What is Prayer?

Spread the love

James 5:16b “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

When you pray at night or in the morning because it is already your custom to pray on these hours of the day, those are not prayers, they are customs. When you pray for food before or after meals because you are obligated to pray for the food, those are not prayers, they are obligations. When you pray to the church before service because the service cannot start without opening prayer, that is not prayer, that is program. When you join the prayer meeting in the church every Sunday early morning even if you don’t feel like it because you are still sleepy, that is not prayer, that is forcing yourself. When you pray before driving your car because you think God will not protect you if you don’t pray to Him first, that is not prayer, that is bargaining to God your prayer in exchange for His protection.

You know, prayer is not like these. God cannot be deceived by these. We cannot approach Him like these. Prayer is talking to God not because it is customary, nor an obligation nor a program nor making a bargain with Him. Prayer is the highest act of approaching God in SINCERITY. It is talking to Him with utmost SINCERITY.

Prayer is when you saw a mother crying for her sick child and you want to help them but you have nothing to offer and you ask the Lord to help them. That my friend, is prayer. Prayer is when you told the Lord about your day, your joy, your pains, your plans, your fears, your sorrows just like a friend telling his friend. That my friend, is prayer. Prayer is when you are facing a very great problem and you are in a very tight possession that you don’t have anywhere to go and you just cry to the Lord, pleading Him to help you. That my friend, is prayer. Again, prayer is approaching God with utmost sincerity.