What is prayer? - Prayer is God's way of allowing us to communicate with him. Some people think prayer is words that you recite in an attempt to get it over with. But prayer is much more than that. It's what helps us form a relationship with our Savior. If we couldn't talk with God, what kind of relationship would that be? It wouldn't be.
What would your relationship with your parents or other family members be like if you couldn't communicate with them? It would be dull. You could never tell them your feelings and emotions toward them, and vice versa.
Relationships require communication. Communication opens the door that allows for trust, faith, love and openness. That is what God was looking for when He created prayer.
Why do we need prayer? - Like I said previously, we need prayer to communicate with God. Prayer is a way for us to tell Him our problems, to cast them on the cross, to get a load off, so to speak. We need prayer because it helps us to not only talk to God, but to also listen to His instruction and guidance.
What does prayer do? - Prayer opens the doorway of communication between us and our Savior. With it, we can intercede for others, pray for healing, salvation, redemption, etc...
I'm going to tell you a story about a result of the prayers of a Christian girl.
This past Saturday, when the tornado swept through Woodland, Oklahoma, where friends of my church lived, there house was destroyed, save for the four walls around their bathroom.
The previous night, a friend of the family felt the urge to pray for - I'll call the woman in question 'Sally' - Sally and her family. She kept telling her mother, "We need to pray for Sally. We need to pray for Sally." Finally, the mother said okay and they prayed for Sally and her family.
It was later reported that a tornado was on its way, but had passed safely by Woodland.
The following day, Saturday, the same girl had another urge to pray for Sally. Her mother said, "Well, we just prayed for her." But the response remained the same. So they prayed.
The sirens having been damaged by the tornado that occurred the previous night did not alert the citizens of Woodland. There was no warning, but Sally and her family heard the 160 MPH winds and rushed to the bathroom with the dog and their newborn baby just as the tornado swept through their home. The roof was torn off of the bathroom, the family could feel the water, smell and taste the dirt.
When all was said and done, the only thing remaining was the four walls of the bathroom.
The prayers of 'Sally's close friends ended up protecting her and her family, and even her dog from the tornado.
Does God hear my prayers? Are they worth my time? - Yes, God hears your prayers, and yes, they are worth your time. He always answers your prayers. Sometimes, however, the answer is 'no'.
For years, I've been praying for healing for myself for my eyesight and the hearing loss that I endure. Yes, I've wondered if God hears me, but I know now that, having had my ears healed once already, He does hear those who cry out to Him.
How do you pray? - Praying is easy. All you have to do is talk to God like you would talk to your family or friends. The Bible, after all, does say "I no longer call you 'servant', for I now call you 'friend'."
Remember, pray is communication of the relationship between the Creator and the Created.
Well, that's all for now!
Signing off,
Brian
Thank you. :)
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