Part 1 — Drawing Near to Our Heavenly Father
I’ve had something on my heart for a while now, and that is the importance and power of prayer.
What is prayer, and why is it so important in the life of a believer?
Prayer is our open line of communication with our Creator. It is a heart-to-heart conversation with our heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is not just something we do before a meal, when we attend church, or when we find ourselves facing difficult circumstances.
It is our connection to the One who created us, loves us, and desires to have a personal relationship with us.
Jesus Set the Example
When we read through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we begin to notice something about the life of Jesus.
He would often withdraw from the crowds to spend time alone with His heavenly Father in prayer.
Mark 1:35 tells us:
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” — Mark 1:35 (KJV)
Think about that for a moment.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made spending time with His Father a priority.
Before going out to minister to the people, He would often spend time in prayer.
Jesus said in John 5:19 that the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do.
Jesus lived in complete dependence upon and obedience to His heavenly Father.
His authority and power were not separate from that relationship with the Father.
If Jesus recognized the importance of prayer during His earthly ministry, how much more should we?
Our spiritual strength doesn’t come from our own abilities. It comes from our relationship with God and our dependence upon Him.
Lord, Teach Us to Pray
Jesus had twelve disciples who walked closely with Him during His earthly ministry.
They witnessed His miracles, heard His teachings, and saw the authority and power with which He ministered.
But there was something they wanted Jesus to teach them.
In Luke 11:1, one of His disciples asked:
“Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” — Luke 11:1 (KJV)
Jesus responded by teaching them what we commonly call the Lord’s Prayer.
In Matthew 6:9–10, Jesus begins:
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
This is probably one of the most recognized prayers in the Bible. Many of us have heard it recited in churches throughout our lives.
But I believe Jesus was teaching us something deeper than simply repeating words.
He was showing us how to approach our heavenly Father.
We begin by acknowledging who God is. He is holy and worthy of all praise.
We come before Him with thanksgiving, reverence, and humility.
We seek His kingdom and His will above our own desires.
We ask Him to provide for our needs, forgive our sins, and help us forgive those who have wronged us.
And we ask Him to lead us away from temptation and deliver us from evil.
Prayer isn’t about trying to impress God with beautiful words.
It’s about coming before Him with a sincere and humble heart.
We Ought Always to Pray
In Luke 18:1, Jesus taught that we should always pray and not lose heart.
I believe this is something we all need to be reminded of.
Life can be difficult. We face challenges, disappointments, temptations, and circumstances that sometimes seem overwhelming.
There may be times when we pray and don’t see an immediate answer.
But Jesus encourages us not to give up.
Prayer requires faith, patience, and perseverance.
Sometimes prayer changes our circumstances, but other times prayer changes us.
As we spend time in God’s presence, our hearts begin to align with His will rather than our own.
And isn’t that what we should desire as followers of Jesus Christ?
The Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray
Before Jesus returned to His Father, He promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit.
In John chapters 14–16, Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit would be our Helper, teaching us and guiding us into truth.
On the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the believers.
What a wonderful promise we have as followers of Jesus Christ!
We are not left alone to figure out how to live this Christian life in our own strength.
Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, even when we don’t know what we ought to pray.
There is power when we humble ourselves before God, surrender our lives to Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.
But we must also learn to quiet our hearts and listen.
Prayer isn’t just about us talking to God. It’s also about making room for Him to speak to our hearts through His Word and by His Spirit.
Are we taking the time to listen?
Are we sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Or have we allowed the noise and distractions of this world to take our attention away from Him?
These are questions I believe we should all ask ourselves.
Drawing Near to God
I want to encourage you today to make prayer a greater priority in your life.
Not because it’s simply something Christians are supposed to do, but because our heavenly Father desires a relationship with us.
James 4:8 tells us:
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
What a wonderful invitation!
We can come before our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, knowing that He hears us.
And as we spend time in His presence, He begins to work in our hearts, teaching us to trust Him and surrender our lives to His will.
In Part 2, I want to share a personal experience from my own life about how God used prayer to teach me surrender, patience, and trust during a very important season.
Sometimes the greatest answer to prayer isn’t God giving us what we’ve asked for, but God changing our hearts so that we desire His will above our own.
Be encouraged, family! Stay close to Jesus, remain in His Word, and never stop praying.
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the wonderful privilege of coming before You through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Forgive us for the times we’ve allowed the distractions and cares of this world to take our attention away from You.
Lord, teach us to pray. Give us a greater hunger for Your presence and a deeper desire to know You.
Holy Spirit, help us to be sensitive to Your leading and to recognize Your voice.
Help us to make prayer a priority in our daily lives.
In Jesus’ mighty name,
Amen.
