Do You Consider Prayer Important?

Prayer is the food for the soul.
It breathes life into the sick and gives strength to the weary soul.
God has said in 2 Chron.7:14
7:14 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.

When down and it seems as though the whole world is sitting on your shoulders, a prayer breathed toward our Lord lifts it, like a curtain being drawn back from a window and allowing the life giving light to shine through and chase all the clouds of sorrow AND weariness away.

What other so simple activity can accomplish so much?

Even if they don't post a prayer here, just sharing concerns and needs will accomplish so much, because, when we pray for others, we get something so wonderful in return, a lifting of our own burden.

We are admonished to pray for each other, James 5:16.

I recently was reminded how much we need prayer.

We finished a "Week of Prayer" at both churches. It brought members together better than any other program ever has.

One group that met in the Chatham church realized that they needed to meet at least once a week and pray for each other and for our church.

We've tried many times to start regular prayer meetings, but now that they've seen how essential it is to meet together, it's finally taken off.

I have not been so active here because, if you can believe it, an e-mail prayer ministry by one of my members has caught much of my "kneel-down" computer time. I get 3 or 4 e-mails a day from this fellow who chocks them full of 3 or 4 requests for prayer.

I can't believe you even had to ask this question.
If there is no communication between friends ... there is no friendship.
Jesus is my best friend. I talk to him all day long.
Answered prayer strengthens belief. Praise God!!!! He love us!!!!

Hey Dru! Whom be ye addressing? What question?

Maybe Dru was addressing the original question in the first post?

Without prayer, where would we be now?

Ah sooooooo! Of course! Couldn't see the forest for that tree!

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for prayer...I would still be utterly and hopelessly lost.

I wonder if I'd even be alive, if it hadn't been for a certain prayer God answered at one point in time. And they haven't gotten any less important since then either!

Thank you Daniel for explaining my answer. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear. (I knew what I was talking about, and thought you all would know too.HA)

Let me go another step further.

If prayer is so important, why do so few attend the weekly Prayer Meeting?

I think we (the church) doesnt emphasis it enough. I read the book "New power, new glow" (thats the translation of the name in the swedish version, might be differnent in original) where the pastor of the Brooklyn tabernacle church started the work. It says that his was a smal and shrinking church til God told Him to place major emphasis on prayer. The pastor told his churchmembers that from that on, how active or large the church was wouldnt be counted at the sunday service (yes, its not an sda church) but on attendance on the tuesday night prayermeeting. Since then they have had to change church building at least twise since they grow to large for the old ones.

/Thomas

Maybe that is what our SDA pastors also need to do.

Conversing with Jesus my best Friend is more important than breathing.

As I was reading through the posts submitted on this topic it was noticed that a very important principle of prayer seemed to be missing.

Yes, it is important to pray to God and to tell Him of all our joys, troubles and needs, but how many of us give God "equal time" by quietly listening for Him to "talk" to us?

How many of us can actually discern the "voice of God" as He imparts His Will to us?

Prayer is a "two-way" communication between the Creator and His Creation.

If we just consider that prayer is simply an opportunity for us to express ourselves to God then we are only gaining half a blessing....if any blessing at all.

Why do so few people attend prayer services or even actively practice personal prayer time?

Perhaps they have tired of the "one-sidedness" of the act of praying. Perhaps they feel that they are only talking to themselves.....

Perhaps they do not take the time to "listen" for the voice of God.

If we are to consider ourselves "friends of God" then we must be able to recognize His voice. We must "know" Him and be "known" by Him.

Our prayer meetings were sparsely attended 20 years ago, and they're sparsely attended now.

The reasons I keep hearing for not coming are "I'm too busy"...."We hate to bring our young kids to that, because they misbehave, and we can't always get a baby sitter"...."I'm too tired after working all day"...."I come to church on sabbath, isn't that enough?"....and on and on.

Yet the people who do manage to make it to prayer meeting seem to be able to do it week after week, month after month, in spite of all these seemingly 'huge' obstacles that keep others away.

