Prayer Is a Gift

When it comes to home, car or a technology fix, are you a do-it-yourselfer or do you call the expert? If someone asked you today, “What can I be praying about for you?”  would you share something or just say, "I'm okay"? Would it feel good to know that someone is intentionally praying for you right now? While prayer is vital to our relationship with God, it can also be a ministry we provide that is a gift we give to others.'

In the Bible James asks, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise (James 5:13).” And, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16)”.

The Bible encourages us to add “Thy will be done” to our prayers. That is important because sometimes we pray and tell God how He should answer it. We might pray, “God, I need a better job!” or, “Please heal my friend!” Those are great prayers to offer but He may be looking at the situation differently. It’s better to leave it in His hands to work it out. We shouldn’t necessarily expect supernatural results but it is certainly okay to ask for them.

Finally, Paul encourages us to have confidence and joy as a result of knowing the privilege of coming to God in prayer, “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).”