Get Praying!

 “A moving buddy -- if you don't have one, get one!”

Woody – Toy Story

As moving day approached in the movie Toy Story, Woody strongly urged all toys to find a “moving buddy” for their safety and support.  I have heard believers exhort other Christians in a similar manner to “get prayer” or encourage them to find someone if they “need prayer.”  This way of speaking of prayer might suggest prayer is something we need others can do for us, that prayer is primarily about what we receive or there are greater benefits on offer when we coordinate with others.  The Bible does not speak about prayer in terms of getting but doing ourselves, and to pray with other Christians with likeminded faith is a privilege, responsibility and birthright of believers we ought to embrace.  

The spiritual reality is we are exhorted to pray without ceasing because this is the will of God for us.  We need to pray for the health of our souls even as we breathe for the health and support of our bodies.  In this sense we “need prayer” but not that we need someone to pray for us to be heard:  we are commanded by God to pray and as we look to Jesus He provides an example of a prayer-filled life.  Jesus prayed, and His disciples exhorted others to pray for them.  But we do not hear Peter or Paul in conversation saying, “I need prayer” because prayer is a means to draw near to the God we need Who hears us.  In a strange way prayer itself or people we trust know the LORD and will pray for us can almost be idols we look to for help, support or benefits when God is the source of all these good things.  

Prayer fundamentally is more about giving than getting, though we do receive many benefits from obedience to God in prayer.  It takes the form of giving thanks, offering praise, seeking the LORD, humbly laying down our will to align ourselves with God’s will.  We are also called to intercede for others, to make our requests known to God.  Prayer is a means God uses to meet many of our needs and this is something all born again believers can do by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  God graciously does respond to prayers for ourselves and others, but to rely on the prayers of others for us when we will not pray ourselves is hypocrisy.  We must be cautious our faith never shifts to the one who prays for us rather than God Who is addressed in prayer.  

Jesus said in Matthew 6:5-6, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”  Notice Jesus said, “When you pray…” because it is something His disciples ought to regularly do.  We do not pray to be seen, nor did Jesus in His example suggest a need to include a person to boost the effectiveness of our prayers.  Because God is with us and knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts, our prayer power is not like a weak wi-fi signal with limited range because God draws near to commune with us. 

We ought to pray individually, and we are also encouraged to pray corporately.  James 5:13-18 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”  The overarching point here is the prayer of faith in God is effective.  Don’t allow the details about elders, oil, confession of sin, and healing distract from the primary point James made, that the prayer of faith is of primary importance.  That is why James cited the example of Elijah, a regular guy who prayed earnestly by faith in God and God answered him.  If God answered the prayer of Elijah who was deemed righteous by faith in Him, God will answer us too.

 The exhortation then?  Let us pray in faith and obedience to God!  Invite others to join with you in praying, not because you need to “get prayer” but because you trust God and desire to seek Him.  The power is not in prayer but in the God who answers prayer and in the Holy Spirit-filled person who demonstrates faith and joyful obedience to pray to God. :)