The Doctrine of Prayer
We often complicate the idea of prayer. Does God expect perfect words, a serene setting, a strategically planned list, or a scheduled appointment when we pray? What if we are struggling to know what to say, fighting a bad attitude, or battling temptation? Most simply, prayer is talking with God. The God who knows everything listens to what we tell Him. The God who cannot be contained by space or time meets us wherever we are. The God of all power hears us and can help us. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, every believer enjoys open access to God and a restored relationship with Him. We can talk to God in prayer, and He wants to hear from us. How amazing!
When we pray, all three persons of the Godhead participate. We pray to God the Father1 through the Lord Jesus Christ and because of His atoning sacrifice.2 We pray to and through Jesus, who lived as a man and understands our weaknesses, though He never sinned.3 Amazingly, Jesus remains at the right hand of the Father as our intercessor.4 Our prayers are also offered through the power of the Holy Spirit.5 In fact, when we do not know what to pray or lack the strength to even speak, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.6 We call on the Holy Spirit to fill us with God’s power when we struggle, and we seek the Spirit’s illumination as we study Scripture. God’s presence and power work on behalf of His people when they pray.
What is lost in this life if we ignore or reject God’s gift of prayer? When we fail to pray, we fail to believe that God cares, listens, or can do anything to help us. We disregard who He has revealed Himself to be. Without deliberate words that pierce through this world’s cares to reach for heaven’s hope, we are left with only short-term solutions and a limited perspective on life. Without talking and listening to God, a million confusing voices echo around us. We miss the opportunity to seek truth from our Creator, the author of truth.
We bow before a God who knows our struggles and cares about us. He hears us when we pray. He has the power and purpose to accomplish the greatest good in every situation. Prayer puts a believer in the posture of seeking God and recognizing His exalted status. God does not seek our eloquence—He longs for our hearts. If Jesus, God’s Son, regularly sought time alone to speak with His Father, shouldn’t we?
1. Prayer to the Father: Ephesians 1:17; 3:14
2. Prayer through the Son: Romans 1:8; 5:1-2; Colossians 3:17
3. Jesus understands our weakness: Hebrews 2:17; 4:15; Acts 7:59
4. Jesus’s intercession: Romans 8:34
5. Prayer through the Spirit: Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20
6. Spirit’s intercession: Romans 8:26-27
Resource: Bible Study Fellowship, People of Promise: Kingdom Divided, Lesson 22, The Gospel of John
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