While growing up, one of the songs I learned in Sunday school says, “Prayer is the key, prayer is the key, prayer is the master key, Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer; prayer is the master key.”
Prayer opens all doors; it solves anything and everything. Hearing that prayer does this, it is safe to conclude that prayer is essential. Therefore, if you desire to see God working in your life, you need to pray. If you desire to see a transformation in your life, if you want to be transformed in your mind, thoughts, and heart, you need to pray. If you desire to experience a breakthrough or be victorious over circumstances and challenges, you need to pray. Most importantly, if you desire to experience the presence of God and want to develop and strengthen your relationship with Him, you need to talk to Him.
How then do you talk to the Lord? You pray.
Prayer is simply an act of communication between man and God. Note the parties involved: “man and God,” not “man and man”. It is the link between the spiritual realm and the physical world. Another definition of prayer could be asking God to do what He has already promised to do. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Mark 11:24 states, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
How often can you talk to Him? As often as you pray.
How much time can you spend talking to Him? As much time as you spend in prayer.
The book of James, chapter 5, verses 13–18, is a powerful passage of Scripture regarding prayer.
James 5:13-18 (NKJV)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing
psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he
has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The effective, [b]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not
rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
The word “pray” was mentioned 7 times in the above passage. Remember, the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. This is to show that the constant repetition of the word “prayer” in the former scripture is not a coincidence; it is meant to call our attention to the importance of prayer.
In verse 17, the Bible says Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. The amplified version further breaks it down: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.”
Why does the Bible mention this? Why is it important for us to know that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours? I believe the reason is that many people may view Elijah as a unique or very special person, but the Bible is making it clear to us that he was just like anyone else. Now the focus is not on Elijah, but rather on his relationship with God. He prayed, and God acted; he prayed, and God answered. My message to you is that you should focus on your relationship with God. God is still in the habit of answering prayers. Where there is a man to pray, there is a God to answer.
1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
God still answers prayers; it may not be exactly how you want Him to answer, it may not be when you want Him to answer. But remember, the effective fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much. If you’d like to rededicate your life or surrender to Him today as your Saviour and Lord, say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life. I accept you today as my Lord and Saviour; help me know you more, help me to walk in your precepts. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”