What Is Prayer?

By Patsy Norwood ~ © 2001-2007 ~ All Rights Reserved.

According to Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, prayer is a humble and sincere request made to God. This is a good definition and one that is fairly simple to understand, but there is more to prayer than a simple definition. In this article we are going to dig deeper and take a closer look at “what prayer is” and hopefully come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for this privilege.

Prayer is talking to God. This means we can converse with Him, pour out our hearts to Him and confide in Him. It means that we can literally share everything that is of concern to us with Him. God wants us to do this, in fact He tells us to do it over and over again in His word. I Timothy 2:1 is one such reference, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men.” II Thessalonians 5:17 is another, “Pray without ceasing.” Regardless of who we are or what we have or haven’t done, we can talk to God ... we have been given His permission.

As I said earlier, prayer is a privilege. That’s right ... a privilege! Where else but to God can we go with our heartfelt pleas, when our worlds or the worlds of those we love are falling apart? Where else can we go with the assurance that we are loved and that the events of our lives matter? Where else can we go and know that regardless of the answer to our prayers, “that all things work together for good to those who Prayer is our acknowledgment of utter dependence on God. “Utter dependence on God” means that we have reached the point where we realize that we can do absolutely nothing about a given situation ... but that we have a Savior Who can. What a comforting thought ... “we have a Savior Who can.”

Prayer is an opportunity ... to obey God’s command to pray for others ... and to be blessed ourselves. When we are asked to pray for others do we realize that we have been given the opportunity to not only intercede in prayer on behalf of that person, but to be blessed ourselves? God wants us to pray. Luke 18:1b says, “....... at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” It is a well documented fact (in the Bible) that our obedience to His commands/principles result in blessings. Who would have ever thought that by praying for others we would be heaping blessings upon ourselves? Only God would have come up with something like that!

I’ve saved the best part of ‘what prayer is’ for last. Our prayers usually come from a sense of need, either in our lives or in the lives of others. Hebrews 11:6 says, “... he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” As this verse says we must have faith, we must believe, and as we want our children to do when they bring their requests to us, we must rest in the knowledge that our Father will do what is best for us. In my humble opinion, this is the best part of prayer ... resting in the knowledge that our Father will do what is best for us and for those for whom we are praying.