Let's Have Church

It is time to pray

There is a language that God responds to and that is the language of prayer. Prayer is a  spiritual entity that should be under taken by everyone. 

I used to wonder. Is prayer powerful? Does prayer make one great? What is it  about prayer that changes situations? What is it about it? Is it possible that by praying, something, though invisible to the eye, happens? I wish I knew all the answers. I believe in prayer and in all prayer can do. 

I have learned that little or nothing happens when a person does not pray. All through scripture, God tells us to pray. It's really funny to me, because, the things that seem like the basic duties that believers should do, we do not do. It's like being a student. Is it not known world wide that being a student by all means, should mean that a student studies? And yet, how much do we study really? I am student. Boy, is it hard!

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." - Luke 11:1 (NIV)

Before we can begin to understand the importance of prayer and its significance, we should learn as believers to trust in what the word of God says. Jesus had just finished praying and it seems, the disciples had been a little observant. They wanted to learn how to pray. Jesus prayed so much that it attracted the attention of his unique followers. 

How do we pray? What is the best way to pray? 

If you want to pray, do not become too mystical about it. Just pray. How? Well, close your eyes and tell God what lies in your heart. Everybody has a unique way of teaching on prayer. And obviously it is a huge subject, one I cannot share within these pages. The first thing to do when we pray, is to pray. 

There were times I spent a huge amount of time on YouTube because I wanted to find videos that shared little insight on how to study. I was determined. I was excited. I was ready to discover that one secret. I was so convinced that I would learn something I probably did not know. And to my surprise, after three hours of searching, the main point was, getting a book, and studying. 

It was such a moment of awe. I wasted time in trying to learn something I knew I could easily do. How hard can getting a book be? Not so hard, right? Wrong! It is hard! To be a studious student, it takes commitment. Prayer is something you give yourself to, otherwise, its just boring and yields little results!

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' - Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

I want to use an analogy that might help us understand God's position as we offer our prayers to Him. Brothers, when a sister(Female friend) tells you to call her, do you know what she asked you to do? Whenever my Dad travels to a distant place, the one thing that my mom reminds my dad to do is to call her when he arrives. Now my dad, as gently a man as he is, he'll call even without a reminder and yet my mom reminds him. Why? Why does she feel the need to want her husband to call her? 

To start with, its a relationship. Relationships start by talking and communicating. And whatever it is that makes relationships not work out is little talk or no talk at all. The more you talk to somebody, the closer you are to that person. I do not know you, but I know something about you. Your closest friends are those you spend a lot of time talking to. Any person you talk to a lot is somebody you love and care about. 

Why does God want us to pray? We should also know that it is little to do with what we need and more to do with building a relationship with God. Its about loving God and wanting to spend time with Him. Perhaps the lowest type of relationship is one fueled by money. Oh,  how of a relationship it is! Money runs out. It may look good now because there is money but once the money runs out, the relationship dies. 

Most times, we condition God to a God that only provides. And yes, God provides. How painful is it to know that somebody loved you because you had money? A conditioned relationship eventually dies. God will always provide for us. He does. He will. He is abundant. But how can it be a relationship if its only about one person? A relationship that is one sided cannot work. One is always putting more effort than the other and it becomes unbalanced. 

God wants to be loved. That sister that tells you to call her? She wants to be loved. But when we look at our sisters(female friends) as sexual beings, we have reduced them to objects and people that we only want to have sex with. Is that healthy? oh no! God wants to be loved and cherished. My mom? She wants to know that my Dad cares about her. After so many years in marriage, that part of her has never changed!

Guess what? God wants people that love spending time with Him. Not because He will heal us. Or give us wives or Husbands. Or give us good relationships. God gives all those things anyway. But He also wants to be loved. God wants people that just want to spend time with Him. Not asking for anything, but just enjoying His presence. 

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. - Luke 6:12 (NIV)

Could it be possible that all through the night, Jesus just prayed about His needs? Could it be true? It's in this chapter that Jesus later chooses His disciples. He spent the whole night praying and the next thing that happens? He chooses His Disciples. Prayer builds a relationship with God.