The Necessity of Prayer

Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit (James 5:16-18).

Prayer represents an important but often neglected aspect of our lives as Christians. It represents one of the simplest actions that we can do, yet one that requires diligence, patience, self-control, and desire, to fully accomplish.

Prayer simply means "petition." God wants us to petition Him and to bring our needs, cares, and concerns to Him (Philippians 4:6). He requires this not because He does not know what we need-- He requires it because He does know what we need (Matthew 6:32)! Prayer is an exercise for the Christian for his or her own good: in prayer, we learn to commune with God, and fully depend on Him for strength.

Far too many look at prayer as a form of "divine 911": in times of great need or duress, and we feel as if we have run out of options, then we will pray to God for assistance or guidance. While God does seek our prayers and desires to aid His children, He expects prayer to be a habit, an important part of the life of a Christian, and not just a rare feat in times of emergency. Paul indicates that Christians should "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which indicates the continual notion of prayer. While we may not pray 24hours a day, 7 days a week, we should constantly be in communication with God our Father. This is what Paul means by "continuing steadfastly in prayer" in Romans 12:12!