The Practice of Prayer

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” The aged cliché speaks volumes of truth of the effects of prayer. Logically, you may wonder what is it about prayer that can accomplish anything. You think or speak your desires into thin air. There seems to be no one listening. It is as though you talk to yourself in quiet retrospect.
However, our prayers are directed to God, who knows everything, is everywhere, and has all power. It’s incredulous to think that he waits on our directions, our requests, or our pleas, before he can act. Some may reason, “If God knows all and can do all why not just let him run things and don’t bother to talk to him about it.”
We are never to approach the spiritual with carnal logic. Some things will never be logical but they are correct. Jesus didn’t say, “If you pray,” but rather “When you pray.” He gave us examples of prayer and taught us how to pray in the pattern of “the Lord’s prayer.”
He prayed for the will of the Father so we may also seek his will. He prayed before major decisions so we would also seek direction before drawing conclusions. He prayed for others that we would intercede for someone else. He blessed food so we might also consider the giver of our daily bread. Jesus prevailed in prayer that he might be powerful in person. So let us follow his example.