There are two things that I’ve noticed about prayer over the years. First, we love to study and talk about prayer. Second, we don’t pray so much.
When I was pastoring, I could plan almost any event at the church and have lots of people come but schedule a prayer meeting and the same few showed up.
Romans 12 is a wonderful, practical chapter in a book that is largely theological. There are three practical attitudes commanded in verse 12: “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
What a list. All three are important but that last one, “faithful in prayer,” is vital. Vital, and may I add confusing?
Why pray? Doesn’t God know all our needs already? Are we trying to change God’s mind? Does He just need more information, or a better viewpoint to make a better decision?
Lately I wonder if we are actually praying or just ‘posting’ our requests. Do we think we can gang up on God by getting hundreds or even thousands of people to pray our request?
These are legitimate questions to be explored and understood. No matter how we answer those questions, the command is there to pray … and to be faithful in prayer … to our Omniscient, Sovereign Lord and Master.
Maybe the greater question to consider as we pray today is … just who is supposed to change when we pray? I bet it is not God!
