How do you feel when there is a prayer meeting? Most people blow it off and don’t think they need to attend. Why is that? If God has invited us to pray, promises all kinds of help when we pray, promises blessings if we pray, and then commands us to pray – shouldn’t we be “on ready” to pray?

Colossians 4:2 (ESV) Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

The opportunity to pray is a blessing from the Lord. We are told that God the Father opens His arms to us to run to Him with all of our concerns. We are told that we have the help of God the Son as He intercedes on our behalf. We are also told we have the help of the Holy Spirit who takes our feeble prayers and offers them up to God according to His will. Wow, think about that - the Trinity is involved in every prayer you make. That fact alone is enough to make one thankful to have a burden or even have a desire to pray.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV) ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) ²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Jesus made it known that we are not praying to inform God, the Father or get His attention through needless repetition or chants. He even said that the Father knows what we have need of before we even ask. So we are not praying to inform God. He knows already.

Matthew 6:7-8 (ESV) ⁷ "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So why pray? Because Jesus said we should pray. Because the New Testament is full of admonitions to pray. Because when we don’t pray we are told we miss out on blessings that could be ours.

James 4:2 (ESV) You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

So why don’t we pray? We think we can handle life all by ourselves.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

The answer to why we don’t pray is in our lack of humility before God. We just think we can handle life ourselves. It’s a deception of Satan to keep us from the power of God in our lives. It takes real effort on your part in order to pray, real effort to go to a prayer meeting, and it takes real effort to let go of your pride and declare your dependence upon God. The reward though is worth the effort. God promises that if we call He’ll answer and do more than we can ever expect.

Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV) Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Would you want to miss out on that?

Godspeed,

Pastor Bob