Why do we pray? Do you know? What do we gain from talking to God? Wouldn’t it be brilliant if there were one catchy sentence that could answer this question in such a compelling and irrefutable way? These are the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head at the moment. As I think about the next prayer breakfast for my church community, as I brainstorm ideas for a film about prayer, and as I email the organisers of 24-7 Prayer Rooms around the world, this question won’t quit; why do we pray? Truth is; it’s not that I can’t answer the question… It’s more that my answers are too numerous…
We pray because conversation is the heartbeat of relationship…
How else am I going to get a glimpse of the unfathomable God I love? The bible plants the seed of understanding, the Holy Spirit waters and tends to it, but it’s prayer – that continual connection to life’s source – that deepens the roots and brings growth. Prayer is the place where we find out if our faith is real or just a nice idea. It’s the bold 'Hello' that invites a response from our maker…
“I felt like God was stroking my hair” From a 24-7 Prayer Room in Australia
In prayer room after prayer room around this world it’s testimonies like the above that have moved me most. Real, personal, heart to heart encounters with an interested God. It’s the moment we realise that He really is here, now. It’s a moment of forgiveness, an answer to a question, the assurance that we’re worth something, worth Jesus. These are precious interactions that have the potential to change the very direction of our lives. It’s the intimate stuff relationships are built upon. Why do I pray? I pray because I need to get to know Him, I need to get to know me…
“I’ve been in here for 13 hours. I had to chat about some stuff with my Dad.” From a 24-7 Prayer Room in the UK
We pray because He wants us…
“We have no reason why we are here - we just knew we had to come” From a 24-7 Prayer Room in Australia
Do you know what fascinates me time and again? That the place of prayer isn’t just life giving for Jesus followers, but it’s attractive to those who don’t know him yet…
“We had 4 teenagers become Christians a few days ago - they came down to the prayer room and the team asked if they wanted to feel the presence of God and we prayed over them and they felt God's presence and said yes to beginning the journey with him!” From a 24-7 Prayer Room in Iceland
From Australia to Iceland ordinary people are stumbling into God’s presence and being invited into the conversation of a lifetime. Could we be praying in order to make space for others to start?
We pray because we need Him…
As I check the news today, I’m reading of war crimes, of shootings near schools, of murder and more. You don’t have to look far to find broken places and broken people; most of the time they’re right on our doorstep. It’s overwhelming, my feeble 'your kingdom come, your will be done', seems insufficient in the face of such pain. But… I have to start somewhere. I’ll repeat those words until my heart finds more…
'Guatemala is a turbulent and violent country...The BBC news recently listed it as being 3rd in the world for murder rates (for a country not at war)… I began asking [God] how could a nation be changed and I felt that he spoke just 2 words...unity and prayer.' From a 24-7 Prayer Room in Guatemala
Each week, contact people praying 24-7 I pause and ask, 'Lord, teach us how to pray'. I pray for everyone, praying with me, in many languages and nations. I ask God for three things:
- ‘Take us deeper…’ I don’t us to pray 24-7 for the sake of quantity; I want each hour to strengthen the bond between the Father and His children.
- ‘Take us further…’ send us from these prayer-soaked places to be the answer to prayer in our community.
- ‘Make your presence felt…’
“I SAW an angel in our prayer room!” From a 24-7 Prayer Room in Australia
I still don’t have a definitive answer to my question… maybe that’s because there isn’t just one reason why we should pray… Maybe our lives are supposed to be spent discovering one after another, after another. This however I do know; when you see a spark, a sign of life – pour some paraffin on it and start a fire. When someone is healed, when someone gives their life to Jesus, when lives are changed by an holy encounter my prayer is ‘more Lord, get out the paraffin!’ Will you join me? Why not make a choice now? How will you pray? How will you call your church to prayer? Take the next step, here’s how 24-7 Prayer can help…
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