Pray

Pray for each other.. James 5:16 (NIV)

I would not describe myself as a prayer warrior. I pray regularly throughout the day, most of it is informal communication. But I know those who really can pray. They spend hours at a time, in earnest intercession on behalf of others, deeply connected with God. I cannot say that I am at this level of prayer, or if I will ever possess this kind of gift. But that doesn't mean I, and you, are not called to active prayer.

This simple phrase from James makes a very powerful statement. Merely praying for each other can do so much good, whether we spend several minutes or several hours doing it. I think because we often view prayer as one-sided communication with God, we tend to discount the importance of it. The lack of instant feedback drains some of the excitement. Prayer is not the same as calling your best friend and getting her immediate opinion or response. It is not like asking someone for advice or what to do. Prayer is a private connection between a person and God. It requires faith. It requires patience and discernment. You must be tuned in to God and you must pay attention to some subtle signals sometimes. Rarely do you get an instant response. Yet the importance of it does not diminish. An active prayer life leads, ironically, to a more active prayer life. It is one of those things that feeds itself to some extent, and when you get in the habit of talking to God, you tend to hear him more clearly as well. Prayer is not one-sided. Bringing to the Lord our concerns, our fears and our praises is one way to worship Him. Worshipping Him moves us closer to Him. Our relationship grows when we talk to God, no matter what it is about. Jesus, the very embodiment of God and humanity, prayed all the time!

Talking to God is something simple and easy to do, yet so often we neglect it or do not take it seriously. We mumble off a few well-worn phrases and let that be the total of our conversation. Then we wonder why God does not answer our prayers. Putting energy, emotion and part of ourselves into our communication is important. Submission has an awful lot to do with it as well. Hebrews 5:7 says that Jesus' prayers were heard because He offered them in "reverent submission." God is not our magic wish machine, but the One who is in control of every situation. Being in touch with the Creator of all, yielding to His divine power and will can only help in any situation. He might not give us the answer key for the test He allows us to go through, but He will direct us on how to study for it.

God, grow in me the desire and ability to communicate with You. Open my heart so that I maybe open to You. Remind me that You are there for me to talk to, about anything. Amen.

Nikki Hamsher