayer. It is to be experienced rather than superficially talked about. At the same time Lewis honestly had difficulty with the apparently inconsistent character of petitions he noted in the gospels. For he observed two different types of prayer which appear inconsistent with each other. 43

Type A is the prayer taught by our Lord: “Thy will be done.” In the light of the great submission of his passion, nothing can be asked for conditionally, only submissively so. It is asked in the Garden of Gethsemane, without any reservation whatever: “nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.” Type B is the petition in faith, able to “move mountains,” to heal people, to remove blindness, and do much else. The apostle seems to advocate it when he urges us to “ask in faith, nothing doubting” (James 1:6-8).

Lewis asked many wise people about this apparent inconsistency and received no clear answer or solution. Hesitantly, Lewis suggested himself that until God has given us the faith to move mountains, it is perhaps to leave them alone, for he created them, and that is his business. Instead, it is advisable to concentrate more attention on Type A prayers, that indicate the surrender of self-will and self-love is more important than getting our own way, for we can easily misinterpret our perception of things in foolish, willful ways. Perhaps what Jesus actually did when he prayed submissively as he did on the night of his betrayal, was actually to identify himself with our weakness, so that even the certitude of the Father’s will was withdrawn from him, so that in his extreme humiliation, Jesus prayed as we tend to pray in our weakness. Our struggles may be, says Lewis, to even believe that God is a Listener, not just that he is an Enabler.

Thus Lewis remained modest, extremely so, about his prayer life. Perhaps nothing keeps us humbler than a healthy realism about the inadequacy of our personal relationship with God. Lewis knew times of dryness in his prayer life, what the medieval monks used to call accidie. He warns us wisely against viewing our prayer life in relation to our emotions. “Whenever they are attending to the Enemy Himself,” wrote Screwtape to his assistant Wormwood, “we are defeated.” The Devil’s advice to his evil apprentice is to distract their attention from God himself, to their feelings about God.

“So when they ask for charity, let them also be deflected by having charitable feelings. When they pray for courage, let them feel brave. When they seek forgiveness, divert them with feelings about forgiveness. Teach them to eliminate the value of each prayer by the success in producing the desired feeling.” 44 At all costs avoid the real nakedness of the soul before God in prayer. It is that, argued Screwtape, that is so deadly, of being in the living Presence of God himself.

These then, are some of the things Lewis teaches us by his life and honest reflections. They are home-spun, for the truth is always simple, if it is lived rather than being mere theory. As the primary language of the soul, prayer is like saying the alphabet. It may not appear very profound to describe, yet it is essential, the basis of all communication with God, that leads us forward into mysteries yet unknown and still to be experienced. In the mercy of God, he takes our childhood wounds and memories, to show us how deeply we need to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Then in the lessons he gives us through the lives of others, as well as our own, he unfolds the most wonderful journey for the soul we could ever conceive. Little did Lewis realize as a child where that journey would take him. Nor can we. But prayer remains its pulse-beat. We give the last word to Lewis about his own experiences of prayer. “Prayer,” he says, “in the sense of asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine. In it God shows Himself to us. That he answers prayer is a corollary—not necessarily the most important one—from the revelation. What He does is learned from what He is.” 45

1. C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (London: Collins, Fount Paperbacks, 1984), p. 9. 2. C.S. Lewis, B.B.C. Talks (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1941). 3. Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908). 4. C.S. Lewis, Poems , edited by Walter Hooper (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1964), p.1. 5. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1952), p. 155. 6. C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer , edited by Walter Hooper (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1964), p. 13. 7. Op. cit., p.11. 8. Ibid. 9. Op. cit., p. 28. 10. C.S. Lewis, Letters , edited by W.H. Lewis, (New York: Harvest Books, 1966), p. 265. 11. George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1975), p. 111. 12. William Griffin, Clive Staples Lewis , a Dramatic Life (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986), p. 76. 13. Op. cit., p. 79. 14. Op. cit., p. 84. 15. C.S. Lewis, Christian Behaviour (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1943) p. 64. 16. C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm , p. 114. 17. C.S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady , edited by Clyde Kilby (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1967) p. 21. 18. William Griffin, Clive Staples Lewis , pp. 149-150. 19. C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm , pp. 67-68. 20. C.S. Lewis, Poems , pp. 122-123. 21. William Griffin, Clive Staples Lewis , p. 162 22. Ibid., p. 357. 23. Ibid., p. 428. 24. Ibid., p. 162. 25. Ibid., p. 181. 26. Ibid., pp. 181-182 . 27. Ibid., p. 241. 28. Ibid., p. 316 29. Ibid., p. 324. 30. Ibid., p. 349. 31. Ibid., p. 356. 32. Ibid. 33. C.S. Lewis, Poems , p. 118. 34. William Griffin, Clive Staples Lewis , p. 429. 35. C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (London: Faber & Faber, 1964), pp. 9-10. 36. Ibid. 37. C.S. Lewis, Poems , p. 126. 38. C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1955), p. 11. 39. Ibid., pp. 15-18. 40. Ibid., p. 21. 41. Ibid., p. 34. 42. C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock , edited by Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), pp. 104-107. 43. See the essay “Petitionary Prayer: A Problem Without an Answer”, in C.S. Lewis, Christian Reflections , edited by Walter Hooper (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1967), pp. 142-151. 44. C.S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1967), p. 28. 45. C.S. Lewis, The World’s Last Night and Other Essays: The Efficacy Prayer (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1949), p. 8.

