Prayer Changes Everything
Lately, I have been spending a lot more time in God’s Word and prayer than I have in the previous years of my life. I have always wanted to become a man of prayer. But before, for some reason I had an extremely hard time prioritizing prayer with the schedule that I was living in.
In the past, my prayers were sporadic at best. At times, I would pray with fervency and passion but it would be short-lived. My prayers often times felt rushed and hurried. When I was really busy with school and ministry, I would find time here and there and sprinkle prayer into my life.
However, something in me always felt a lack. I sensed a lack of spiritual power; a lack of spiritual clarity; a lack of spiritual authority. But by the grace of God, ever since my time in Mexico, God has allowed me to go much deeper into prayer.
This time around, prayer is now absolutely essential to my walk with God. It almost feels like it was the secret ingredient that I was missing in regards to having a dynamic, intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
Prayer changes everything.
Prayer is the place where God designed our intimacy and relationship with Him to take place. Similar to dates and romantic getaways between two lovers, prayer is that place where God and His beloved (you and I) meet with Him.
I am learning more and more, prayer is absolutely essential to having a vibrant and powerful relationship with God. Apart from prayer, one will have a difficult time hearing the voice of God. Apart from prayer, one will have a difficult time discerning God’s will. Apart from prayer, it will be impossible to become a man or woman of depth.
Look at the great men and women of God in the Bible. Moses and Joshua would go up to the mountains 40 days at a time to do nothing but pray and be with God (Ex 19:3-25; 24:13-18). Hannah would pray year after year seeking God to open her womb (1 Samuel 1-2). David would long to be in the temple and presence of God all the days of his life (Psalm 27:4-8, 63:1-4). Daniel would seek God three times a day in prayer and fasting (Daniel 6:10-11). And our God, Jesus Himself would wake up early in the morning before anyone could bother Him to pray to His Father (Mk 1:35). Sometimes He would even stay up all night to pray (Lk 6:12).
And finally, Jesus Himself said that the temple of God, “shall be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13). Jesus was furious when He saw that prayers and incense were not being offered up to God in the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus overturned tables and rebuked all the religious leaders for not keeping God’s temple as a house of prayer.
We don’t have that same temple today, but the Bible says we are now that temple. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
We are the temple of God and we ought to be a temple that prays! Jesus desires prayers and incense to come from His temple and we now are His temple! want to encourage you today to pray. I want to tell you that you praying today might be the most important thing you do. It might be more important than your meeting with your boss. It might be more important than that job interview. It might be more important than your meeting with your professor, friends and whoever else it might be. Meeting with the God of all creation is more important than any meeting you can possible have today.
Pray! Pray and meet with God today my beloved brothers and sisters.
Here are some things you can do as you begin to pray:
- Make prayer a priority and adjust your schedule to your priorities.
- Get off your phone, computer and all other distractions.
- Get alone in a room where no one else is invited but you and God.
- Sit in the presence of God for an extended period of time. Start sharing your heart and desires with Him.
- Take a Bible or notebook into the room with you. The Holy Spirit might lead you to some Bible passages and give you insight into things. Write things down as the Holy Spirit speaks to you.