SATURDAY April 23, 2022

The Necessity of Prayer

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Colossians 4:2-4

As we return to complete the book of Colossians, Paul concluded his letter to the believers in Colosse with an exhortation to earnestly pray. Prayer draws us into an intimate time of fellowship with God. A disciplined life of prayer will give a believer the necessary strength and power to accomplish God’s will. It is important to know that we can accomplish nothing in our own strength. If we are to achieve great things for God, our dependency must be on prayer.

Paul and Peter were men of prayer; they achieved so much in building God’s kingdom. In history, great men of God were men of prayer. Consider this statement made by Martin Luther:

If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business, I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.

Even though Jesus was 100% God and 100% human, he often prayed early in the morning: Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed (Mark 1:35). He sought seclusion to pray to the Father:

And when He [Jesus] had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there (Matthew 14:23).

Prayer is a formidable weapon against Satan and his demons. Ephesians 6:18 tells us: ...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Prayer is as oxygen to the Christian life; without prayer, we would not survive. We do not pray just for ourselves, but for all the saints––believers. Pray! Pray! Pray! Do not stop praying as prayer gives life to the Church.

We must wrestle earnestly in prayer, like men contending with a deadly enemy for life.
~J.C. Ryle~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!