James M. Houston

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The Importance of Praying Together in Community

Does life feel particularly heavy to you right now? The past few months have felt especially weighty. My social media feeds are filled with requests for support and prayer. My church office phone rings daily with requests for prayer from the women I am called to serve. When I sit in the bleachers at my kids’ games, I hear the heartaches of the friends I am walking through life with, and I quietly lift these situations and hurts up to the Lord. Can you relate? Every one of these stories reminds me of the brokenness of our world. But each time I lift these situations up to the Lord, I am reminded of the privilege and power of prayer.

While the prayer needs of others can sometimes overwhelm my heart and my head, I am honored and humbled that they ask me to intercede with and for them. This is what being in a community of believers is about! Each time we approach the Lord in prayer, we bring each other to the feet of Jesus ( Mark 2:1-12 ). What tremendous encouragement! Each time I am asked to pray for a person, a need, or about an issue, I am reminded of what an incredible privilege it is to have a loving Father and sovereign God who hears us when we pray.

When Jesus taught His followers to pray in Matthew 6 , He gave us a pattern to follow. Most of us are very familiar with the Lord’s Prayer and many of us have Matthew 6:9-13 memorized. But have you ever noticed that the pronouns in the prayer are plural and not singular?

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” ( Matthew 6:9-13 CSB).

Even within this model of prayer, Jesus reminded us that we live, serve, and pray in community. Jesus continued to teach us how to pray for others through His example in John 17 . Right before He faced the cross, Jesus publicly prayed for His followers, both then and now. When we lift up each other’s praises and requests before the Lord, we find an unparalleled sense of unity between God and us. This is why praying for and with each other is so important! It’s not just a nice thing to do for someone; it is a vital part of growing in our own faith while encouraging others along the way. It is a tangible way to “love your neighbor” ( Mark 12:31 ).

Some of the most impactful moments at Priscilla Shirer’s Going Beyond events happen during the prayer experiences, both locally through simulcasts and at the in-person events throughout the country. Women who walk in victory through Christ over their past struggles praise God for His healing and restoration. Women still in the midst of similar storms connect with the first group of women and the two pray together. I have had the privilege to lift fellow sisters in Christ up to our loving Father during these meaningful prayer times. Even with little information about their personal struggles, the Holy Spirit binds and unifies us. Often, after prayer, a woman will ask how I knew the exact words to say. I answer that I just prayed what the Lord put on my heart to say at that moment. At every one of these events, I have experienced the incredible power of the Holy Spirit guiding the women in attendance as we pray together. Through these times, I am also reminded of God’s compassion and loving-kindness.

If you are reading this, I probably don’t have to convince you that praying for and with others is not only important but also God-ordained. Why then can it be so uncomfortable to pray aloud with fellow believers? Do you ever struggle with the pressure of finding the right words to say? Do you compare yourself to others who seem to be able to “pray down the heavens” while you are grappling with stringing together just a few words? Are you a new believer who finds the idea of praying in a group a bit daunting?

I want to encourage you with some truths I have found to be valuable. Prayer is simply a conversation with God. There are no special words or phrases. God hears our prayers, no matter how simple or eloquent. Whether we are praying in a room alone or a stadium filled with thousands, God is our only audience. If you are a new Christian, or if you have recently felt convicted to pray more with others, seek out other Christians and ask them to pray with and for you. Begin praying out loud even in your personal prayer time. Hearing your own voice lifted aloud to the Lord will build your confidence and help keep you focused. Lastly—and most importantly—rely on the Holy Spirit to give you the words to pray. I often remind myself of the fact that my words don’t heal or transform, but God’s words do! One of the ways the Holy Spirit gives us the words to pray is through Scripture. When we aren’t sure what to pray, we can always know that when we pray the Word of God, our prayers align with the will of God. Commit a few verses to memory and start by praying those aloud with others.

