IT’S THE MOST YOU CAN DO!
I was reminded by God a few weeks ago about the power of prayer. Often when Christians speak with one another about troubling issues in their lives, we say; “The least I can do is pray.” But is it the “least” we can do as followers of Jesus? No, it’s the most we can do!
We see in the New Testament that Jesus and the infant church made prayer a priority. In the gospel of Mark 1:35 we read: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed” (ESV).
After a long day and late night of teaching and healing, Jesus was up before everyone else and went to spend time alone with His Father. They had such an intimate relationship that Jesus knew that time spent with His Father alone was key to His ministry on earth. He also set an example for us, to spend time alone with our Heavenly Father.
In Luke’s gospel we see Jesus praying again in 5:16, “But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (ESV). Again, in the next chapter 6:12, “In these days He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God” (ESV).
Not just some time with His Father was important, but much time with His Father. Even though Jesus was fully God in the flesh, His relationship was such that He desired in the deepest way possible to maintain their eternal relationship on earth as they did prior to Jesus coming to earth as fully human.
First, we must see clearly that prayer is the maintaining of a relationship with God even before praying on behalf of other needs. Jesus made prayer a priority in His relationship with the Father. If Jesus needed to nurture that relationship, then how much more do we fallen, sinful people need that relationship in our earthly pilgrimage?
Our relationship with God is to be our priority and we maintain that through prayer. When we put prayer together with His Word, then prayer becomes much more meaningful and deep.
Jesus taught His disciples (and us) to pray in Matthew 6. He begins with the famous words; “Our Father in heaven” (6:9a, ESV). Immediately we see that prayer is relational and we also go straight to the Father who created heaven and earth in six days simply speaking it into existence. Not only that, He also upholds the universe by the “word” of His power, (Hebrews 1:3, ESV).
So when you have a deep, rich relationship with the God of the Universe and you are able to call Him Father, the same God who spoke planets, stars, galaxies and the universe into existence, then the most you can do is pray.
Prayer is powerful. Read the words from James, the half-brother of Jesus in his letter to the churches: “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16b, ESV).
With all that is going on in the world today we need to have something more powerful than weapons of warfare, the pen and mere words; followers of Jesus must turn to prayer as the number one weapon in their arsenal.
Through the Word of God, prayer is the way in which the Father allows us to wield the sword of the Holy Spirit. Let’s begin today and witness the changing of the world before our eyes through prayer.