James: Wisdom for Practical LifeSample

Prayer Of Faith 

Prayer is a means of grace given by God for us to progress in our sanctification. But prayer is never easy. We have wandering minds, restless hearts, packed schedules, impatient posture and lack of faith. We get frustrated that often our prayers focus on our needs and ourselves rather than what God cares about. In Luke 11, Jesus teaches us to pray in a way that honors God. And this prayer involves confessing our sins. It involves praying for our needs and for God’s kingdom to advance. Prayer not only expresses our personal needs and desires but is also kingdom-focused. 

God does not need our prayers but has commanded us to pray. Prayer is for our benefit so we can be part of God’s glorious purposes. Prayer does not change what God has ordained to do, but God also promises to work powerfully on our behalf when we pray. Prayer does affect the outcome of our lives, and God works through our prayers to accomplish His purposes. 

How is your prayer life? Prayerfulness shows our dependence on God and prayerlessness shows our lack of dependence on God. This is a brutal reality, but it’s the truth. We can claim to depend on God but it is always demonstrated by a life of prayer. 

We see Jesus pray throughout His earthly life. He prayed alone, in public, before meals, before making important decisions, before and after healing, taught about prayer and prayed to do God’s will. He even prayed for His persecutors on the cross. Today, Jesus is still praying for us and on our behalf (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25). May our hearts be encouraged that the Righteous One, Jesus Christ, is powerful and effective on our behalf.