Article courtesy of HomeLife magazine.
I pray every day. You probably do too. In fact, most of the people I know who are maturing in the faith and those just beginning their walk with Christ pray.
We pray blessings on dinner, over decisions, for strength against temptation, and patience in trials. As a husband and parent, I’ve prayed with joy and with tears. There have been times I’ve begged God to make me more holy and times I’ve begged that He would protect my family from … well, everything. Like you, I hope my spouse and kids will experience great joy from God and know His purpose for their lives.
However, we have all experienced moments of misguided praying. The flesh takes over and we lurch into a bargaining posture: “God if you’ll do this, then I promise to do that.” It all becomes a gross transaction where we put ourselves somewhere close to even footing with God. But prayer is so much more than our worst and even best attempts because it doesn’t even start with us.
Prayer is a tool in the hand of our Lord. He’s the One who initiates our relationship and guides our lives. So, let’s take a moment and flip the equation in our minds about prayer. Rather than starting with our hopes, dreams, desires, wants, and wishes … recognize that all of our relationship with God starts with God. The very act of prayer is larger than perhaps we previously thought because, through it, God engages us in His mission that is so much greater than we could ever imagine.
Prayer is used by God to bring His people into alignment with His mission. It’s critical we remember that prayer isn’t a power by which we force God to act according to our will. Rather, by communicating with God, His passions can become our passions. Believers have the opportunity to both listen to and speak to the God of the universe in prayer to receive guidance by His Spirit. It’s not just an activity of our faith but is a portion of the relationship we have with Christ.
Prayer is an activity often thought of as driving only the personal side of the believer’s life. If we view prayer merely as an internal discipline, we can lose sight of how God might use prayer as a means of engaging us in His mission in ways that extend beyond our own spiritual development. As our maturity in Christ develops through the relational activity of prayer, it should consequently cause us to see the world and humanity as Christ does.
The mission assigned to the church has its originations in the mind of God and must therefore be directed by Him. It’s often in prayer that Christians will come to a place of complete abandonment to God’s Spirit. In Ephesians 6:18, believers are directed to engage “with all perseverance and intercession.” By praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, we surrender our will to His plan and purposes.
"Believers should both pray for one another and request prayer from one another to effectively engage in God’s mission."
We should also remember that, through prayer, God connects us to His heart for the church as well. In verse 18, Paul also wrote that we are to intercede “for all the saints.” A significant portion of God’s mission is the building of His church. In the larger context of Ephesians 6:10-20, the teaching presented is about spiritual warfare against believers and the church. In Paul’s teaching to the Ephesians, prayer plays a prominent role in the defense of our fellow believers.
In regard to activity in the mission, Paul requests prayer so that he will engage in speaking about the gospel well and with boldness (verses 19-20). Doubtlessly, the church must learn to understand its culture and minister with kindness to the people around us. But the proverbial point of the spear for us is to speak about the greatness of Christ’s work on our behalf. We’re ambassadors who speak on behalf of our King and with His authority. To do so well, we must have the benefit of intercessory prayer by the church. Believers should both pray for one another and request prayer from one another to effectively engage in God’s mission.
The act and results of prayer are a mysterious occurrence. God has chosen this discipline by which He emboldens us for His mission and matures us in the faith. As we enter into each day, let’s engage the Lord in prayer with this mindset. As we seek righteousness in the midst of an unjust world, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to act as God’s ambassador to the lost and as an encouragement to the saved.
Article courtesy of HomeLife magazine.