The Prayer Priority
January 7, 2025
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Prayer might possibly be the most intimidating part of following Jesus for the average Christian. Everyone tells us it’s the foundation of our life with God, and we are encouraged to prayer all throughout the Bible. But so many times I feel like I wish I prayed better, thinking it’s a skill to be learned or a gift that some people have, and others don’t. A major reason I believe this is a common malady is that my father (a godlier man you could never meet) asked me after he was 90 to take him to a used bookstore because he wanted to look for a book. It was an old book that he said had helped him earlier in life. When I asked what it was about, he told me it was a book on prayer, and he wanted to brush up – he said, “I want to pray better.”
Well, Dad was wise about many things, and that comment left me speechless for a moment. It did lead to a wonderful conversation, and I learned much about him, myself, and what it meant for me personally in my communication with my forever Father. A major lesson for me is that prayer is not performance. It is not that heaven grades us, holding up 7.5, or 9.2, or 5.0 cards. Contrary to what we have learned from many wonderful people over the years, there is not some formula to getting God to hear me; no special words I have to say. I have desired from the time I was a child to be heard by God and communicate with Him. I have attended dozens of classes and conferences on prayer, learned and applied acronyms, timed myself to make sure I was following what “the best” did … so much, and I always ended up feeling like I failed again.
Those conferences and tools likely helped many people. But for my personality and purpose, they didn’t help me very much or long-term. The words and practice of Jesus are what helped me most. These are the things that I know are true, no matter your God-given personality, style, or experience.
Prayer is participation, simply talking to God. Listening and sharing, with a big emphasis on listening. It’s not a grocery list of what I want; it’s talking to God about my place in His plan. It’s inviting Him into every part of my life. It’s caring enough to follow what He impresses on my heart as I listen.
Prayer is top priority. Too often prayer is my last response. It needs to be my first response.
Prayer empowers me to live supernaturally. It is walking closely with the King of the Universe.
- How will I “rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances” in conversation with Jesus this week, starting now?