Prayer is a key component in our relationship with God, as it is our main means of communication with Him. It is in prayer that we are able to converse with our Creator.
As Christians, we have been given the incredible privilege of coming into the presence of God as His children, due to the salvation granted through Jesus. We can speak with Him, praise, worship, and adore Him, tell Him of our love for Him, and thank Him for all He has done and continues to do for us. We can openly share what is on our hearts with Him, and express our troubles and needs. We can intercede for others in their time of need. We can bring our requests to Him and ask for His help. We can tell Him how much we appreciate the beautiful things He created, and thank Him for the multitude of blessings He pours out on each of us.
When we’re weak and weary, we can speak to Him about it. When we’ve done wrong and have sinned, we can confess, and ask for and receive His forgiveness. We can speak with Him when we’re joyful or sad, in good health or poor health, whether we’re rich or poor, for we have a relationship with the One who not only created us, but who loves us deeply and wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives.
Prayer is our means of inviting God to participate in our daily lives, of asking Him to be directly and intimately involved with the things that are important to us. When we come before Him in prayer, we are asking Him to take an active part in our lives or in the lives of those we are praying for. Prayer conveys the reality of our overall situation, that we need Him and desire His presence in our lives. Communicating with God in prayer is a means of drawing closer to Him, of deepening our relationship.
Teachings from the Gospels about prayer
Throughout all four Gospels, when Jesus prayed, He constantly prayed to His Father, and He taught His disciples to do the same. Through faith in Jesus, we have become children of God (John 1:12). When we pray, we are coming before our Father. We are able to have an intimate connection with Him, as we would with our earthly father.
Besides praying to the Father in Jesus’ name, as Jesus instructed His disciples to do, in the Gospels we learn that prayers should be offered to Jesus as well. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14).
When Jesus taught about prayer through the parables, He made comparisons to situations such as the friend who borrowed the loaves at midnight (Luke 11:5–8), or the unjust judge who eventually answered the woman’s plea (Luke 18:1–8). Through these story examples, He made the point that if the friend or the unjust judge would answer the petitions made to them, how much more would our Father in heaven answer our petitions? He demonstrates that we can have confidence that our prayers will always be heard by our generous, loving Father (Matthew 7:9–11).
In the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, Jesus speaks of humility and confession in prayer (Luke 18:10–14). Jesus taught that pompous and pretentious prayers which draw attention to oneself are to be avoided; rather prayers should spring from sincerity of heart and motive (Matthew 6:5–6). By His example we learn to pray in solitude (Luke 6:12), to pray in thanksgiving (John 6:11), to pray when faced with decisions, and to intercede in prayer for others (John 17:6–9).
Prayer plays a vital role in our spiritual lives, our connection with God, our inner growth, and our effectiveness as Christians. Jesus’ example of prayer, of getting away from the busyness of His life, taking time alone in prayer, interceding for others and praying effective prayers, marks the trail for those who long to walk in His footsteps.
Prayer isn’t meant to be a one-way conversation, with us speaking and expecting God to do all the listening. In times of prayer, we should also open ourselves up to hear what God wants to say to us, through the Bible, through what godly teachers or preachers say or write, or through getting quiet before Him and opening our hearts to hear His voice speak to us personally.
God can speak to us in many ways: through impressions He gives, thoughts He puts in our minds, through Bible verses or the voice of His Spirit speaking to our hearts. Prayer is communication, and communication is a two-way street. So besides asking God to hear what we are saying to Him, we should also be giving Him the opportunity to speak to us.
Prayer is our means of communicating with God, of coming into and remaining in His presence. As we climb onto our heavenly Father’s lap, as His children, we can ask Him anything, we can trust Him with everything. We can feel His love for us, His assurance, His care.