Verse of the Day
“Are you having troubles? You should pray. Are you happy? You should sing.”
—James 5:13 ERV
Lesson of the Day
Prayer is one of the most essential practices in the life of a believer. Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly instructs His people to pray.
Jeremiah 33:3 says:
“Call to me and I will answer you. I will tell you important secrets. You have never heard these things before.”
—Jeremiah 33:3 ERV
God directly commands the prophet Jeremiah to call upon Him so that He can reveal things Jeremiah does not know.
Jeremiah 29:12–13 says:
“Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.”
—Jeremiah 29:12–13 ERV
In these verses, God instructs the exiled Israelites to call upon Him, pray to Him, and seek Him with all their hearts.
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus teaches His followers about private prayer:
“When you pray, go into your room and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.”
—Matthew 6:6 ERV
In Matthew 26:41, Jesus urges His disciples to watch and pray so that they will not fall into temptation:
“Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”
—Matthew 26:41 ERV
In Philippians 4:6, Paul encourages believers not to be controlled by worry:
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.”
—Philippians 4:6 ERV
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul encourages believers to maintain an ongoing connection with God:
“Never stop praying.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:17 ERV
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus encourages His disciples to approach God persistently and confidently:
“Ask and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you.”
—Matthew 7:7 ERV
He is telling us to:
- Ask God in prayer.
- Seek God and His will.
- Knock—continue pursuing Him and trusting Him to respond.
God, Jesus, and the apostles all emphasized the importance of prayer. That shows us just how necessary prayer is in the life of a believer. Prayer is, in fact, one of our spiritual weapons.
As mentioned yesterday, there are many types of prayer. Before we explore them individually, however, we must first understand how necessary it is simply to pray.
Encouragement
Pray when there is trouble. Pray when there is a need. Pray when you are grateful. Pray when you are happy. Pray when you are sad. Pray when someone else is in need. Pray for your future. Pray for your family. Pray for your friends. Just pray—all the time.
Prayer is a wonderful gift. We have the privilege of talking to our Maker about anything and everything, at any time. He is never too busy to hear our prayers. He does not care whether our words are eloquent or perfectly arranged. He simply wants us to communicate with Him.
God wants us to speak to Him daily and throughout the day. We can pray silently in our minds. We can pray on our knees. We can pray while standing or sitting. We can pray while we are working, and we can pray during playtime. No matter how or where we pray, we should simply do it—and do it continually.
Do not ignore God. He is waiting to hear from you. Open your heart and speak directly to Him. No degree is needed—only a sincere and willing heart.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
What a privilege it is to be able to speak to You. You are above all, and yet we have access to You through Jesus Christ. All we can say is thank You!
We offer You the highest praise. Hallelujah to You, God! Hallelujah to You, Jesus! Hallelujah to You, Holy Spirit!
Today, we want to focus on Your splendor. There is no one like You. We belong to You, and You have graciously called us Your own. Words cannot express our gratitude.
We can pray to You about anything, at any time, knowing that You hear us and will respond according to Your perfect wisdom and will. Thank You for answering our prayers and for keeping the line of communication open between us.
Guide us as we pray. When we do not know what to say, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us. Teach us to pray continually, trust You completely, and remain grateful in every situation.
In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray.
Amen.