WHAT IS PRAYER? (1)

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” – Mark 11:24

LIGHT FOR NOW: There is need to understand what prayer is and what it entails in details in order to decipher what prayer is not.

We’ve been talking about prayer so far, but the question that we aim to begin to look closely into is, what actually is prayer? It is important to define and know what prayer is not. For so many believers, they have a peripheral understanding or view about prayer. To them, prayer is viewed only as: What you do when you are in a difficult problem or situation. So, to so many, their idea of prayer is only situational or circumstantial, that is, I don’t pray until I’m in trouble or I’m in a difficult situation that needs the help of God. To them, prayer is problem based or needs based and not purposed based. Don’t get this wrong, does prayer encapsulate us presenting our needs before God? Yes, and we will see this. But prayer is beyond that peripheral understanding. First, prayer obviously is making your request known to the father. Notice in our key text “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe…” So prayer is making your desires known to the father. It could also be seen as a strong appeal or fixed request of what you desire. This entails that prayer is voiced; it is spoken or words have to be spoken. Prayer cannot happen by thinking, words have to be spoken.

Notice also, your request or desire is offered to God in prayers; in words spoken and not in a request written on paper. Prayer request is offered to God in prayers and not in paper; that is, in words spoken and not in prayer request written. The Apostles didn’t write prayer request on paper, neither did the epistles teach that. Prayer request are not answered because you wrote it on paper and brought it to the church pulpit for the pastor to receive it and command answers. Prayers are answered when words are spoken, not written in a paper in the name of prayer request. God doesn’t have time to read your prayer request, if he had he would have said in Mark 11:24 “What things soever you desire, write it on paper and bring it to church for the pastor to pray on…” Prayer request written on paper and brought to church for pastor to pray on is not prayer request. Words spoken are the vehicle of prayer. So we don’t write request on paper and bring for God to answer; rather what things soever you desire, when you pray (not when you email God a letter or written prayer request), believe that you receive. You can write your needs on paper, but until you voice it out, then you have not prayed. Prayer is not done on paper, it is done with words. So the culture of bringing request on paper to be prayed in church before God can answer is misleading and not doctrinal. We present our needs and desires to him in words and not on paper. So, prayer begins when words are spoken. Glory! 

INSTRUCTION: Just pray!

CONFESSION: I am given to prayer now more than ever, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: There in no voiceless prayer; if it is prayer, it has to be voiced.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: MARK CHAPTER 10; EVENING: MARK CHAPTER 1