The Value of Prayer

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep . . .”

“God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for this food.”

“Rub-a-dub-dub, thank You for the grub.”

Okay, I digress.

The prayers of childhood stick with us. In a sense, they taught us how to pray. We learned to talk to God, who hears us. The prayers were simple. They were rote. In our childhood hearts, maybe we meant every word we prayed. God sees the heart, and He looks on children with compassion–the prayers weren’t wasted. But, if we never grew beyond rote childhood prayers, we’re missing out.

There’s so much more to prayer.

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)

God longs to reveal Himself to us, but He doesn’t force His way into our lives. He stands at the door and knocks. We have to respond to His invitations to pray. Like a parent wanting to connect with much-loved children, He waits for us. He sits ready to listen and act on our behalf.

Like children, we can come to Him just as we are. We don’t have to change anything about ourselves to pray. We can use our normal voice as we engage in honest conversation with Him. There’s nothing to memorize. There’s no required posture. It’s okay to sit, stand, walk, or kneel. An occasional faceplant can be humbling in a healthy way. (Sitting with eyes open is preferable if driving!)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

If it’s on our hearts or minds, we can pray about it. We can bring to Him current life issues or longtime hopes and dreams. We know we need to pray for others, but we need to remember to pray for ourselves, too. We can pour our hearts out about random concerns, or we can pray through a list. When we release our prayers to the Lord, He gives us peace. Even though we don’t know how He’ll answer, we know we can trust Him.

Our requests can be about more than physical needs. We can pray for relationships to be healed, spiritual growth, and wisdom in decision making. If it matters to us, it matters to Him–nothing is too small.

Sometimes, I have a hard time staying focused while praying because a problem keeps popping up. I try to ignore it–like pushing and holding an inflated beach ball under water when I need to be praying about the problem that insists on popping to the surface. If I would toss that “beach ball” to God in prayer, I could move on to other things.

“But He [Jesus] would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Luke 5:16 (ESV)

We can pray anywhere, anytime. In private, we can be fully transparent before the One who knows everything about us. Jesus often sought solitary places to pray. But, our prayer lives are not relegated to closed quarters. We can send up a “Please, God, help!” or “Praise God!” while running errands, folding laundry, or sitting in the carpool line. There are times when it makes sense to pray in community with others.

We can pray before the confrontation, after the doctor’s diagnosis, when the car dies and the bills are due. God listens to our prayers and acts on our behalf; He grants grace and strength for each situation. The hope is that we live in an ongoing attitude of prayer.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9 (ESV)

Prayer is a time to make things right with God. We all sin, and sin separates us from God. We need forgiveness, and thankfully, He wants to forgive. Confession restores our relationship with Him. It is good to be right with the Lord. He will not turn away from someone who confesses their sin with a humble heart. He is a God of love, mercy, and grace.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

Prayer provides a way to thank God for His daily gifts. Naming the gifts affirms that I realize who gave them. When I see how He has provided in the past and present, I grow to trust Him with the future. Gratefulness replaces my natural tendency to harbor a negative outlook.

Giving thanks for all things sheds new light on difficult life issues. We begin to realize we can trust God with whatever He allows and that He can work any situation for good–that’s just who He is. God doesn’t reveal His total will to us, but we do know that it is His will that we thank Him in all circumstances. (Yes, that’s what it says!)

“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” Psalm 113:3 (ESV)

Through prayer, we can praise God for His amazing creation, His endless grace, and His sovereignty . . . just to name a few. Praise affirms that we know who God is, keeps Him on the throne, and the rest of us in our place. In childlike wonder, we praise Him.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

A beautiful thing happens as we pray. When we place our hopes in the Lord, our prayers begin to work in unison with His purposes. We begin to want what He wants. He refreshes us and changes our outlook. He strengthens us where we are weak.

Perhaps the overriding value of prayer is that it not only changes the world around me, it changes me. Now that’s valuable.

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Prayer tips:

Take a prayer walk! Yes, you can pray with eyes open.

When telling someone you’ll pray for them, write it down so you don’t forget. Another idea is to pray with that person or right after parting ways.

Attach prayer times to other routine habits, like before meals, before bedtime, on the way to work, etc.

Try writing out prayers in a journal. It’s fun to go back and see how they were answered.

Pray Bible verses for loved ones and mark those passages with dates and names. You’ll be creating a history book of answered prayers.

Patty Perkins is a Contributor for Humble Faith Ministries and the author of Prayer: Inviting the Lord Into Everyday Life. She enjoys long walks with her husband and gathering friends and family around her kitchen table. She and her husband love living back home in Kentucky and are grateful for their growing family. They have two grown sons who are married and two grandchildren they adore.

Join Patty and Executive Director Chrissie Angell on November 2, 2024, for Books & Brunch in Elizabethtown, KY. You can learn more and register here.