HLP

Why Should We Pray?

by Chantal R. | @chantal_iam

Through conversation, two can break down walls and build bridges. Prayer strengthens bonds and rekindles flames. It brings forgiveness, healing, hope, and friendship.

Communication through conversation is the sower and root of all friendships. It is no different with God. God is longing to be our friend and His desire to talk to us is stronger than all else.

Philippians 4:6-7 says that in EVERYTHING we should bring our prayers to God, for God wants to hear us. He wants to hear our pain, our sorrows, our joys, our victories, and everything in between.

He is a friend that wants to talk and communicate, that our friendship with Him may grow and deepen. He wants to give us forgiveness and healing.

Sometimes it may seem useless to pray because most times we won’t audibly hear His reply. But Jesus hears and listens to every word we say, and speaks back to us though we may not realize it.

He talks to us through the Holy Spirit, our conscience, and the Bible. We must only listen and ask God to prepare our hearts so that we may hear His voice.

Jesus is waiting to be your friend and confidant today; why don’t you communicate with Him and pray?

Why Should We Pray Together?

by Anella P. | @anellapoljak

I think that the Bible encourages us to pray together because there is a unique experience and blessing that we can gain only by praying with others.

Throughout the Scriptures, we can see many examples of how effective and important individual prayer is but, as a result, we shouldn’t overlook the examples of when united prayer achieved incredible things.

Community and fellowship are essential and extremely necessary parts of our Christian walk and that is why I believe Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “… For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” and why James said in James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Praying and coming before God with others who are like minded believers, not only adds power to prayer, but also creates a bond and encourages a unity that helps make the church not only a gathering, but a family.

Why Should We Ask For Prayer?

by Andrés L. | @andressland

The reason we pray is because God wants us to have a connection with him.

God works through his Holy Spirit, but even then we can always get closer to God by prayer.

In 1 Peter 3:12 He promises us that He will listen, and that if we ask He will answer.

All He wants from us is a relationship because He is our creator. All we need to do is let Him in.

When Should We Pray?

by Ethan D. | @ethan.deee

Famous baseball player, Satchel Paige, once wrote, "Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."

We all know that prayer is beneficial to our lives and it helps strengthen our relationship with Christ, but people often wonder WHEN we should pray. Well, the answer is obvious yet often dismissed. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you." Pray without ceasing.

Never stop praying. Such a clear demand yet we struggle so much to follow through with it. We get so caught up in the day to day things that we get distracted from our relationship with God. You have to get the newest phone, watch the latest show, or hop on the most recent trend. Our 24 hours get consumed by things that eventually squeeze God out of our schedule.

Once you realize God is out of your hypnotic cycle you eventually find yourself asking, "How can I put God in my routine?" "When should I pray in order to get my daily dose of Christ?" We tend to lose focus of what God's original timeless command is. "Pray without ceasing." Involve prayer in every aspect of your life. When you wake up to when you finally sleep. Talk to Him during your afflictions and troubles, but also in your times of blessing and prosperity. Have your days be filled with prayer with God. Look for reasons to pray, and try and set aside time in your schedule to be alone and pray.

One of the best examples of someone who took "pray without ceasing" as a rule of life was General Stonewall Jackson. As a general in the Confederate army during the Civil War, Jackson was a devout believer. His wife wrote an excerpt about him that wrote,

"A friend once asked him what was his understanding of the Bible command to be “instant in prayer” and to “pray without ceasing.” “I can give you,” he said, “my idea of it by illustration, if you will allow it, and will not think that I am setting myself up as a model for others I have so fixed the habit in my own mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without lifting my heart to God in thanks and prayer for the water of life. Then, when we take our meals, there is the grace. Whenever I drop a letter in the post-office, I sent a petition along with it for God's blessing upon its mission and the person to whom it is sent. When I break the seal of a letter just received, I stop to ask God to prepare me for its contents, and make it a messenger of good. When I go to my class-room and await the arrangements of the cadets in their places, that is my time to intercede with God for them. And so in every act of the day I have made the practice habitual.” “And don't you sometimes forget to do this?' asked his friend. 'I can hardly say that I do; the habit has become almost as fixed as to breathe.” "

How Should We Pray?

by Tanner F. | @tanfisher19

One of my favorite quotes about prayer can be found in the book Prayer by Ellen White.’

“Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God.”

Neglecting prayer is like neglecting to breath! It ought to be something that we do intentionally and often. Just before Jesus shares what is commonly known as the “Lord's Prayer”, we see in the narrative that He first gives us some instructions regarding in what manner we are to pray. He says in verse 6 to “Enter into thine closet.” This boils down to humility. When we pray, it needs to be something special between just us and God.

It’s not for show. We don’t ask people to look at us right before we take a big breath of fresh air. Why should it be any different with the breath of the soul?