Why We Should Pray

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." James 5:16 (NIV) "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Romans 8:26 (NIV) "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Last week as our nation set aside a special day called The National Day of Prayer, which is the first Thursday of the month in May, I was reminded once again of the importance of individual and corporate prayer. Our county had a local gathering on the grounds of the courthouse, and many Christians gathered at lunchtime to pray for our country. I've heard many people ask the question that if God already knows what will happen in the future, why do we need to pray? Brothers and Sisters, we have been commanded to pray. Prayer is our lifeline, and is our primary connection with God. Sometimes we don't know how to pray or what we should pray for, but the Holy Spirit is our intercessor as the scriptures have promised us. Isn't that awesome?! Dear Friend, how about you? Do you take time each day to present your requests to God? The bible tells us that we should come before Him with thanksgiving, and the peace of God, which passes all earthly understanding will be granted unto us. Wow! The scriptures also tell us to confess our sins to one another and to pray for each other so that we may experience healing. And remember, even when we don't know how to pray, the Holy Sprit is always here to guide us, and is always ready to intercede for us. God is truly an awesome God, and He wants His children to daily interact with Him. Take a few moments right now to thank God for the wonderful gift of prayer! Praying for His Blessings on Your Life, Dave Henry