Daily devotion – Praying, Lord help me.
Do I Really Pray?
This morning I have been asking myself a very personal question:
How important is prayer in my life?
Not how important do I say prayer is, but how important is it really—in my walk with God, in my marriage, in my family, in my parenting, in my ministry, and in my own spiritual health?
The truth is, it is possible to know a great deal about God and still be weak in our walk with Him. We can know the Scriptures, know the right things to say, and know what we should do, yet still find ourselves easily defeated because knowing is not the same as depending upon God.
And perhaps this is one reason we see so many Christian homes and families struggling. We know much, but do we pray much?
I sometimes hear questions like:
If God already knows everything, why do I need to pray?
If God has already planned His purposes, does prayer really change anything?
If God is in control and His will is going to happen anyway, why witness, read the Bible, or serve Him?
The answer is simple: God has chosen to work through the means of prayer, His Word, our witness and our service.
Yes, God is sovereign. He will accomplish His purposes. But in His sovereignty, He has graciously chosen to use us.
James reminds us:
“You do not have because you do not ask God.”
— James 4:2
Prayer matters.
God uses our prayers to bring His blessings, accomplish His purposes, strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Himself. Prayer is not informing God of something He doesn’t know. Prayer is bringing my heart into dependence upon the God who knows everything.
That challenges me personally.
Am I praying as though everything depends upon God, while serving as though everything depends upon me?
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of prayer. When he prayed for the believers at Ephesus, one of the things he asked was:
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
— Ephesians 1:17
Paul’s prayer was not simply that they would know more about God, but that they would know God better.
That is where I want to be.
I can read my Bible and gain knowledge. I can listen to teaching and learn truth. I can serve in ministry and remain busy doing things for God. But above everything else, I need to know God more personally and intimately.
Wisdom is not simply knowing something; it is knowing how to use what I know rightly. And true spiritual understanding comes from God.
So today, my prayer is:
“Lord, help me not simply to know more about You. Help me to know You more.”
I want prayer to be more than something I do when I have a problem. I want it to be the daily expression of my dependence upon God.
I want to pray for my marriage.
I want to pray for my family.
I want to pray for those I love who do not yet know Christ.
I want to pray for our church.
I want to pray for my own spiritual strength.
I want to pray before I serve.
I want to pray before I speak.
I want to pray when I don’t know what to do.
Because prayer is not a last resort.
Prayer is dependence upon God.
And perhaps the greatest question I can ask myself today is not, “Do I believe in prayer?”
It is:
“Am I actually praying?”
Lord, teach me to pray. Help me to seek You first, depend upon You completely, and know You more each day. May my prayer life become evidence that I truly believe that You are God, that You are in control, and that You have graciously chosen to work through the prayers of Your people.
“Lord, I want to know You more.”