Prayer That Changes Things

Indeed, prayer has a powerful effect on how we carry out our lives. Jesus advised us to, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation" (Matthew 26:41), indicating that there is an effect that prayer has on our ability to stand strong in a contrary world. There is a direct and indirect influence on our conduct that comes through conversing with God on a regular basis.

But this profound influence on ourselves is not the only aim of prayer.

Prayer as a discipline, without the objectives of improving our fellowship with the Father and positioning ourselves to be His instruments in advancing the purposes of His Kingdom, would be a dry and selfish thing.

Praying regularly makes us ready to pray in an instant. The more we pray, in an ongoing way, the more we think to pray and the more we make ourselves available to draw on the spiritual reserve that has been laid up to bring about His will here on Earth ("After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven").

To "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Philippians 4:6) is the key. To train ourselves to be in an attitude of prayer at all times means we can invoke the very Presence of God in every situation.

Prayer that we "disappear into", as in a closet, becomes training for prayer that is "without ceasing". And this is relevant, productive prayer that makes us active in the spirit and agents of change in the natural.