Prayer

What exactly is prayer? Prayer,in my opinion, is a form of communication between ourselves and God, which actually creates a strong bond between us and thus strenghtening our relationship with God.. Why do we need to pray then? Because there is nothing else in this world that matters more than prayer in helping us to grow spiritually in faith and also, at the same time, creates a sense of dependence, assurance and reliance when we pray to God or ask for requests. Therefore, prayer is one important aspect in our spiritual walk with God.

How do we pray then? Well.. When i pray, I see it as talking casually to a very close and intimate friend, who really has direct access to our hearts, for He knows our every thought and feeling, but of course in a humble and respectful status..We, as human beings, sinful and unworthy as we are, ought to present ourselves in a humble and ignorant manner when praying to God for he is someone so holy, so divine, and no words can describe His might and His will.. Because God works in wonderful and mysterious ways in our lives that none of us can predict His will and His plans for us.. And I believe that what He has granted for me and every door, every road and every avenue that He has opened for me in my life is the best that I can ever hope for in the world for He, my Creator, King of Kings, is in total control of my life and I know that I can place my full trust and reliance in Him.

What do we pray for and what are the important factors in praying? There is no determination in what people really pray for as different circumstances affect what we pray for.. Say.. A man living a normal life, without any worries might pray for a healthy life, peace or a stable income.. Whereas a man who has contracted a fatal disease or illness might pray for a miracle to happen and that he would recover fully.. God is all-powerfull and He knows our every trouble, our ever problem that's occuring in our lives but you see.. Just as he has given us the freedom to choose whether or not to believe in Him, He wants to listen personally to our problems from our very mouths.. And that, truly is why He had granted us this liberty to pray, despite of our sinful nature and broken relationship with God, that we may, through prayer, grow spiritually in Him.. As a student, there are two major factors of which I am concerned about in my life.. That is, first and foremost, my walk with God and secondly my education.. Well.. My walk with God, I assure you, has been a smooth and pleasant jouney, an undescribable feeling of a living God present in my life is truly a wonderful thing, something which any man would hope for in his life.. Truly, I have been blessed and I believe that God has shown me His wonders in my life.. Nonetheless, our walk with God never ends, my brothers and sisters, even to the brink of death, there is still, an eternal life with God in which our relationship with God continues.. Hence, our journey never ends and there is still much more to discover, many things, many wonders of God to unravel..And as for my studies.. Well.. You know, it's somewhere around there..

Have you ever wondered then.. Why doesn't God answer your prayer immediately?In my opinion, prayer is a process rather than just a 5 minutes conference with God.. There is a process of growth in prayer.. Sometimes we come before God and ask him, '' God, please do this for me.'' But there is probably something He wants us to first. Then, we come back before God and ask Him, ''God, why haven't you answered my prayer?'' And the Holy Spirit tells you that there is sin in your life. No human can explain on why individuals do not get their prayers answered unless you're God.. But the Bible tells us that in the process of prayer, there are a few reasons of why you do not get your prayers answered.. Firstly, you have sinned against God in the process of prayer. Secondly, the Word of God teaches us in Matt 21:21-22 that if you have faith and do not doubt that you will not receive when you pray, you will receive whatever you have asked for in your prayers. Thirdly, God has other plans for you that He will reveal to you in due time but He hopes that in the process, you will be strenghtened in faith. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
If God were to answer our prayers just automatically, then there would be no growth. But if we never had to pray, there would be no dependence. The wisest thing we can do is to learn how to pray. Prayer is God’s way of bonding us to Him.

Whatever we ask for, whatever we pray for, we ask through God and only He has the the power to make the final judgement. Therefore, regardless of the outcome, we still have to glorify Him, to honour Him. For example, John prays for good results in his O level examinations so that he will do his parents proud and he prays so hard night and day but in the end he still did not get satisfactory results.. And his parents were disappointed and he was sad and lost faith in God.. Many of us tend to fall in such situations, be it in studies, career or even the things that we want so much in life but God does not grant them..

In life, we must see things in different perspectives.. Yes, it hurts if your dreams, your ambitions are dashed when God doesn't grant your prayers and thus you lose faith in Him.. But have you ever thought why things turned out that way?.. In the story of the two farmers, where both farmers prayed for rain but only one went out to prepare the fields.. Which one do you think will God send the rain to? It is evidently the farmer who believed that God will send the rain and he hurriedly went to prepare the fields.. Hence, when we ask for something, not only must we believe that we will receive but also put in the effort..As i have explained earlier, if God answer sour prayers automatically, then there would not be growth or spiritual learning.. But even if God did not send the rain to that farmer, would he lose faith in God and clear up the fields? No, of course! Never let your faith waver, my brothers and sisters.. We must always wait for His answers for he may have a bigger plan for us..

In such situations, I believe that these are periods of test that God have in our lives where God wants to see where our faith lies and He hopes that through these periods of struggles and distress, we may rely on Him and our faith in Him will strengthen and that we will come closer to Him.. God, unlike Satan, test us rather than tempt us, which is what God has allowed Satan to do in our lives.. However, do not be misled.. The fact that i stated that God allows Satan to tempt us did not mean that God wants us to fall into Satan's snares but rather, to test us to see where our faith lies.. Of couse, through these periods of temptations, God will shield us and protect us when we ask Him.. Therefore, I say again, prayer is evidently, essential..