Some things stand the test of time because they work. Others fall by the wayside altogether or are improved upon because they either don’t live up to the hype or fail to meet the expectations of those who were promised something other than what was delivered.
The earliest evidence of the wheel’s invention dates back to
around 3500 BC, and since then, the wheel has remained largely unchanged in
design, as it has proven effective. Men have added spokes, removed spokes, and
made wheels thicker or thinner depending on their needs, but as far as its
overall design and aesthetic, a wheel remains a wheel and will forever be so.
There was no improvement in the design of the wheel. No new
company was blazing a trail in the realm of innovation by introducing a square
or oval wheel, as it would have been less ideal than the original and likely
would have failed to capture a market share.
This was not the case for home entertainment. Back in the
day, it started with Betamax as the rage, quickly replaced by VHS, then
progressed to laser disc, DVD, and finally, the current iteration, which is
streaming. While Betamax ruled the roost for a season, it was quickly replaced
by better technology because there was room for improvement.
I’ve spent countless hours and even written books on prayer,
not because I found an untapped niche but because throughout the history of
man, ever since the forefathers of the faith through the present day, prayer is
one of the handful of things that has been proven to work time and again.
Throughout time, every outstanding, noteworthy, or
extraordinary man or woman of God has had a robust and consistent prayer life.
There are no exceptions to this fact, and since success leaves clues, if the
desire of your heart is to grow in God and walk in the fullness of Him, a
prayer life is indispensable.
There are no workarounds, no bypasses, and nothing you can do
to replace prayer in your faith walk. You can’t outsource it or hire someone to
do it on your behalf. You can’t pay a televangelist to pray, so you don’t have
to. It’s something you have to do consistently and faithfully, whether in good
times or bad. Anyone who insists otherwise is a liar, and the truth is not
found in them.
Given the weight and importance of prayer, this study will
focus on the principles thereof. We will be discussing the consecration of our
prayers, the quality of our prayers, the quantity of our prayers, the constancy
of our prayers, and the consequences of our prayers. It will by no means be
exhaustive, but it will establish a foundation and, Lord willing, reveal the
indispensable need for us as individuals to grow, mature, and consistently
expand our prayer lives.
The practical application of a principle beats and
consistently surpasses the theoretical knowledge of it every day, all day, so
the point of this study isn’t to dissect the theory of prayer so much as to
practically apply it to our daily lives.
The benefits of a consistent, dedicated prayer life are too
many to count, and the dangers of having a subpar prayer life are far greater
than we would like to believe. Much of the lackluster performance of the
modern-day church can be directly traced back to its foregoing prayer because
it deemed it too cumbersome and unpopular, likely not a selling point for those
who are looking for more of a social club than they are true and undefiled
worship.
If God’s desire is for His house to be called a house of
prayer, why is it anything other than what He desires it to be? Do we think we
know better than God? Do we believe that modern techniques for drawing a crowd
or filling a sanctuary can replace the need for prayer, whether corporate or
individual?
There can be no life better spent than a life dedicated to
prayer. Yet, somehow, it has fallen out of favor with the vast majority of
Christendom because it’s not showy or bombastic enough. Prayer is not a chore;
it is a grace. It’s the invitation, ability, and opportunity to have fellowship
with the God who spoke the universe into being, to know Him more fully, and to
feel His presence in a way that only its practice can facilitate.
Contrary to popular opinion, prayer isn’t about presenting
God with a laundry list of needs we want to be met or problems we need solving,
but rather communion and communication, fellowship, and intimacy that
strengthens the bond of the relationship we desire to have with Him.
Whether spiritual gifts, a stronger faith, boldness,
endurance, comfort, wisdom, or direction, they all flow out of a robust prayer
life, and without it, we are less than what we can be, or should be, when it
comes to spiritual strength and fortitude.
If the average believer understood the true import of prayer,
there would be no need for extra motivation to pray because they would perceive
it as the fundamental need that it is in order to achieve a strong and robust
spiritual man, and therefore, would make time for it no matter what was going
on in their lives. It is only when we understand the value of something that we
prioritize it correctly, and so few make prayer part of their daily routine
because they haven’t assigned it its proper value.
Although prayer must become as consistent as waking up in the
morning, brushing our teeth, and combing our hair if we are follically blessed,
part of a daily routine of sorts, it can never become routine. There must be a
hunger, an anticipation, an eagerness, and an expectation whenever we come
before God because it is a time we set aside to commune with Him and know that
He is listening.
The road I usually take to work is under construction and
likely will be through the summer. They started posting signs a month before
starting to tear the road apart, informing the public of the start date; there
are big orange detour signs insisting that the road is closed. Yet, due to
muscle memory and being used to driving the same road every morning for years
on end, more often than not, I find myself having to turn around and find an
alternate route because the way is so ingrained in my mind that I fail to
remember the closure.
We cannot approach prayer in like manner. Although it becomes something ordinary as far as consistent practice, it must remain extraordinary with every iteration. The reality that every time we come before God in prayer, we have the honor of speaking to Him, pouring out our hearts, and thanking Him for his many blessings should be something that never grows dull or something we cease being in awe of.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea, Jr.
Posted on 11 April 2025 | 10:59 am
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