Jesus' Prayer RecipeSample

What Is Prayer?

Prayer is simply communication with God in which we reveal ourselves to Him as He ministers and reveals His desires to us. Another way to put it: prayer is the soul’s cell phone that has unlimited access to the Father. Through this unrestricted access, we can share our most intimate feelings, thoughts, and desires. Though we have this undeniable connection, our communication is most effective when we are: transparent, dependent, and regularly engaging with God.

We see all three of these attributes most clearly in the words of David in Psalm 22:1 when he cries out to God in startling honesty concerning his feelings of abandonment; "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" David reveals that a person who fully understands the privilege of interacting with the all-knowing God can remove all guards and speak transparently, even to question God's dealing with them. We see that even though David interrogates God about His actions, David is yet aware of his dependence on God. Finally, David’s engagement with God is so consistent that he continues this pattern even when he feels God abandoned him. As for God’s response in this interaction, rather than rebuking David for his transparency, God endorses it when Jesus uses these exact words to express His sense of abandonment on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

It is important to note that these two accounts highlight the immense value of prayer in demanding situations. Scripture is full of accounts that reveal how much God cherishes prayer. God cherishes prayer so much that He allows life’s difficulties to impact His children as a reminder of our need for prayer and our need for God (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 33:1-3; Philippians 4:6). Dependence on prayer in challenging times results in a well-cultivated prayer life that has the fortitude to withstand overwhelming life challenges.

On this foundation, take time to have an honest conversation with our heavenly Father who is looking forward to your time together. Let Him know the reasons why you may not be praying consistently, then ask God to help you overcome these reasons.