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Why should I pray?
Prayer is not some small or marginal thing. Prayer is at the heart of why God created the universe. According to Isaiah 43:7, God created us for his glory. One of the primary ways God displays his glory in us is by being depended on through prayer. When we, as God’s people, look to him to satisfy all of our needs and wants, we make him look great. It is more glorious to be a giver than a getter, and God is the ultimate giver. In this new year, may we glorify God by being faithful getters; never ceasing to pray, depending on God as the faithful giver he is.
I often find myself wondering what God’s will is. This year, I want to encourage you that God’s will is that we as his creatures ask him for things in prayer. We see this pattern of prayer in the bible; God’s will is that we would pray. Not only does God will and command that we pray, but he delights in our asking of him (Proverbs 15:8). In Revelation 5:8, He tells us that our prayers come to him as sweet smelling incense.
Practical Prayer
Putting prayer into practice is not a small task. Sin can lure us out of prayer. Distraction, lack of follow through, and absent-mindedness can rob us of the joys of prayer. One practice that has helped me to be more steadfast and alert in prayer (Col. 4:2), comes from John Piper. He says he prays in concentric circles. Start with yourself and work your way out from there. For example, I pray for myself, then my family, then my friends, coworkers, then my church, then my community, etc. until I get to the outer circle which is the nations. Consider praying this way, drawing out your own circles, engraving them in you mind and letting the spirit and your heart dictate specific needs in these circles.
-Ben Wright
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