In thinking about prayer and in examining scriptures on prayer, there is one conclusion that we must come back to again and again. Prayer is about God.
Prayer is God changing His children. Prayer is experiencing His presence. Prayer is God intervening in our lives. Prayer is God hearing and providing for our needs. Prayer is about God.
Luke records the words of Jesus that we are to ask, seek and knock at the door of heaven, waiting for God to respond. God is portrayed as a generous, loving father who delights in responding to His children by giving them what they need. He is not evil, looking for ways to deceive them. When we ask for an egg we are not given a scorpion instead nor are we given a stone when pleading to be nourished with bread. The Lord is concerned with our provision not in poisoning his children.
Therein lays the command and the reward. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. God does not respond due to any magical formula of prayer or any work performed to earn a response from Him. He responds because He is God. He responds because of His nature. He is good. He is compassionate. He is generous. He is the protector and provider. He knows what each of His children need and He will not provide that which will harm them. He will only give that which satisfies.
Prayer presents us with the very nature of God. We pray because of who He is. We come to Him because we have faith that He will intervene. We have faith that He will provide. We have faith that He will give us the best, even when the best is silence.
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This is good stuff. However, you really need to consider prayer to also encompase warfare. Everything prayer is brought to God, it is an act of warfare against the Evil one, and for God’s Kingdom to Come. And, it is very unfcomfortable. Check this out: http://worthmysalt.blogspot.com/2009/10/whats-in-my-rucksack-part-2.html
I wrote this during my deployment to Iraq. It wasn’t just physical warfare, but spiritual as well.
Love your site.
CH (CPT) Paul Lynn, 2-505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82D Airborne Div.