The line from Casting Crowns song is haunting, "What if people prayed?" Today, many Christians barely allot five minutes a day to pray. More and more saints have ceased offering supplication on a routine basis. This is a shame because prayer is the way we connect with Christ. Prayer is an double-edged sword. It is meant to open our hearts to our Heavenly Father and hew down the evil hordes in the spiritual realm. The devil and his legions hate when Christians pray. Prayer is power, it is capable of thwarting the enemy camp and changing our circumstances. Through prayer believers can receive boons from above, but more importantly prayer can change us.
Prayer is broken down into different dynamics. The first dynamic is confession, which can be repenting or telling the Lord what weights on your heart and mind. The second is supplication, which is a petition or to humbly ask God for something. The third is praise, which can be sung as an act of thanksgiving or gratefulness to the Lord. The fourth is intercession, which means to intercede or pray on the behalf of another person or persons. The fifth is warfare, which is to pray specifically against the devil and evil people (featured often in the Psalms). There are other forms of prayer, but these are definitely in the Bible.
Below I have pasted a compliment of Bible Verses regarding prayer. The following verses testify that prayer is not only important, but
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.1 John 3:22
And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and there is one mediator/intercessor between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,John 14:13-14
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.Ephesians 6:18
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.Jeremiah 29:11-15
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask (pray) anything according to his will he hears us.Matthew 6:9-13
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.Matthew 21:21-22
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”Matthew 6:7
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.1 Timothy 2:8
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.Proverbs 28:9
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.1 Timothy 2:1
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,Acts 20:36
And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.Matthew 6:7-8
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.Acts 12:5
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.Luke 11:9
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock (pray), and it will be opened to you.Matthew 6:9
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.Acts 10:9
The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.Psalm 103:1-22
Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ...Luke 11:1
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.Acts 16:25-26
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.Acts 2:42
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.Acts 12:12
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.Acts 4:24
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,Genesis 18:27
Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing,James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.Philippians 1:3-4
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.Colossians 1:3
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,1 Corinthians 1:4
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.(http://www.openbible.info/topics/the_power_of_prayer)
It is evident that praying is important and that it can "move mountains." Back in Medieval Times, Christians prayed frequently throughout the day. In fact, prayer was popular during the time of knights and kings. Pilgrimages were created for people to go to shrines and offer supplication. Today, we are so distracted by the technologies. We aren't still enough to speak with the Almighty and hear his voice. In contrast, those in Islam are praying as a unified people five times a day! We Christians who have been endowed with the truth can barely squeeze in five minutes! The Church has become so divided by differences that it would be impossible to get every denomination of Christianity to pray at the same time everyday.
It's not surprising that offering supplication is ceasing. Satan doesn't want the saints speaking with their Savior and sending his sentries screaming into the shadows. The devil has deliberately divided Christ's disciples so that they cannot defeat their adversaries. It's time that we as Christians start praying and stop playing! Sacrifice some time from your video game, movie, or social networking to socialize with your Saviour! Let your spirit man drink again and stop making exuses not to pray. Stop talking and start praying! Idle talk gets nothing done, but praying can change the world!
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