“And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour?'”
Matthew 26:40
Prayer is described in many ways in Scripture. It is a mystery on the one hand – a powerful reality we will never fully comprehend. Yet it is profoundly simple on the other hand – the simple fact of communication with God that even young children can understand and experience.
1. Prayer is food.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4
After fasting for 40 days Jesus answered the first temptation with these words from Deuteronomy 8:3. The manna God provided for Israel in the wilderness became a picture of God’s generous daily provision for us in prayer. Even when he was literally on the edge of starvation Jesus resisted the temptation to indulge his bodily cravings by clinging to this truth: God’s Word is what sustains us. Communion with Him is our true food and drink.
2. Prayer is light.
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”
Ephesians 1:17-18
Paul’s prayers focus on spiritual insight and perception. The Word of God is a “lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119), but the Holy Spirit illumines God’s Word for us as we pray. If Jesus needed to commune with the Father in prayer during His earthly ministry – to receive guidance and strength – how much more do we need to take time for prayer to align our hearts and lives with the kingdom of God and His will?
3. Prayer is power.
“That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth…”
Ephesians 3:17-18
On our own, we are powerless (John 15:5). Prayer connects us with Jesus, the true vine, and enables His power and life to flow through us so we can bear fruit for His glory. When we don’t pray we are not only trusting in our own understanding and our own plans, but we are trusting in our own abilities and our own strength. In that case we should not wonder that we do not see the power of God manifest among us.
4. Prayer is worship.
“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Revelation 5:8
Our prayers are collected and ascend before the throne of God in heaven as fragrant incense. The priests of Israel in ancient times kept incense burning in the temple at all times as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people. The temple is no longer there, but we are now the temple of the Lord – and our prayers are that incense that rises constantly to our God.
Before going to the cross Jesus withdrew to the garden to pray. He brought his disciples with them, but they could not stay up with him for even one hour as fatigue overcame them. What about us? Indeed, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Not just this weekend as we celebrate Good Friday and Easter, but all through this year let us increasingly be a people who PRAY. Let’s consider prayer our food, our light, our power and our daily invitation to worship. Whether you use the Greenhouse of Prayer (our prayer room) or your own quiet place, let’s grow in our spiritual fitness by practicing prayer!