The Spiritual Discipline of Prayer

By Pastor Chad

Prayer simply is communication with God. It is talking with (not just to) God. It is a conversation with the divine. 

As Christians, we understand the command to pray. And we have all prayed. Furthermore, we all understand prayer is a spiritual exercise of sorts. Maybe, however, we don’t fully understand the spiritual impact of prayer.  Richard Foster writes, “Prayer catapults us onto the frontier of the spiritual life. Of all the spiritual disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.” It is one of the most effective God-given tools to fellowship with Almighty God. It propels us into a dialogue with the God of all creation. Thus, it isn’t trite small talk; prayer is a special receptor that helps us tune into God. Prayer may not change your current situation or your current circumstances, but it will always change you. In fact, prayer is far more about changing you than changing your current situation. Again, the author Richard Foster writes, “Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.” The beautiful benefit of prayer is that God uses it to mold us in righteousness. That is, the more we pray, the more we grow in righteousness. 

James 5:13 asks, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” The very implication of such a claim demonstrates that prayer makes a difference. Prayer is important because it does change things. That doesn’t mean God will always answer our prayers as requested, but it does mean something happens every time we pray. In prayer, one isn’t simply proposing a wishlist to God. God isn’t a cosmic genie ready and willing to grant our every desire. He is a personal and loving God that wills the good for us, and the good is not what we always want. Prayer is a spiritual discipline that God uses to mold and shape our lives into the image of His Son. That isn’t to say, the change happens instantly, but it is part of the process of sanctification. 

There is perhaps no easier spiritual exercise given to us by God, yet it is conversely one of the hardest to master. If you are anything like me, you probably find prayer hard sometimes. Not that prayer is hard–it isn’t–but the motivation within our hearts is not what it should be. There are many reasons this could be the case. Sometimes, however, one may be apprehensive to pray because he or she doesn’t know what to pray–or what to say. My suggestion is to use the psalms as a guide for your prayer life. More pointedly, pray the psalms. You may find that the psalmists articulate their petitions to God in a way that matches your heart’s longing. The book of Psalms is the prayer book of the Bible for a reason. And it has been used by millions of Christians because, in His providence, God inspired the psalmist to pray in ways we all can relate to, but may not be able to express in our own words.