Prayer is not transactional; prayer is transformational.  God is not a Cosmic Vending Machine to satisfy every craving. But for sure, He hears and answers every prayer.

Even those times  we get it wrong, not really knowing what’s best for us,  God is not “tightfisted and resistant, but benevolent and generous.” He delights to meet us in the daily challenges of life.  I have found Him to be my first Resource, not the last resort! We are not without hope or help. At times, I have asked my two best prayer partners to pray for me! Who to better pray for us than Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

“What a blessed privilege to have “such perfect prayer partners lovingly interceding for us.” God guides us and directs our steps through the application of His Word in our praying. He even guides our praying prompting us to intercede for others. Even so, many of us struggle to pray.

The reason we struggle to pray is that we approach prayer as a necessary evil, a discipline and not a delight. No wonder we won’t stay at it for long. “Nothing can take the place of this aspect. It is not about activity or words, language or liturgy,” writes P. Douglas Small. “The essence of prayer is unbroken and unhindered communion with God.”  God is not “tightfisted and resistant, but benevolent and generous,” and He delights to meet us in our days of distress. Fifteen minutes spent in communion with God to begin your day could change the entire trajectory of your day!

We pass by this privilege of prayer at our own peril. 

We’re so busy and pragmatic, we don’t see the value of “stand-alone prayer.” It takes discipline,  but prayer is not a “waste of time.” It is “the most important use of time.” Ponder this forthright video: you are too busy_720p.

Prayerlessness Is far more  problematic and perplexing.  Phillip Yancey asks in his 2006 book,  ”Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference.” At a time when reportedly, “9 out of 10 of us pray regularly, and 3 out of 4 claim to pray every day.”  Many of those Yancey interviewed, acknowledge that prayer is important but not all that satisfying. It is more of a burden than delight.  

Is prayer more of a duty

or is it a delight?

“Prayer is to the skeptic a delusion, a waste of time. To the believer it represents perhaps the most important use of time. Why, then, is prayer so problematic?,” asks Yancey.  The British pastor Martin Lloyd-Jones summed up the confusion: “Of all the activities in which the Christian engages, and which are part of the Christian life, there is surely none which causes so much perplexity, and raises so many problems, as the activity we call prayer” (p.16).

My prayer mentor again, “We fail to see, that somehow, in connection with the mystery of our praying, God works. We continue to attempt to get God to join our work, when prayer, is the gateway to join His work.”

Which is it? Are you drawn by God’s love to pray, or driven by  some dutiful sense of guilt if you don’t.? Guilt is never a good motivation to pray! If all you know to do is cry out (call) to Him, the moment He hears the yearning of your spirit, He will run to meet you. God “yearns jealously” for us (James 4:6). Somebody said it like this: “God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, has a passionate concern for our lives. In fact, His Spirit dwells in us. And He is ready to bless us, meet our needs, and answer our prayers.” I like this: “We go to prayer just as we are with open hands to receive God’s grace. It is “the only  requirement” (pp.30-31).

If that doesn’t provide you with a “WANT-TO” MOTIVATION, I don’t know what will. It’s so much more satisfying than a “HAVE-TO” MOTIVATION. Ask. James 4:2 says, “We have not, because we ask not.” When we ask, we put ourselves in a position to be blessed. Pray your way through the ups and downs, the problems and pandemics of life, whether you feel like it or not. Regular, persistent, resolute, and tenacious daily prayer allows your faith catch up to your feelings.

David often cried out to the Lord pleading with God to accept his prayer as “incense offered to Him” (Ps.141:1-2). When his enemies pushed him to the brink he prayed constantly. He testified, “I look for help, O Sovereign Lord. You are my Refuge” (141:8).  Maybe you just need a place to whine or complain.  Where do you turn? Who cares enough to listen?

One of my wife’s sayings when she hears me whine are the words in bold below. And a friend heard me whining and asked rather sarcasticly, ”Would you like a little cheese with your whine?” Whining is never attractive and no one likes to listen to a steady stream of complaints, except God.

Where do you go when you are feeling OVERWHELMED? Are you CONFUSED about which way to turn? David went to the One and only Person knows “the way I should turn.”  Ever feel that NO ONE CARES one bit what happens to you?  Do what David did: “Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are MY PLACE OF REFUGE. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry for I am very low” (Ps.142).

I’ve spent a lot of time in Psalms 141 to 143 in recent days. I guess one could say I identify with David, my namesake.  I understand that the reason I pray is because the Lord HEARS and ANSWERS and He always gives me a FRESH FLOOD OF PEACE. Whenever I am losing HOPE and things like the recent pandemic begins to paralyze with FEAR, “I lift my hands to God in prayer” (Ps.143).

When “my DEPRESSION deepens,” I pray all the more fervently, “Come quickly Lord, and answer me.”  He never turns me away.  Nor will He turn away from you! He lets us hear of His UNFAILING LOVE each morning, if we are  TRUSTING. When I need GUIDANCE, He’s there to “show me where to walk.” His “gracious Spirit leads me forward on firm footing.”  Now that’s a privilege I dare not forfeit!

So overcome your reluctance. But remember, as Mark Batterson warns, “If you aren’t will to listen to EVERYTHING God has to say, you eventually won’t hear ANYTHING He has to say.” Rout your reluctance and just say YES. Ask God to show you where you are dragging your feet.

You see, when we pray the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, that allows us to become better than our best effort, better than our best thoughts, and better than the best possible version of ourselves.