The Importance of Prayer

Prayer is a vital necessity to the Christian life. It should be the foundation of any ministry. The leaders of American churches today need to become dedicated to a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. As leaders, we set an example for our congregation. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 "Be joyful always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV). Also 1 Timothy 2:1-4 says" I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority. That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (NIV).

Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to pray in the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer is a format that teaches us what to pray for when we pray. If Jesus took the time to teach His disciples to pray, then as His leaders we need to teach our members how to pray effectively. Chapter 14 of the Christian Educator's Handbook on Spiritual Formation is entitled "Following the Lord's Pattern of Prayer" by James Wilhoit . In this chapter, Mr. Wilhoit discusses the significance of praying after the manner of Jesus in the Lord's Prayer. According to Wilhoit, "The Lord's Prayer lays a foundation for true and effective prayer". (Wilhoit, 1997). The Lord's prayer is recorded in both Matthew and Luke. In Matthew it is a part of the Sermon on the Mount and comes at the end of an attack by Jesus on the Pharisees' self-righteous display of prayers. On the contrary, in Luke the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus provided the same prayer in both instances as a model of how to pray effectively.