10 Reasons to Pray
Finding prayer hard? Going through a season of feeling as dry as a Weetabix?
Prayer is one of the most precious gifts we have as Christians – it flows from the very essence of what it is to be a Christian… and yet, we can sometimes find it a battle.
It isn’t a surprise. The world, the flesh, and the devil conspire against prayer. No wonder we can go through seasons where it’s a struggle.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
Anyone else fed up and thirsty? Let’s dismantle some lies and feast again on the life Jesus has bought for us…
In no particular order (and absolutely not limited to) here are 10 reasons to pray:
1. You are God’s precious child and He loves you
When you come to God in prayer - how do you picture him? A distant deity with arms crossed and a stern face? How about crouching down, with his arms open – like a loving Father calling his little child, no matter how long ago the last time you came to him was? (Think about the prodigal son story!)
In Jesus, you have been adopted as God’s child.
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
2. Your prayers smell good
…Freshly baked bread, a good cup of coffee, just-cut grass – our Father loves the smell of our prayers in his nostrils:
“…the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Revelation 5:8
What a picture. Our feelings can sometimes deceive us into thinking that our prayers are just hitting the ceiling. But they’re described here as a sweet aroma rising to God. Our prayers, as if in golden bowls of incense, are being carried to the very throne in heaven!
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” Psalm 141:2
3. Jesus prayed…all the time
Here’s how Michael Reeves puts it in Enjoy Your Prayer Life:
“When full of joy, he’d pray; when agonising, he’d pray, when making major decisions like appointing apostles, he’d spend a good bit of time in prayer… John tells us, ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself’ (John. 5:19) The Son always depends on his Father; that is who he eternally is.”
For eternity, Jesus has enjoyed a closeness with his Father and prayed to him. Through Jesus –we’re brought into that relationship too. I love how Reeves finishes:
“Prayer is learning to enjoy what Jesus has always enjoyed.”
4. God ‘gets’ us
Jesus is called ‘’Immanuel’’ – God with us.
He came to our earth. Took on our flesh and breathed the same air that we do.
There’s nothing we are going through that Jesus doesn’t understand or nothing we are battling that he doesn’t get…we can bring it all.
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:15-16
5. He forgives every sin
When we mess up – each of us can have an ‘automatic’ default of what we do next, (Cover up? Minimise it? Sink in the guilt of it?)
For lots of us our default can be to pull away from God and avoid spending time with him. But the gospel message rings loud and clear…
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:9
It was never our goodness that gave us the right to come. We stand covered in Jesus’ righteousness. The blood of Jesus ‘washes us white as snow’. We are loved beyond measure and bought at a price. He wants us to run to Him with our highs and lows, our wins and fails; with our biggest mess up.
If you’ve been avoiding spending time with God because of your sin – read this incredible psalm of David – Psalm 32
6. We’re invited to come – his door is never closed
Every minute of every hour of every day – there’s no time slot that has been reserved as God’s ‘me time’. You don’t have to unburden or pull yourself together first. Your burden is what qualifies you to come.
“Then Jesus said, Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done…” Philippians 4:6
Another corking quote from Reeves (who we shall now call Reevesy):
“Prayer then is enjoying the care of a powerful Father, instead of being left to a frightening loneliness where everything is all down to you.”
7. We’re praying… to God!
When we think of prayer as a ‘thing to do’ – it can quickly become abstract and boring. But when our focus is on who we are coming before… this can really change things.
“The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love.” Corrie Ten Boom
8. He loves our friends/family/college more than we do
We can sometimes be frozen by the enormity of unbelief around us. Whether that’s in our own home (we may be the only Christian where we live) or in our friends at college or sixth form.
Hearts can seem too hard. Situations too far gone…
But we’re urged to lay all people before the way-making, heart-softening, sin-forgiving, King of kings…
“I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people…this is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” 1 Timothy 2:1-5
9. Prayer sees God’s kingdom come
We’re not speaking to a genie. Nor to a God that set up the world and wandered off. But to our Heavenly Father – who has plans and purposes for us, and this world. He has filled us with the Holy Spirit and loves to hear us and include us in what he is doing.
Jesus asks us to pray:
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
“My heart has no deeper conviction than this, that prayer is the most efficient spiritual agency in the universe, next to the Holy Ghost.” Charles Spurgeon
10. Thankfulness is dynamite
“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done.”
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Thankfulness lifts us out of apathy and self-centredness and puts Jesus back in his rightful place.
“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” H. A. Ironside
Why don’t you pause now, reflecting on anything that ‘pinged out’ to you – and as a dearly loved child, come to your Father in prayer and thanksgiving.
Claire is part of the Festive team. She lives by the sea with her husband and two children. They have perfected the art of eating Dominos on the beach as their son has developed his own seagull-defence-martial-art-skills to save their dinner!