The Essence of Prayer Let’s look at the meaning of essence. Merriam-Webster describes it as, the basic nature of a thing: the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is. Now let’s look at the qualities that allow prayer to be effective in a Christian’s life. First, there must be a deep reverence and awe for the Lord in that when we come before Him. Our minds and hearts must be focused on the Lord in order to commune with Him. Exodus 3:5 and Joshua 5:15 give examples of this reverence when Moses and Joshua were both told to take off their shoes because they were standing on holy ground. It was not the act of removing their shoes that showed the reverence as much as the obedience that both men showed to the Lord. We must have the same spirit of obedience to please God and know that when we pray, we enter into His presence. When we truly love someone we desire to be with that person, we also desire to please the one we love. An essential part of our prayer life is our desire to have a special place for the Lord in our hearts. David understood this kind of love when he said, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” Psalm 73:25. The Lord desires the adoration, praise of His children as well as interaction with His children. If our minds are on the next task to be completed, we cannot enter into the Lord’s presence and have companionship with Him. Another indispensable part of prayer is faith. Hebrews 11 is full of examples of faith, and states that, “. . . without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” Heb 11:6. It is one thing to accept that God can do anything, but it is quite another to pray in faith, knowing beyond any doubt that the Lord will do what you have requested. James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. . .” Finally, we need to be open to Jesus’ presence and to allow Him access to every corner of our lives and hearts. He said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” Revelation 3:20. Openness to the Lord and to Holy Spirit will bring an amazing peace and hope into our lives that words cannot explain. We will see prayers answered, have joy unspeakable (1 Peter 1:8), and know we do not hope in vain. Be challenged to put the essence of prayer to the test and see what you will gain from being interactive with the Lord. Before the fall, Adam and Eve knew this closeness, Abraham was a friend of God, and Isaac and Jacob had communion with God. This type of communion is for not only the men and women of old, rest assured that it is relevant for us today.
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 01:40:00 +0000
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