Prayer is Power

In all of the political science classes I have taken, the professor/teacher always makes the point that money is power. You could be brilliant and possess all the skills you need to become a politician, but if you don't have money to support you, your campaign, or your ideas, it's all useless. 

I like to think prayer is the same way for Christians. Prayer is power. What's the use of a Christian who doesn't pray? What's the use of mission if there is no prayer? The Christian body, as well as myself, can forget how powerful and resourceful prayer can be. And I think that's because prayer can be challenging.

I have always found prayer challenging. A big factor I have to wrestle with when it comes to prayer is; laziness. (As terrible as this is), whenever I am physically or emotionally exhausted it's easy for me to say, "What's the point in telling God what He already knows?" It's easy to perceive prayer just as a simple conversation between you and God. Which it is. It's you and God talking. But how awesome is that?! Why is it so easy for us to take that for granted? Just think about it. How absolutely incredible it is, that we, filfthy sinners, have the ability to talk to our God. And not only are we able to pray to him, but He invites us to pray to him. Our God looks forward to our prayers!

But prayer is so much more than just a conversation between a sinner and God. I find prayer to be "out of this world." It's one of the few things, on earth that can give us direct access to God. Prayer is something that isn't of this world. It's a gift from God. We should treat it as such. I believe prayer is sacred. It's been given to us from God to experience His holiness and draw closer to Him. Praise be to God!

I love many quotes from C.S. Lewis, but this one really pertains to today's post:

"I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God- it changes me."

-C.S. Lewis

Prayer is a gift from God that attains power. I hope that my prayer life will develop into a continuous prayer with God throughout each day. I think that's the way God intended prayer to be. I want to try to stop limiting my prayer time to before meals and bedtime. But during class, passing time, work, study group, the gym, etc.
What I like most about this quote from C.S. Lewis, is the last sentence: "It doesn't change God- it changes me." Walking in continuous prayer with God has to have a major impact on your attitude, priorities, and focus. I remember when I was 10 years old, I had learned about the story of Solomon in Sunday school. We learned about how Solomon could ask God for anything in the world, and Solomon asked for wisdom. As a 10 year old, I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I was old enough to understand the difference between wisdom and intelligence, so I was able to comprehend Solomon's situation. I remember asking myself the question: "If God would give me anything - what would I ask for?" And my honest answer was wisdom. I remember praying for months, to be wise and help others with that wisdom. I remember these prayers because they were vastly different from most of the prayers I had prayed as a 10 year old. These prayers felt raw and honest. As I've grown up, I have been known as the friend that you go to for advice. The phrase, "You are wise beyond your years" have come out of my parents and other adults mouths often. I don't mean to brag, but a quality I know I possess is wisdom. And I believe it's because God answered my prayer. Through those honest prayers as a 10 year old, God was working with and through me. He changed me. God had said yes to my prayer. Praise be to God!

One last point about prayer. As Christians, it's important that we have faith in the power of prayer, and pray boldly. As a 10 year old I had prayed the prayer that a beloved and honored King in the genealogy of Jesus had prayed thousands of years ago. I was bold when I asked God for wisdom. I'm not saying every time we pray boldly, God will give it to us. But He will hear us and those bold prayers will change us. Bold prayer comes from a bold faith.