The truth About Prayer!

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Type AMEN if Prayer Works!  Have you seen it? I can't go a day without seeing it on Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, or whatever social media you hang out on. Sooner or later you are going to see it. Now I know the people who usually put this up have the best intentions, however I think it represents a fundamental flaw in our understanding of Prayer.

For instance, would you say: Type Amen if your son speaks to you when you speak to him? Or Type Amen if your pastor answers you when you ask a question? Or Maybe Type Amen if your wife chats with you when you have conversations? You see when we say "Type Amen if Prayer works" What we are really saying is Type Amen is God has ever given you what you asked for or what  you want. Because that is what  "prayer has become to most people. Reading our requests lists to God.

I do this little exercise when I speak sometimes. I ask how many of you who are Christian have prayed to God and He just didn't answer your prayers? Hands usually shoot up all over the room. The I say this. This is a trick question, because God answers the prayers of every Christian. It's just that sometimes the answer is "NO". Sometimes the answer is "YES". Sometimes the answer is "WAIT".

Far too many times we are "Santa Clausian" in our prayer times. We sit on God's lap and tell him what we want. We read Him our list and no one wants to listen to that. I will guarantee that if you ask any pastor what the least attended service that he could ever plan for is called. He will answer: A prayer meeting.  Why is that? Because most prayer meetings are people reading a list of the sick or their lists of needs off to God.

So what is real prayer?

 Prayer is communicating with God. It's speaking with him. It's "LISTENING" to Him. It's a time when we get in the very presence of the creator and commune, fellowship, and hear a Holy God that desires to be with us. It's when we come into His presence to hear what HE has to say, what HE desires, and what He wants. Does that mean we can't ask things of God. Not at all. He wants us to ask. But far too often all we ever do is ask.  Prayer is more than that.

 God is not in heaven with a counter that reads if you get to 75 prayers Ill answer. Oh No. God answers every single prayer his child prays.

Does prayer work? When thought of in this way…………….      AMEN.