What about you? Comment below any tips you have on praying for and with others or share a short story of a meaningful prayer experience you had with another believer. Let us always remember the weight and privilege it is to pray with and for each other!

Learn more about Going Beyond Live with Priscilla Shirer here .

Anne Harrison is the director of women’s ministries at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas. She serves on the Lifeway Women Event Team and assists Simulcast event planners as a simulcast specialist. She and her husband, Jim, have three loud and rowdy boys who keep their house full of fun. Anne is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting. She will graduate this month from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Ministry to Women. Some of her favorite things include going to her boys’ sporting events with her husband, long naps on rainy days, short naps on sunny days, and Starbucks cold-brew coffee every day. Her passion is connecting women with the God who loves their souls and with other women who will encourage them to grow and flourish.

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Keeping the faith: the power of prayer during covid-19, research reveals the value of faith-based positive living..

Posted July 12, 2020

Faith sustains when circumstances fail. Christians have celebrated this reality the world over, but perhaps never in recent times in quite the way we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Calling the virus “novel” also characterizes the way society has responded, with unprecedented measures, quarantines, laws, and regulations that have seriously disrupted life to try and contain the spread of the disease.

Faith and Health

Many have written about the power of faith, and how it impacts well-being. Harold G. Koenig (2020), in a piece specific to the pandemic entitled “Maintaining Health and Well-Being by Putting Faith into Action During the Covid-19 Pandemic,”[i] discusses a variety of different faith traditions but tied the discussion to the adverse impact of negative emotions on the body.

Koenig notes that emotions like fear and anxiety adversely impact our physiological systems that are designed to protect us from infection. Consequently, he notes that practicing our religious faith can help protect us from contracting COVID-19 and manage the symptoms if, God forbid, we become infected.

He notes that emotions such as anxiety and fear can actually heighten susceptibility to contracting the virus due to the adverse effects such emotions can have on immune functioning. On the other hand, he notes that positive emotions have the opposite effect on the immune system—supporting the goal of remaining hopeful and optimistic .

Koenig notes that positive emotions generated by religious activity such as reading Scripture and practicing faith actually benefits the immune system, a finding that he notes is increasingly corroborated by scientific research. He identifies religious faith as an important resource that many people use to maintain health and well-being.

Faith and Agency

Other researchers have tied positive mental health to the type of religious beliefs held. Yingling Liu and Paul Froese explored this issue in “Faith and Agency: The Relationships Between Sense of Control, Socioeconomic Status, and Beliefs About God” (2020).[ii] They found that although a person’s sense of control differs depending on degree of religiosity , the relational direction appears to vary based on a person’s image of God, as well as social status. Types of religious beliefs appear to explain how religion positively or negatively impacts sense of control.

Specifically, they found that “secure attachment to God and belief in divine control will compensate for social and economic deprivation.” In addition, they found believing in a judgmental God to be negatively related to agency, finding a “traditional fire‐and‐brimstone God” to be associated with a lower sense of control, in contrast to people who have more contemporary and individualized beliefs about God—which were associated with a sense of greater agency. This was particularly true for believers who were in need.

Liu and Froese explain that prior research establishes that sense of control, which is a measure of mental health and human agency, depends on a person’s socioeconomic status (SES) as well as religiosity. They also note that because it is a fundamental human need, a sense of control is a significant factor contributing to both mental and physical well‐being, and it also overlaps with other mental health measures “such as agency, internal locus of control , and mastery.”

A stronger sense of self-control appears to have other benefits as well. The authors note that it is linked with lower mortality rates, less symptoms of depression , and quicker recovery from illness.

Relational Closeness

In explaining their results, Liu and Froese note that secure attachment to God resembles other psychological measures of relational closeness—such as closeness to others, and accordingly, produces a variety of social and psychological benefits. They recognize that in terms of being a measure of theology or religiosity, secure attachment to God “highlights the positive aspects of belief—those feelings of security and love that can come with faith.” They note that consequently, secure attachment to God reflects individualized and therapeutic benefits of faith.

Liu and Froese note that people who experience low secure attachment to God, even though they may be “highly religious,” do not receive the same benefits. They explain that subscribing to a belief in a judgmental God reflects a very different type of religiosity, reflecting a system of beliefs based on “moral strictness and fear of retributive justice,” which is very different from the comfort and closeness experienced through a sense of secure attachment to God. It is this latter type of attachment that Christians would explain represents the relationship they have with Jesus Christ.

