The Importance of Prayer

Prayer:  A willful communication to God in adoration, thanks, confession, supplication and intercession.  Prayer is something that all believers in Christ should be partaking in.  You cannot make it in your walk with God if you are not  intimately communicating with Him.  Praying to God is not going to be all about yourself, but it will be about God and about others.  Prayers are not vindictive or hateful.  Prayer along with its ofther components of fasting and daily reading/studying God's Word will surely keep you grounded and prevent you from falling into the traps that are surely set up for you to fail and fall.  

Now we will explore the willful act of communiction with God.

• ADORATION:  A deep love, respect and reverence to God.  Worship and giving honor to God.  It is acknowledging God for who He is.  Deuteronomy 6:5- And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might.  This is a time in prayer when you express just who and what God really means to you.  You tell how loving, kind, pure, holy, righteous, longsuffering and all-knowing; all-powerful and ever present He is.  This won't be hard for one to do who is in constant fellowship and a personal relationship with Him.
• THANKS:  An expression of gratitude.  We acknowledge God for what He has done.  Psalm 34:1-2- I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord.  The humble shall hear thereof and be glad.  We should always find ourselves in a posture of thanks unto God.  He allowed His Spon to die on the cross so that we are able to give Him thanks freely.  He allows His Spirit (The Holy Ghost) to keep us, to lead us, to teach us and guide us in the way of all truth and righteousness.
• CONFESSION:  The admitting of one's guilt and transgression committed against God and others. 1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  We must admit to God that we have sinned against Him and others whether it was done willfully or unwillingly.  The truth of the matter is we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory even in our salvation.  We as believers in Jesus Christ should not want or desire to be ensnared by that which God has brought us our of.  We should not be continuing in sin and expect grace to abound, God forbids this.  When we are truly godly sorrowful we won't go back to the bondage that He has delivered us from.
• SUPPLICATION:  To ask earnestly and humbly of God for help in every area of our lives.  Philippians 4:6-7- Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.  In this part of prayer we ask God to help us where we are weak; for strength to stand; those provisions we need in our lives and some things that we want.  As you draw closer to God your prayers will be those that are in His will.  God is not a genie in a bottle where you rub the side of it and make three wishes.  God is your Father and He knows just what you stand in need of.  He is just waiting on us to approach Him earnestly, humbly and lovingly so that He can supply all of our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
• INTERCESSION:  The act of intervening for another person/persons in prayer.  Standing in the gap for another before God in prayer.  Ephesians 6:18- Praying always with all prayer and supplication watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

IN CONCLUSION

We should always have a spirit of prayer.  When we see others falling, in need, or going through something, just say a prayer for them.  We should be praying for our spiritual leaders and secular leaders.  Man ought to always pray and not faint.  We won’t always be on our knees in prayer but we can surely have a mindset and a heart to pray for everyone.  The truth of the matter is that we have not been saved all of our lives and somebody prayed for us.  Let’s pray for one another; this city; this world and for all people and watch God begin to change things.

REMEMBER PRAYER CHANGES ALL THINGS, PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES!