Articles

“What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” Job 21:15.

Let us examine some of the benefits we derive from praying, as Christians, to Jesus Christ. The benefits discuss here are by no means exhaustive. Let us approach this topic from three perspectives: from a personal, from a view relating to others and finally how God sees prayers.

REASONS CHRISTIANS PRAY RELATING TO ONE SELF

The reasons Christians pray are as numerous and varied as there are people on earth. Many of which are not personal but the vast majority are personal reasons. These personal reasons include thanks giving and blessing of food, assistance in our decision making, we are instructed by God to pray,  the Lord hears and answers our petitions,  our prayers to God demonstrate faith in Him, we pray for control of our tongue, we pray to have power with God and finally our prayer is one of the ultimate ways to worship God.

Many Christians pray before eating or drinking every food.  This practice is mimicking the actions of Jesus. Jesus “blessed” the fish and bread before he give them to the disciples. Jesus demonstrates this in Matthew chapter fourteen verses nineteen to twenty one, (Matt., 14:19-21), when he fed the five thousand (5000).  Again, Jesus Christ blessed the food before the four thousand (4000) ate, Mtt.,15:33-39. Several other incidents show consistently that Jesus prayed before eating, see Matt., 26:26.  According to 1 Timothy 4:4-5 , if we pray before we eat our meals they are “sanctify by the word of God and prayer”. In this context, sanctify, means to make clean or purify from harmful substances fit for human consumption.

The word of God is so designed that even if a believer does not bless his food , before he eats, it is still sanctified by God, Mark 16:18. However, we should always pray before we eat.

Praying to the Lord is always important to a Christian but seeking God’s guidance in our decision making process is far reaching for it affects every area of our lives. The decisions we make for our lives decide the direction our lives take, good or evil. Ultimately, therefore, these decisions determine what we become.

In The Acts chapter one verse twenty four, Acts 1:24, it records the eleven (11) apostles of Jesus Christ practicing securing the Lord’s assistance in their decision making process. Let us quickly, relate the situation leading up to their actions of Acts 1:24. The death of Judas created a vacancy among the Twelve Apostles. This vacant position must be filled by a disciple who satisfies certain key criteria.  These requirements are,

• Being with Jesus and his disciples since the baptism of John the Baptist to
• The ascension of Jesus Christ and a
• Witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Eleven, nominated two disciples who satisfy these prerequisites, Joseph and Barsabas, but they need only one person, so now they have to choose which one to appoint as apostle.  Observe carefully, the words of their prayer for it is revealing. The Eleven Apostles in their prayer acknowledge their inability to know the hearts of men.  They, however, admitted the Lord knows the heart of all men so he should indicate to them which of the men He chose. The Lord, through the actions of the Apostles  showed He chose Matthias and they appointed him to replace Judas, see Acts 1:15-26.

The inability of humans to know the heart of man is one important reasons for Christians to pray to Jesus Christ for he knows all men.

Christians pray to Jesus Christ because we are instructed to by him:

1. To pray for our enemies and “users” and persecutors, Matt., 5:44, Lk 6:28.
2. To have personal devotions in secret, Matt., 6:6.
3. To avoid submission to temptation,  Matt., 26:41, Mk 14:38, Lk 22:40
4. To persevere in prayer and not be easily tired, Lk 18:1.
5. To “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” Col., 4:2
6. To pray without ceasing. 1 Thess., 5:17.
7. To pray for each other, James 5:16.

If only we will pray many of our problems would be solved.

^“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chron., 7:14.

Would you pray if Jesus never promised to answer your prayers?  Be assured the Lord hears the believer’s prayer,  Proverbs 15:29; 1 Peter 3:12. Not only does he hears but the Lord answers the believer’s prayer.

By praying a Christian demonstrates his faith in God, through Jesus Christ. Every act of our natural life is done (sometime unknowingly) in faith. Given ordinary circumstances, we never take a step expecting to fall. Matter of fact , most of the time when we fall to the ground it is unexpected. To walk, we just naturally place one foot before the next and walk without falling. Ordinarily, we do not speak expecting the other person will not hear our voice, we expect the opposite. Barring unusual situations, we do not expect the chair or seat we sit on to collapse to the ground with us we just sit on it.  By faith we swim, by faith we eat and drink by faith we sleep and rise again by faith we live.

Similarly, every act of serving God must  be done in faith to be effective. This also include our communication with God in prayer. Without faith our prayers do not go farther than our lips for without faith it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6. But when we ask the Lord believing, we “will receive”, Matt 21:22 see also Mark 11:24. Simply put, faith means to believe in God, through Jesus Christ. We could use confidence instead of faith too. For example, we have confidence the elevator car will not fall from its cable (with us)  while we are going to the 32nd floor. So Christians pray to Jesus that through faith we will receive what we pray for. By praying to Jesus Christ a Christian demonstrates his faith in God, for what he prays for is yet unseen.

Prayer, Christian prayer, why do Christians pray to Jesus Christ?  People started to pray to God after Adam lost the image of God. Adam never prayed to God, like we know praying, he had no need to pray. He communicated with God by his spirit, (yes, I know we have a spirit), by his spirit he “talk” to God without words. So he never prayed like we do today. Then he sinned and died spiritually, and lost the image of God. When we are born again the image of God is  restored in us. But this time it has a name change, now it is called; “the image of his Son” – Heb.,8:29. Christians pray to Jesus Christ to have power with God. We know the mind of God by His Spirit through prayer.

We have power with God when we know His mind. Power with God means a believer speaks or declares something and God honors his words, soon after or immediately, exactly like the believer declares it. We know God is a Spirit for the scripture tells us in Saint John  chapter four verse twenty four, Jn., 4:24.  Being a Spirit God does not possess a mind. The scriptures have personified God as a person to aid our understanding of Him. A man will understand another man better than he would any other animal because he is a man too. It is for that reason the scripture always refer to God as male, “He” or “Him”. Therefore, when you read the mind of God, we know He is not a person.

All the great men of scriptures (except Adam) who had tremendous power with God had a very close relationship with God by way of prayers. They had this power with God not because they were born again but because they were effective and fervent in their prayers to God. They knew the mind of God in prayers.

The prophet Elias was a man like us but he had a prayerful relationship with God. He had power with God. He prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it did not rain  on the earth for three years and six months.  This prophet of God prayed again, and it rained , “and the earth brought forth her fruit.” James 5:17-18.

Job had power with God because he was effectual and fervent in his prayers to God. Job worshiped God “continually”. He wakes up early each morning and offer sacrifice for of his ten children. Prayer replaces burnt offerings, so in essence, Job prayed for each of his children every morning because they may have sinned and he did this proactively for their sanctification. This Job did “continually”.

Job had so much power with God that He boasts to Satan about Job, ”that there is none like him in the earth”. Job1:8.

To have power with God is to speak something and God cause what you speak to come true immediately. Do you recall, from the scriptures, an incident when Elisha cursed a group of children because they made fun of his bald head? Instantly, after he finished cursing them “two she bears” (female) came from the bushes and attacked and hurt forty two (42)  of the little  children, 2 Kings 2:23-25. The curse words of Elisha were words of death  but God honored them nevertheless, because His prophet had power with Him.

Similarly, The Apostle Peter, demonstrates he had power with God when he told Aeneas to get up and make his bed. Jesus honored Peter’s words immediately, Acts (:32-34. Peter had power with God.

Again, Peter shows he had power with God when he spoke to a dead woman, Dorcas. After prayer, Peter turned and spoke to the dead woman “and  she opened her eyes”, Acts 9:30-43. Many other people in the Bible show they have power with God. Do you have power with God?  Do  you want power with God? How do we come to have power with God?

Power with God is one of the many benefits of a prayerful relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship starts with the acceptance of Jesus Christ through salvation. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you”, Acts 1:8. But even after the Holy Ghost is come power with God is still, not automatic. But after He (Holy Ghost) is come, we need to constantly seek to know God through prayer and fasting, eventually, if we remain diligent in our prayer and relationship with Jesus He will honor our words. You shall pray to God by Jesus Christ and He shall hear you, Job 22:27.  Then you shall speak “a thing” and the Lord shall establish it according to your words, Job 22:28.

One very important step to take for God to honor our words is to control our tongue. Like the bridle of a horse or the rudder of a ship the tongue gives our life direction. As priest of the Most High God we must never be like Elisha who spake death to those children but BLESS THE PEOPLE , NEVER CURSE them, speak life not death, Luke 6:28. James describes it perfectly, when he says blessing and cursing must never proceed from the same mouth, James 3:10. God does not honor our words when we curse the people who are made in the image of God then turn and bless God with the same mouth. “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. James 3:10. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? James 3:11.

Believers have the restored image of God, therefore, when we speak we create with our words. Here is another reason for Christians to pray and not to “faint”.  Proverbs 18:21 tells us death and life  are in the power of the tongue. As priest of God we should only bless, speak life.

A person either rejects or accepts the words he hears. If they are rejected they have no effect oh the hearer.  However, if he accepts them  something starts to happen on the inside, in the heart. These words are either evil or good, darkness or light. Let us focus on the good, on the light.

If a person accepts the word of God instantly it starts to grow. this is the seed of faith. This is the word of God. By nurturing that seed of faith through reading and searching the scriptures and praying regularly it grows. Overnight, without us knowing the seed grows into a plant. At this point our faith in God has grown.

While praying the words we speak will eventually enter into our hearts. This is another reason to pray always for we do not know when this will happen. All that we are emanates from our heart, bad or good. The Lord knows this therefore He instructs us to protects what goes into our heart for it is the main command center for all debates in our lives. How do we control what goes into our hearts? By accepting ONLY the word of God nothing else.  Let the word of God act as a filter for the word you accept into your spirit.

Christians pray to Jesus Christ because prayer is one of the ultimate forms of worship of him. Prayer replaces making an alter and offering burnt sacrifice to God. So when we want to send up sweet odors before God let us go down on our knees in prayer. “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice”, Psalm 141:2.

We pray because we receive answer for our prayers while praying, Daniel 9:20-21. We, Christians, pray and keep on praying because sometimes our prayers are hindered by the adversary, Daniels 10:13. By continuing to pray we display our faith in God. Nothing moves God like obedience and or faith.

The reasons we pray for others are as few as they have needs. These include:

• prayer for healing 2Kings 20:5.
• prayer to raise the dead 1 Kings 17:21.
• Prayer for a child or children, 1 Sam., 1:27; Lk., 1:13.
• Prayer that others may receive the Holy Ghost, Acts 8:15.
• Prayer can be a way to give spiritual assistance  “that ye strive together with me in your prayers” to another believer engage in a spiritual battle, Romans 15:30.
• Assistance by influencing  a particular situation by prayer, Phil 1:19
• General assistance to another by prayer, 2 Cor 1:11.

This list continues as needs are identified.

Finally, a memorial is  designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc. In this scenario, Cornelius’ “… prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.” Acts 10:4. “³¹…Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.  Our prayers are so precious and pleasing to God they are bottled as “golden vials full of odors” these are the prayers of the believers. Rev.,5:8. Our prayers, “ascended up before God” as they are offered on a golden altar with incense before God in heaven. Our prayers are not forgotten nor are they lost nor discarded but they come up before God as sweet odors. Our prayers are a memorials before God.

Prayer, Christian prayer, why do Christians pray to Jesus Christ? Prayer permeates every aspect of our Christian lives. It sanctifies, it resurrects, it builds up, it empowers, it heals, it memorializes, it blesses , it brings life, it opens the barren wombs and it establishes our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Prayer establishes us as one with each other and with God. Amen.

If this article is helpful to you Enter Your Email to Receive Exclusive Content.