Ellen White wrote,

"A prayer-meeting will always tell the true interest of the churchmembers in spiritual and eternal things. The prayer-meeting is as the pulse to the body; it denotes the true spiritual condition of the church. A lifeless, backslidden church has no relish for the prayermeetings."
{Pamphlet 152 p. 7 para. 1} (1897)

"The empty seats in our prayer meetings testify that Christians do not realize the claims of God upon them; they do not realize their duty to make these meetings interesting and successful. They go over a monotonous, wearisome round, and return home unrefreshed, unblessed."
{GW92 427.5}

"Prayer meetings are neglected, while concerts, singing schools, and various entertainments are faithfully patronized. 'It's only a prayer meeting,' is often repeated by church members; I can not call them Christians. [Wow!] Exciting popular lectures will interest the church members and call them out, when the prayer meeting has no attraction for them. This reveals the true spiritual condition of the church. God is not pleased with this state of things. Spiritual and eternal things are not appreciated, while temporal matters are exalted above things of eternal interest."
{Pamphlet 152 p. 6 para. 2} (1897)

"Those who are really seeking for communion with God, will be seen in the prayer-meeting, faithful to do their duty, and earnest and anxious to reap all the benefits they can gain. They will improve every opportunity of placing themselves where they can receive the rays of light from heaven."
{The Southern Review 06-25-03 para. 05}

So it appears that the main reason for lack of attendance at the midweek meeting is the listless, Laodicean condition of the church at present. And that's a shame.

I find that the Wednesday night prayer meeting, or the Friday night Bible study we have here, can be as as great a blessing as the regular sabbath services. Greater, in some respects. Why is that, you might ask? It's because at these extra meetings, the people in attendance are normally those who are seeking the Lord with greater fervor than many of those who show up for the regular weekly services. There's more opportunity for interaction between people, more chance to speak up about what you think or to ask questions, and to hear a variety of other people's ideas. To find out more about their particular needs, so we can pray about them more particularly. That doesn't happen as much in sabbath school and church.

These meetings other than sabbath services help me to 'keep the battery charged' throughout the week, and to get better acquainted with members of our church family. I hope the time never comes (this side of the Time of Trouble) when we don't have them, or when I feel no need to go.

Also, seven days without prayer makes one weak.

Dear Daryl,

I found this prayer in my Mother's Bible after she had passed away. I would like to share it.

My Mother

Lord Jesus, Thou hast known
A Mother's love and tender care
And Thou wilt hear
While for my own
Mother, most dear
I make this special prayer.

Protect her life, I pray
Who gave the gift of life to me.
And may she know
From day to day
The deepening glow of joy
That comes from Thee.

As once upon her breast
Fearless and well content I lay.
So let her heart
On Thee at rest
Feel fear depart
And trouble fade away.

Ah, hold her by the hand
As once her hand held mine.
And tho she may
Not understand
Life's winding way
Lead her in peace divine.

I cannot pay my debt
For all the love she has given,
But Thou, love's Lord
Wilt not forget
Her due reward---
Bless her-' I pray today

Henry Van Dyke

Happy Mothers Day R.A.

I find a lot of younger Adventist (do not ask me to define younger) are embaressed to pray or ask for prayer. It seems like they see it as a sign of weakness or need - something the world teaches aganst these days. I work with the Pathfinders and young adoult age group, so this is the only source I have at the moment.

There are also some who know their need of Gods power and prayer.

/Thomas

True, but there are some who fall under both here. They know they need it, but seem ashamed to show any public praying.

You are very right, Dave. The younger people in the church seem to act like prayer is for the weak. I am 27, so I could be considered part of the younger people... I wholeheartedly need prayer as a part of my daily life. I am trying to teach my children, 7 and 4, that prayer is very important. Not just to thank Jesus for the food He gives us, but also for the snow we don't like along with the things we do like. He deserves thanks for everything, right down to the air we breathe. My kids definitely know that. Jesse (7) likes to pray at bedtime and Amber (4) likes to pray before meals. Even when we go out to a restaurant, which we can't do anymore since I lost my job, but that is another topic... she still likes to pray and she isn't quiet about it, either. We pray for people we hear about on the news, we pray for mommy and daddy, grammie and papa (Gerry Buck), lots of people. I remember when we were driving on the interstate going somewhere toward Indiana, when Jesse saw an ambulance going the opposite way. He said, "Mom, we need to pray for that person in there, as well as the paramedics." I almost had to stop the car, I was so happy that he was thinking about someone else instead of himself and the toy, I think it was, that he was going to get in Indiana. So, yes, prayer is definitely important to me and mine. God bless, have a Happy Sabbath!

All too often we make ourselves believe that prayer doesn't do that much good, and, that our time may be wasted stopping to do it.
We get so wound up in our day to day, we forget the One that gives us life and the ability to work, think, etc.

Sickness, worry, bustness, all play their part in keeping off our knees.
We must make a decided effort, every day, to spend time in prayer.
Someone told to make an effort for 5 minutes to pray, and it was hard to think of things to pray about for that 'long'; after a time, 5 minutes was nowhere long enough.
I need to get back into it.