If My People Pray : Why Must We Pray?

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Pastor Randy cites about our attitudes toward prayer in his book “If My People Pray.”

Here’s what he says:

Do we really believe that God hears and answers prayer? Are we convinced that prayer makes a difference — that unlimited power is made available to us through prayer? Do we really feel a need for prayer? What is our true attitude concerning this?

Here are a sampling of attitudes about prayer that keep us off our knees.

Prayer as Exercise

Many of us view prayer the same we do exercise — it’s a drag. We know exercise is good for us. It relieves stress, improves the circulation, strengthens the heart, boosts the energy level and improves physical appearance. Some claim that exercise even enhances one’s sex life.

But despite  these valid and desirable benefits, many of us would rather keep lifting a fork to our mouths than lift weights. Exercise is boring, painful and just too much trouble. . .

Sadly, this is how too many of us view prayer. We know prayer is good. Deep down in our spirits, we know that prayer is important — that it strengthens our relationship with God, relieves stress, boosts our faith, and is the source of unlimited spiritual power.

But despite these valid and desirable benefits, many of us view prayer as boring, painful, and just too much trouble.

Prayer as Discipline

Another attitude that must be changed is the one that views prayer as discipline.

This is the eat-your-spinach-because-it’s-good-f0r-you approach to prayer. We pray because “prayer is to the soul what breathing is to the body.” You can’t do without air, right! Neither can you do without prayer… Prayer is is a spiritual discipline that will make us grow into strong Christians…

In David Winter’s Closer Than a Brother (a modern-day reinterpretation of Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence), “Laurie,” as Brother Lawrence is referred to in this book, responds to a question about set hours of prayer or quite times like this:

“Well — yes, I do have set times of prayer, and I believe they are a useful discipline, especially for a beginner . . . a learner as you might say. . . Set times of prayer are valuable in order to form a habit of conversation with God, and — as I said — referring all we do to him. They aren’t the end itself, but means to an end. The end is God: being with him, living in his presence and under his control.”

Prayer as Relationship

My wife is my best friend. Everything in my life is better because of her. I enjoy her company, and I hate being separated from her…

When I come home from work, we often fight the kids off so we can spend the first few moments of our reunion snuggling, catching up on each other’s day, and reconnecting after an 11-hour separation. Yes, I ‘m proud to say that 15 years of marriage and 3 children haven’t slowed my heart rate one beat for this woman who shares my name and my life.

Imagine. . . how long would it take for her to be bored out of her mind with me if I said the same thing in the same way at the same time in the same sequence day after day after day?

How absurd! You can’t have an enjoyable relationship under these circumstances.

If this is how we keep our own human relationships vital and fresh, what makes us think our relationships with God can be kept vital and fresh with the same old prayer day in and day out?

We love variety — so does God! . . .

If prayer is boring to you, check your conversation. Are you stuck in a rut, praying the same thing with almost the same words over and over again?

I love what F.  Laubach said about this.

The notion that religion is dull, stupid and sleepy is abhorrent to God, for He has created infinite variety and He loves to surprise us. If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are.  Shake out of it, and approach Him in one of the countless fresh directions.

And Maltbie D. Babcock hit the target when she said:

Our prayers must mean something to us if they are to mean anything to God.

I acknowledge that there are times when we’re dealing with circumstances or situations that require perseverance. I’m not talking about these here. God doesn’t weary with our daily pleas for our children or for the healing of a marriage that appears to be over.

No. I’m talking about the kind of praying we do when we put our minds on “cruise” and rattle off pet phrases without even thinking about what we’re saying. But even if this is the best we can offer, God still accepts it and us just as we are. He just wants us to come.

Begin to view prayer, not as exercise or discipline, but as relationship — sharing life with your best friend.

Source:  If My People Pray, Randy Maxwell, pp. 98-103
If you are interested to get his book, you can get details here.

Creative Prayer Ideas from Pastor Randy’s “If My People Pray”:

• “If My People Pray” – Too Bored to Pray?
• Creative Prayer Ideas for Personal Prayer – “If My People Pray”
• More Creative Prayer Ideas: Personal Prayer

Other Creative Prayer Idea(s):

• Creative Prayer Idea: Five-Finger Prayer

Helpful Books on Creative Prayer

More Creative Prayer – Helpful Resources Here

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