The Power of Prayer

Both research and experience reveal the power of faith and prayer to positively impact believers both physically and psychologically. Especially during uncertain times, faith sustains, comforts, and provides a sense of control in an otherwise uncertain, seemingly unpredictable time in history.

[i] Koenig, Harold G. 2020. “Maintaining Health and Well-Being by Putting Faith into Action during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health, May. doi:10.1007/s10943-020-01035-2.

[ii] Liu, Yingling, and Paul Froese. 2020. “Faith and Agency: The Relationships between Sense of Control, Socioeconomic Status, and Beliefs about God.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 59 (2): 311–26. doi:10.1111/jssr.12655.

Wendy L. Patrick, J.D., Ph.D., is a career trial attorney, behavioral analyst, author of Red Flags , and co-author of Reading People .

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Importance of Prayer

There are many religions in our world. Each religion follows different rules and traditions. One of the common things they all do is pray. Prayer helps to keep people connected with God. For some people, it is actually like a ray of hope. It makes them feel as if someone of supreme power is present to help them.

Prayers can be of different types. You can pray in a church, temple or even at your own home. No matter where you pray, the ultimate aim of everyone is to talk to God about their sorrows and happiness.

Do you know the importance of prayer? If not, this article will help you understand the significance of praying.

Gives Confidence – Prayer helps a lot of people to stay confident. Through praying, they feel as if someone is out there to protect them from all the miseries and sorrow. This will give them a hope to live and move ahead in their lives with more confidence .
Gives a Sense of Morality – Ethics is very important to be a responsible individual. It prevents people from doing immoral things. Prayer steers everyone in the right path. People who pray will have a better understanding of what is right and wrong.
Brings Peace in Life – Prayer is one of the best methods to bring peace in a person’s life. Rather than quarrelling with others, people will realize the importance of harmony to have a healthy and fruitful life. In short, prayer helps to carve out a better character in a person.
Helps in Healing – Different people have different types of problems and worries in their lives. Regardless if you are physically or mentally troubled, prayer helps to heal your body and mind. It encourages people to stay optimistic in life.
Imparts Wisdom – People who pray tend to be more mature and wise compared to those who do not pray. They will also understand the true meaning of life.
Helps to Forgive – People always find it hard to forgive those who have hurt them. It is not always possible to forget and move ahead in our lives. Prayer makes people more forgiving. It evokes a realization in people that there is no use in carrying forward the revenge and bitterness towards other people in your life. It helps people to come out of their sorrows and forgive those who were partly or wholly responsible for them.
Becomes Responsible – Praying is one of the most important factors which makes a person responsible. We all get distracted at times. Praying helps everyone to stay on track and perform their tasks properly. Also, different religions have different types of holy books. All these books have stories with morals and advice which make people realize the importance of doing their jobs and other tasks at the right time. Hence, people will become more responsible and refrain from postponing their tasks.
Boosts Energy – Knowing that there will be someone to help us in all points of time is definitely an energy booster. It helps people to lead their life happier and peacefully. Prayer, to be precise gives more energy to people. It will also help people to become successful in their life.
Creates Empathy – It is important to understand the emotions and feeling of other people. If not, we may unknowingly create a bitterness or enmity with others. Praying makes people more patient. Hence, they will take proper time to understand what others are going through. Empathizing with people will help to create a better bond between them which indeed brings peace to our lives.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety – One of the major factors which harms our health is stress. Prayer encourages people to eliminate this stress and concentrate on our deeds. It tries to make people understand that there is no point in being overly anxious over your past actions. Hence, prayer helps people to stay healthy.
Reduce Disappointment – We all would have felt disappointed at some point in our life. Due to this disappointment, some people hesitate to try again or move ahead with their tasks. Praying helps most of the people to come out of this despair. It makes people realize the importance of hard work. Hence, people who pray will have more patience to try again and succeed in their life.

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The Importance of Prayer: 10 Reasons Why We Pray

What is Prayer?

10 Reasons To Know The Importance of Prayer

2. Prayer Helps Us To Align Ourselves with God’s Will

3. Prayer Shows You That Your Life is Not About You

4. Prayer Gives Us Strength and Hope

5. Praying Gives Us Wisdom and Guidance

6. Prayers Will Increase Our Faith

7. Prayers Bring Peace and Comfort

8. To Seek God’s Forgiveness and Resist Temptation

9. To Give Thanks and Praise

10. To Experience God’s Miracles

How To Pray to God

7 Steps We Can Learn From The Lord’s Prayer

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