Transforming Agency of Prayer

UV 3305/10000 Transforming Agency of Prayer
So do not be like them praying as they do; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6 v 8

Our Father in heaven knows our needs before we ask Him. Hence, our prayers are to be focused not on our needs but be overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Only a grateful heart can offer thanksgiving continually. Only a joyful heart can offer praise continually. Only a humble heart can worship the Lord. Gratitude, joy and humility then are the foundation of a fruitful prayer life. The priorities of the Lord should supercede the priorities of our lives.

We should never forget the benefits of salvation in Christ. He has set us free from many restrictive beliefs and practices that man-made religion imposes on us. He has set us free from fears, insecurity about the future, guilt about the past, tension about the present. He has provided for all of our needs of spirit, mind and body. We are complex beings with not just physical needs but spiritual needs, emotional needs, intellectual needs, social needs. We should prioritise our spiritual, emotional, intellectual needs, social needs over our physical needs. Even the beasts and birds of nature that primarily only have physical needs do not spend a moment worrying about how it is going to meet these needs of food, clothing and shelter. How much less should we worry about our physical needs and focus on our need of wisdom, grace and mercy of the Lord, the blessings of the Triune God on our spirit, minds and bodies.

We find our security in the foreknowledge of the Lord. He cares deeply for us. He anoints us or prepares us to be fruitful. He has plans to bless, prosper and help us. Our prayers reflect the quality of our faith and our relationship with the Lord. It should not be a litany of wishes and requests but an epiphany of adoration and exaltation of the name, person and word of the Lord. Our prayer life should be pleasing to the Lord and not a continuous flow of complaints and desires. It should be in sharp contrast to the prayers of the religious minded, the hypocrite, the faithless. One judge once told me these wise words- ”positivise, prioritise and prayerise.” Whatever be our problems, our programs, our goals, we should convey it to the Lord in prayer. Confiding in Him our deepest burdens and secrets is a sign of utmost trust. Every prayer we make should see us closer to the Lord. It should cause a change in our character, our impact, influence and contribution.