Someone once said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his/her knees in prayer.” I believe that is true because he knows that God loves to hear from us and that he has promised to “hear and answer” when we call on Him by faith. In Jeremiah 33:2-3 we have this promise from God.
“Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name). ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’”
Think about that promise for a minute. I doubt if you could get an audience with our Governor or President… but the Creator of heaven and earth encourages us to come to Him. He promises to listen and then answer.
In Philippians, the Apostle Paul who was a great prayer warrior wrote “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (4:6)
Each of us has a direct line to heaven. We can pray any time, any place, any day. We can pray when we are alone or in a group. We can pray silently, out loud, or even just whisper a prayer. We can even write out our prayers.
I believe prayer is one of God’s greatest gifts to us, making it possible to communicate with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer opens the doors of heaven for God to hear our adoration, supplication, praise, intercession, and worship.
If you are not a Christian, your first prayer should be “God be merciful to me. I am a sinner and I want you in my life. Please forgive me of my sins, come into my life and take over as my Savior and Lord.”
If you are a Christian and God seems distant or not responding to your prayers, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin that maybe has crept into your life.
David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 might be a good prayer for you to pray. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
From time to time on the farm, our tractor or car would stall and it was usually something in the gasoline that kept the tractor or vehicle from performing properly. Whatever the issue was, whether water or dirt, it had to be removed. Sin in the heart and life of a Christian hinders our fellowship with God. It has to be confessed and repented of for our fellowship to be restored.
In Isaiah 59:1-3 we read: “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity.”
Never underestimate the potential of prayer. I love what Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. We know not what prayer can accomplish.”
I am sure there are times when you don’t know how to pray or what to ask for. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray or what to pray for. In Romans 8:26 the Apostle Paul wrote – “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The Holy Spirit knows what is on our hearts, and He takes what we have difficulty in saying, and He puts it in perfect form before the Father and interprets in the Father’s presence How blessed we are to have such a helper.
I want to encourage you to seek intimacy with our Heavenly Father. In James 4:8 we have a wonderful promise — “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” As we seek a closer walk with God, He draws closer to us. Another perk is the closer we are to our Heavenly Father, the easier it is to love others, make wise decisions, and be a witness for Christ in the world.
Prayer is how we communicate with God. Don’t get discouraged if the answer doesn’t come right away. God’s timetable is different than ours. We need to persevere and be consistent in trusting the LORD and seeking Him.
In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus gave us this assurance —
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” The tense used here means to “keep asking,” “keep seeking,” and “keep knocking” and God will answer in His way and His own time.
Let me close with an exhortation that we find in 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. He loves to hear from you. Trust Him with all your cares.
God bless you,
Pastor Leonard
