Prayer is often seen as the last option,indeed as a “lost” cause,a desperation, when all other avenues have been tried and failed, is how we often treat prayer! 

  Prayer is to be the first option. “First of all I want the men to pray”-{1 Tim 2:1}. “Devote yourselves to prayer, staying alert with an attitude of thanksgiving.”-{Col 4:2}. “Pray lest you faint,{lose heart}.”- {Luke 18:1}. Prayerlessnes is pride as it says, “I am not dependent or needful of God. I can do this myself, or God cannot be trusted with this.” Pray, when you don’t “feel,” like praying, it is a subtle temptation to lull you into temptation and waters of deception. Pray, when you don’t feel like praying! “Pray without ceasing,”- Turn your thoughts of people circumstances to God and pray. When you see something beautiful, pray with gratitude, when you see or feel something that troubles you, pray. When you don’t know which way to turn, what to do, when the waters of circumstances would seem as though they are in control and seek to drown you, like Peter who when sinking, prayed, “LORD Help,” you too pray! Prayer is an acknowledgment of our need, our humanity, frailty, dependence upon Him though unseen, sees all and knows no limitations of goodness, rightness, care, love for us and does what will honor Him. When you can do no more you “feel,” you can counteract that lie, and take it to the LORD in prayer.” In my desperation I prayed and the LORD LISTENED…” Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.-{Psalm 34:6-NLT; Matt 6:6-8}.

THE FAITH OF A CHILD;

When our youngest son on hearing that God says “go into your closest and close the door, and pray, and your Father who is in secret will reward you,” took it to heart, and one night called me and his brother into a closet and with a big smile said, “close the door, let’s pray, us three are going to be rewarded” A child taking His Word to heart, believing if you went into a closet and closed the door, God heard and answered prayer and was excited! Sounds a nice story, but God says the closet represents a place of aloneness, it is not a physical closet, for if that was the case many of us would be troubled as we would say, “I can’t find a closet, I can’t get to a closet” and lose heart, if it was a physical location, “BUT GOD…” the closet represents a secret place, a place of aloneness with Him. A Place away from distraction, it can be your car, walking through a classroom your place of employment, in the shower, anywhere and everywhere you can close all off and TALK TO HIM! Anytime anyplace, you can “FIRST OF ALL…PRAY.” {1 Tim 2:1}.

You can and are to pray about “everything by prayer…”-{Phil 4:6}. You do not have to wait for a specific time of the day, week, month, year when then, and ONLY then, can you have an audience with God where you have his attention, and even then just a short, brief time to speak to Him. All the time,”His eye is upon the righteous and His ear is attention to your prayers.”-{1 Peter 3:12}. It is a very costly thing that you can pray. It cost God the volitional choice to give up His Son to come and die for your sin. Prayer is costly, it cost Jesus Christ His Life for you to have unlimited, permanent access to God, where you are invited and told to “come boldly to the Throne of GRACE to RECEIVE mercy, grace to help in time of need” -{Heb 4:15-16}.

Prayer can often be the last thing, a desperate thing, the thing we see as “’last option,” and approach it with an attitude of defeatism, a waste of time, a “what’s the point,” the last thing, when God wants it to be the first thing, why? Because it leads us to Him! “Ah Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your GREAT POWER and outstretched arm. NOTHING is too difficult for You!” {Jer 32:17}.

Prayer; Don’t know where to start? Tell Him…and that is prayer! Talk to Him and ask Him to teach you to pray, not as some “religious” exercise you “check off your to do list,” as though you get “merit’ with God for doing so. Prayer is not a “merit” system that earns you points with God! Prayer is a privilege, blood bought and a means to a deeper dependence of an intimate relationship with Him who gave His Son, that you may avail of the privileged position to be able to talk to Him! Prayer is an exercise of God’s grace to you!

A LOVE THING!

Why Pray? Because He tells me to, and when I choose to obey Him, His Word tells me it expresses Love to  Him, “He who has My commandments and obeys them Loves Me”-{John 14:21}. Prayer is an attitude and act of LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST!

Why is your prayer life attacked? To seek to hinder you from expressing love to Jesus Christ! Prayer is a love thing, a love issue….pray on, love on as you do, your attitude and act is not unknown to the King of Love!

Prayer; A Last thing? A Lost Thing? Prayer is…A Love Thing!