Sunday Reflection - The Power of Prayer

“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions."

--Deepak Chopra

I really like this quote and I find it helpful as a reminder on how to go inward especially when we need to make important decisions. I also believe in the power of prayer.

The Bible has many things to say about the subject of prayer. Prayer is talking to God. It is our way of communicating our thoughts, needs, and desires to Him. It is an avenue that God has provided for the believer of making known the deepest feelings of our heart.

Asking God

The main idea behind prayer is petition, asking God for things. Jesus said:

‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened’ (Matthew 7:7-8)

How Often Should We Pray

If possible, there should be set times each day that we pray. As the need arises, prayer should also take place in between these times. The Bible commands us to:

Pray continually ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Pray Privately

Jesus said that our prayers should be done in private.

‘But when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6).'

There is a time for public prayer but as individuals we should talk to God in private.

Continue In Prayer

We are also to continue in prayer. We do not just pray for something once and then go on.

Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray. . . And He went away and prayed and spoke the same words (Mark 14:32,39).'

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed three times for the same thing. Hence it is not a lack of faith to continue to pray for something. Furthermore we are commanded to keep on praying for things.

Summary

Prayer is talking to God. It is a specific thing that we do, not merely an attitude. The main idea behind prayer is petition—asking God for things. From the Scripture we discover that prayer is an act that we are to perform between God and us. It should be done in private without calling attention to the fact that we are praying.