The Privilege of Prayer

The Privilege of Prayer

One of the great privileges of the people of God is access to God’s presence. The veil has been torn from top to bottom. Having a great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God, we are exhorted to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:14-16). Truly, as members of this everlasting kingdom, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).

As Christians, children of God, our great desire is to commune with Him – the great God that has set His infinite love upon us, when we were worthy only of His wrath and contempt.

How needy we are. Jesus told us to abide in Him. He told us that without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:1-8) In fact, a day without prayer is a day that totally denies the sovereignty of God and glorifies the free-will and self-sufficiency of man. Let us learn to depend fully upon our glorious Lord. Let us seek Him daily that we might bear fruit worthy of His honor.

Help in Prayer

If you desire help in your prayer life (and most of us do!) the first place to go is to God Himself. Confess your prayerlessness and prideful, independent attitude. Come to God in confession. (See Daniel 9:3-19)  Humble yourself before Almighty God and ask Him to teach you God-dependent and God-glorifying prayer from His Word.

More and more we need to learn to pray with open Bibles. Prayerfully read God’s Word – responding to the things that God has spoken.

Praise God for His attributes as He has revealed in the Scriptures. Praise Him for His wonderful works. First and foremost, in your prayers, focus on the God with whom you are privileged to be communing.  Praising God turns naturally into thanking God. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Let all our intercession be for the glory of God, who alone is worthy. Let us pray for His purposes, that He might be glorified in this, His world. Let us cast aside our self-centered wishes and whims, where we act as if we are the all-wise God, and God is our genie. The desire for God’s glory should be the passionate longing of every saint who knows God through Jesus Christ and has been graciously reconciled by His blood.

  God glorifying Prayer

God is glorified in our dependence. He is glorified as the all-sufficient Benefactor that He is. He is glorified when we seek our joy in Him. He is glorified as the only satisfier and we get the joy of having our “thirst” quenched in such a God! Prayer is a delight to God because the wealth of          His grace is magnified and prayer is a delight to me, for the wants of my soul are satisfied.

Prayer is the means through which our sovereign Lord has determined to accomplish His will. Prayer magnifies God. In light of this, we should be eager to imitate our Lord, and be much in prayer. How grateful we should be that He has chosen us to be employed in this high service. How eager we should be to spend much time in prayer … so that in everything God might be glorified through Jesus Christ!