Jesus would often go to a secluded area to pray to the Father. He prayed regarding various topics such as his disciples (John 17:9), his enemies (Luke 23:34), and God’s will (Matthew 26:39).
Put simply, prayer is just talking to God. How wonderful is it that we have access to the Creator of the Universe. The one who holds all power and control over everything.
If prayer didn’t change anything, there wouldn’t be much of a point to it. Jesus prayed because he knew the power of prayer.
Here’s how prayer changes things.
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How does prayer change things?
So, how does prayer change things? How does prayer affect your life?
God doesn’t change. He’s the same forever (Hebrews 13:8). So rather than prayer changing God, prayer changes you. It makes you more aware of God’s presence and fosters your relationship with him.
As I bring my requests before God, I start to notice him move in my life. It’s not as if he wasn’t already working in my life. He was. But I became more aware of it as I prayed about it.
Personal Stories of How Prayer Changes Things
God listens and cares about what you’re going through. Many of my prayers have been answered.
Okay, it’s story time… Here’s one story of how prayer changes things.
I have a friend who isn’t a believer. I had plans to hang out with them soon and I wanted an opportunity to share the gospel with them. Although I had the desire to share the gospel, I was afraid of bringing up the topic randomly. I wanted the gospel to come up naturally, so I prayed to God about it.
I asked God if it was possible… if he could bring up the topic organically in conversation with my friend. Guess what happened?
The next time I hung out with my friend – they ended up bringing up the topic of Christianity. All on their own. I didn’t have to prompt them or anything. I was amazed!
God answered my prayer and I was able to segway to the topic of the gospel pretty easily from there.
Could God have done that without my prayer? Yes, he’s in control of everything. God can do whatever he wants. But how cool is it that we get to be apart of the process. It amazes me that we get to partner with God in this way.
10 Things Prayer Does
Prayer changes us, not God. Here are 10 things prayer does!
1) Prayer makes you more thankful.
First, prayer makes you more thankful. I try to start off my prayers with thankfulness. I thank God for everything he has provided me with. If you begin your day with prayer, it sets the tone for the rest of your day.
As humans, we tend to focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we do have. Expressing gratitude for what you do have makes an impact on your attitude and thinking.
2) Prayer grows your relationship with Christ.
Prayer also grows your relationship with Christ. As you pray consistently, you’ll find yourself growing closer to Christ. God is not absent. He is present. You’ll notice God working in your life and answering your prayers.
Note: You may not always like the answer God gives you, but God does answer prayer.
3) Prayer gives you an awareness of spiritual things.
Prayer gives you an awareness of spiritual things. If I don’t pray for a while, I don’t really notice what God is doing in my life. But if I pray consistently, I’m more aware of God’s presence.
I start to see how God’s working in my life.
4) Prayer makes you more like Jesus.
Jesus prayed during his ministry on earth. If Jesus, who is God’s Son, prayed to the Father. How much more should we be praying? Making a practice of praying daily makes you more like Jesus.
The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17).
5) Prayer provides answers and guidance.
Prayer also provides the clarity you need when you desire guidance. There have been many times where I need to make a decision but I’m unsure of what to do. This is when I seek guidance from God about the situation.
Seeking guidance from God is wise. He knows what’s best for you and will direct you well.
6) Prayer helps you fight against temptation.
Prayer helps you in the fight against temptation. When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he gave them a sample prayer. It goes like this,
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV).
Jesus told his disciples to pray like this – to pray against temptation. Why would he do this unless prayer helped?
7) Prayer grounds you as a daughter of Christ.
As you foster your relationship with Christ through prayer, you’re reminded of your status in him. Prayer reminds you of your identity as a daughter of Christ.
It’s the same as when you build your friendships with other people. After a while of building friendships, you’re confident in where you stand in these friendships. The same happens when we build and grow our relationship with God. We become more confident in where we stand with him.
8) Prayer reminds you of God’s promises.
As you start to pray consistently and notice God working in your life, you’re reminded of God’s promises.
One of the promises I’m reminded of as I pray is that God will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He’s always there, always available to talk whenever.
9) Prayer keeps you humble.
Prayer is humbling. I’ve prayed many desperate prayers. I know I can’t do life on my own and admitting that is not the easiest. When you admit that to God in prayer, it’s essentially admitting you have no control and you’re placing control in his hands.
10) Prayer keeps you in communication with God.
Prayer is simply talking to God, so if you’re praying consistently, you’re in constant communication with God. Being in communication is important. It’s how you build your relationship with him.
Stay constant in prayer.
Prayer changes things. Stay constant in prayer, friends. Prayer is important and powerful. It’s the way we communicate with God.
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