The importance of regular prayer

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

People communicate with each other like never before. Everywhere you look, someone has a cell phone in her hand or is wearing a Bluetooth device on his head. Most kids are busy texting their friends while browsing in stores or munching on fast food. Business leaders hold virtual conferences using high-speed satellite communication. If you have access to a computer, you can communicate instantly with people anywhere in the world.

People love to talk. But how much of your conversation is directed towards God? What percentage of your time is devoted to prayer?

God wants to hear from you. Through the apostle Paul He tells us to pray all the time. When asked how to pray, Jesus offered the Lord’s Prayer as an example of the sorts of things prayer should include—praising God to show Him respect and gratitude, seeking His help and guidance, and asking for the restoration of broken relationships. When you consider how often we need these things, prayer should be a daily part of our lives.

Does God listen to prayer? Absolutely. He gave this promise to the Israelites at Mount Sinai: I will hear, for I am compassionate (Exodus 22:27). But God does not listen to rebellious sinners; the prophet Isaiah issued the warning your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2). This is why we always pray in Jesus’ name; the Son of God gave His life for us in order to reopen the lines of communication with our heavenly Father. Those who are sorry for their sins and are made clean by faith in Christ have the assurance that their prayers are heard.

Does it do any good to pray? You bet it does! James writes (chapter five), is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him…And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. When your sins are taken away by Christ, the Lord sees you as righteous—someone whose opinion matters to Him. As a friend of Jesus, your prayers are important and worthy of God’s notice.