Step Onto Liquid: Pray

In case you haven't noticed, this blog is called Step Onto Liquid. In my first post I explained that phrase to mean "live by faith." As Christians, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Sometimes this means that we must act like Abraham, and obey God even though we don't know where he is leading us. (Hebrews 11:8) Many times we must trust and obey God even when we can't see the benefit of doing so. We must "step onto liquid." I have decided to periodically write an entry further discussing this theme of living by faith or a specific way we can apply it to our lives. Today I want to talk about prayer.

I believe that prayer is one of the ultimate acts of faith. Let me explain: When you pray, you are not talking to anyone visible. You have faith that you are speaking to God and that he is listening. Also, sometimes it might be hard to see the fruits of prayer, and it may be easy to get discouraged. However, we must have faith, press on, and keep praying, believing that God will answer.

Prayer is all over the Bible. In numerous places, we are commanded to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says, "Pray without ceasing." In Colossians 4:2, Paul says to "continue steadfastly in prayer." Twice in 1 Timothy 2, Paul ugres prayers and intercessions to be made everywhere by all men. Psalm 62 tells us to "pour our heart out before the Lord." Not only are we commanded many times to pray, the Bible also gives us many examples of people who prayed.

Jesus obviously sets the perfect example of prayer. Luke 5:16 says, "But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray." Jesus would habitually go off to a lonely place and spend lengthy amounts of time in prayer with his father. The Bible even speaks of Jesus spendind an entire night in prayer.

Daniel also shows us a commitment to prayer. He would pray facing Jerusalem three times a day. He persisted even when that practice was forbidden and then faced the consequence of being thrown into the lion's den. And we all know that he was miraculously saved.

Elijah was a man who lived a radical life of faith in all areas, but one that stands out is the area of prayer. Elijah prayed in accordance with Scripture that it would not rain, and God answered him with a three and a half year drought. Then Elijah earnestly prayed that it would rain, and God answered with a thunderstorm. James 5 tells us this after saying, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Like the Bible commands and these men show, we should be dedicated to prayer. We must realize that prayer is not something we do just at meal-times because it is a tradition; we must know that God listens when we pray and that the effects of prayer can be mighty. This realization should change the way we pray. If we believe this, we will pray earnestly and consistently. We should through prayer be seeking the salvation of those we know. We should always be lifting up the spiritual walks of our friends, that they would grow. "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him." (James 5:14) Finally, we should be praying for ourselves, earnestly desiring to flee sin and draw near to God.

Prayer is powerful, but it requires faith. If we do not believe that our prayer has any profit, we simply will not pray. But we do know otherwise. We know through faith that a mighty God who possesses perfect wisdom, power, and love listens to our prayers. We can rest assured that God loves us and wants the best for us, and through his wisdom he knows what is best for us, and by his power he can do what is best for us. Therefore, if we believe this, let us step onto liquid. Let us be people of prayer.