(I brought this article over from October, 2014.)
“They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause. 4. In return for my love they accuse me. But I continue to pray.” HCSB Prayer is a necessary aspect of Christian living. David certainly agreed. He was surrounded by enemies and his main recourse was prayer. It is also our main recourse. I want to share with you why I think that it is necessary to pray. First, we need to pray because it is our means of fellowship with God. Prayer is not just talking to God and giving Him our wish lists. It is being still and quiet and listening to Him as he speaks to our hearts. It is impossible to stay close to God if we do not take time for prayer and meditation. Second, we need to pray because it is our means of spiritual defense. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6 that we should put on the armor of God as a means of defense against our main enemy Satan. In verses 13-17 he described the armor of God, and in verse 18a he wrote, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” After we have put the armor on, we will still need to pray in order to defend ourselves against the devil. In Acts 12 when Peter had been imprisoned because of preaching Jesus, we are told that the church “prayed without ceasing for him.” In the night an angel of God came to his cell and rescued him. It is noteworthy that the Holy Spirit had Luke write that the church prayed before Peter was rescued. It was their first line of defense. They didn’t lay plans to go and rescue Peter themselves. They didn’t say that they needed to go hire a lawyer to get him released. They went right to the source of defense – to God. Third, prayer is our means of offense. Before we attempt to do anything, we should pray about it. When you teach a Sunday School lesson, sing a solo, prepare to preach or anything that you do for the Lord, you need to consult Him in prayer and get His leadership. He is your main resource to really get the job done. In the latter part of Ephesians 6:18 and in verse 10 Paul gave them a reason to pray, not just for themselves, but for him as well: “Praying always with all supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints: 19. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.” Paul knew that he needed the prayers of his fellow Christians if he was to be an effective preacher. That’s why it’s so important, not just to pray for your own service, but for the service of others as well. I have heard missionaries who were on difficult international fields say that the main thing they want us to do for them is to pray. I will even suggest that if you want your pastor to be effective, you should pray for him on a daily basis that the Spirit will bless his ministry. (That works better than criticizing him.) Fourth, prayer is a means of helping us love our fellowman. For example, if there is someone in your life that you just don’t like, put him or her on your prayer list. I have found it difficult to dislike anyone that I pray for on a daily basis. You should make it a point to pray for all people in your life, but you should especially pray for those with whom you have a difficult time. I have found that when I have had detractors in a congregation, if I prayed for them the relationship could be resolved. I’m not telling you that it is easy, but it is necessary. At least two things happened: (1) they changed their attitude about me, (2) I changed my attitude about them, and even saw why they felt as they did. That last one is tough and it can only come about by prayer. Finally, prayer is our power source because it connects us to the power of God. It is impossible to live the Christian life and do Christian service without praying down God’s power. Yes, it is necessary to pray. Yes, prayer is a necessity in your life! Bro. Joe
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