1 Kings 8:46-51
Verse 48 “…and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to You toward the land You gave their ancestors, toward the city You have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name;”
We have talked about various ways we need to engage with God before there can be a revival and today we begin a new point of engagement, the topic of prayer. While prayer is a topic regularly talked about in church circles, it is still a mystery to so many in the body of believers. There is a fear for some that they won’t “do it right” as their prayers don’t sound as polished as a pastor’s congregational prayer. There are those who don’t understand the value of prayer and those who only pray when they feel there is no other place to turn.
In its most basic form, prayer is no more than talking to the Father and therefore can be a conversation entered into by anyone who believes He is the Lord of all the earth. We do a disservice to our fellow believers by making them think they have to pray a certain language form to be heard by God. If this were true, children wouldn’t have the privilege to pray and we know they are allowed to talk to God in their simple ways without judgment from the Almighty.
Prayer is something we need to take seriously but there is a danger in taking it so seriously we miss the relational part of it. On the other hand there is a danger of thinking too flippantly about our relationship with God. Yes, He is our Father, but He is still God and we need to revere Him in a way which honors that.
At its heart, prayer is our ability to communicate our hearts to the Father. Yes, He already knows what we are thinking but He wants to hear us say it, to hear us pour out our hearts to Him. When we take the time to tell Him what is on our hearts and minds it is showing that we have faith in Him, even if it is very weak at a particular moment.
Prayer has always been an important part of revival. Whether the prayer of heart-felt repentance or the prayer of a devoted servant pleading with Him to revive the hearts of His people, the Father is always ready and wanting to hear from His children.
Making It Personal
What is your prayer life like? What are the most common themes of your prayers? What should you be praying about?
Making It Personal Kids
What kinds of prayers do you pray? What kinds of things do you think Jesus wants to hear from you? What do you need to pray about today?
Closing Prayer
Father, we repent that we don’t pray enough. Give us hearts which desire communication with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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