“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that – it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” – Charles Spurgeon
In our daily Christian walk, we must understand the necessity of prayer. Prayer is our connection to the Father. It also connects us with others and allows us to hear from an Almighty God. Sometimes, we can allow things of this world to interrupt our communication with God, and that can lead to self-reliance. If we don’t communicate with God then that relationship is impoverished. When we do not pray, there is a major problem. If we belong to God through a relationship with His Son Jesus, there will be a natural desire to communicate with Him. Look at the promises of God that are fulfilled when we pray. In Psalm 145:18 we read, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”
Jesus Himself set the best example of how we should pray because He was a man of prayer. We find in these passages in Luke how our Savior prayed. For example: Luke 3:21, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” Luke 5:16, “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 9:18, “And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?'” Luke 9:28, “Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.”
If Jesus saw the need to pray, what about you and me? The Lord calls each of us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. In James 5:16, we read, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” The Lord Jesus also tells us that we are to pray for those who persecute us. In Matthew 5:44, it says, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Jesus’ message is to love others, even those hard to love. In John chapter 17, we find the “High Priestly Prayer.” This is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in any of the Gospels. It is just before He makes His way to the cross. Jesus prays for Himself, then for His disciples, and then for all believers.
Jesus Christ modeled a life of prayer while He was on this earth. As followers of Christ, may we follow His example. May it be so!
Jeremy Dykes, CBC Executive Board
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.
