How to Prioritize Prayer
As we saw in the previous post, Prayer is a powerful weapon in the hand of a believer. Throughout history, every spiritual awakening has been founded on corporate, prevailing, intensive, kingdom-centered prayer. As Tim Keller said:
Throughout the Old and New Testaments and church history, every spiritual awakening was founded on corporate, prevailing, intensive, kingdom-centered prayer. We cannot create spiritual renewal by ourselves, but we can “prepare the altar” and ask God to send his Holy Spirit to change our hearts, our churches, and our communities.
Timothy Keller
Yet, many Christians struggle in their attempt to build a life of meaningful and powerful prayer. In this post we’ll explore the why, what and how of building a life that makes prayer a First Priority.
As John Piper and Don Carson have pointed out, many Christians struggle with having a consistent and meaningful prayer life because they simply do not plan to pray. In order to have a significant life of prayer, we need to make a deliberate effort to set aside time for prayer and make it a priority in our daily routine.
Learning From the Master
As you survey the New Testament, something one will quickly notice is the priority of prayer in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirit into a season of 40 days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness before launching his public ministry (Luke 4:1-14). This season not only established Him as the 2nd and greater Adam, the one who conquered satan, sin and death on our behalf by overcoming the lies and temptations of the devil. As He walked out of the wilderness Luke notes something different about Jesus. He went into the wilderness “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1), yet He walks out “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). The wilderness season brought Him into a greater empowering of the Spirit to do the works of the Kingdom.
Continue following Jesus and you will see that He
Spent a night in prayer before choosing his 12 apostles (Luke 6:12-13)
Withdrew for prayer to grieve the death of his cousin John the Baptist (Matthew 14:13)
Willingly laid down his alone time to teach, heal and feed the crowds (Matthew 14:14)
Went up the mountain to get alone with the Father (Matthew 14:22-23)
Withdrew from the crowds to be alone with prayer, while his disciples looked on (Luke 22:39)
The Example of the Apostles
Transition from the ministry of Jesus to the ministry of the New Testament Church, led by the apostles, and you will see this same devotion to prayer as displayed in the following situations.
The Apostles “devoted” themselves to the preaching of the word and prayer, delegating even very important tasks such as the feeding of widows to leaders within the church (Acts 6)
Peter received the vision to bring the gospel to the Gentiles while on his rooftop praying (Acts 10)
Paul & Barnabas received their calling to global missions while worshiping, fasting and praying with the Church leaders in Antioch (Acts 13)
You see the same pattern unfolding in the Old Testament, as God’s chosen men and women devoted themselves to prayer before giving themselves to even urgent and important activity such as leading nations, fighting battles, rescuing women and children, etc.
David prayed 3x per day and praised 7x per day (psalm 55:17, 119:164)
David strengthened himself in the Lord before rallying his men to rescue their women and children (1 Samuel 30:6)
Esther, Nehemiah, Joshua, and countless others fight sought the face, voice and favor of God before embarking on their mission.
Making a Plan for Prayer
One of the first steps in developing a consistent prayer life is to have a plan. As John piper says,
“One of the main reasons so many of God’s children do not have a significant life of prayer is not so much that we don’t want to but we just don’t plan to.”
John Piper
Or as D.A. Carson puts it simply,
“Much prayer is not done because we don’t plan to pray.”
D.A. Carson
The first step in creating a priority of prayer is simply to be convinced of the Power of Prayer. To learn more about the Power of Prayer, check out the post we made here.
The second step in creating a priority of prayer is to think through the time, the place and the plan for when you will pray. This could be setting aside 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at lunch, and 15 minutes before bed. Alternatively, some people may choose to wake up early and dedicate a larger chunk of time to prayer. Having a designated place for prayer is also important. It could be a quiet corner in your home, a park bench, or even your car during your lunch break. The key is to find a space where you can be alone with God and free from distractions.
Additionally, having a plan for prayer can help guide your time with God. This could involve using a resource like the Book of Prayer, the King’s prayer guide, praying through Scripture, or simply making a list of things you want to pray for. The important thing is to have a structure that helps you stay focused and intentional in your prayers.
Praying in the Little Moments
In addition to setting aside dedicated time for prayer, it's also important to recognize the little moments throughout the day where you can pray. Consider all the pockets and spaces in your life where you can offer up a quick prayer. It could be before you start your workday, before you send your kids off to school, or even before you get in the car. These small moments of prayer can help keep you connected to God throughout the day.
The Power of Corporate Prayer
While personal prayer is important, there is also great power in corporate prayer. As Jesus said in Matthew 18:20,
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20
When we come together with other believers to pray, there is a special unity and power that can be experienced. Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers and one of the most effective pastors in the last few centuries said this,
“The prayer meeting is an institution which ought to be very precious to us, and to be cherished very much by us as a Church, for to it we owe everything. When our comparatively little chapel was all but empty, was it not a well-known fact that the prayer meeting was always full? And when the Church increased, and the place was scarce large enough, it was the prayer meeting that did it all. When we went to Exeter Hall, we were a praying people, indeed; and when we entered on the larger speculation...of the Surrey Music-hall, what cries and tears went up to heaven for our success! And so it has been ever since. It is in the spirit of prayer that our strength lies; and if we lose this, the locks will be shorn from Samson, and the Church of God will become weak as water...”
Spurgeon, “Prayer Meetings”
The power of the church gathered to pray cannot be overstated, for it will be the strength of all that we do, both individually and together.
The Impact of Prayer
Prayer is not just a religious exercise, but it is a means through which we can experience the power and presence of God in our lives. Prayer has the power to transform our hearts, our churches, and our communities. It is through prayer that we can experience spiritual renewal and see the hand of God move in our lives. As Pastor Yonggi Cho once said,
“In prayer the Christian enters into the priestly function of providing an earthly base for God’s Heavenly interests. This age has become the battleground of two opposing forces, but God has a group in the foreign land that it is able to bring the influence of the age to come into this age. The way that the world experiences the dominion of Christ in this present world is through the exercising of the church’s authority, particularly in prayer.”
Pastor Yonggi Cho
Prayer is a Weapon
In the Bible, we see numerous examples of prayer being used as a weapon against the enemy. Esther called upon the people of God to fast and pray before she approached the king, risking her life to save her people. Nehemiah wept and prayed before he approached the king to ask for help in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Prayer is not just a spiritual exercise, but it is a powerful weapon that can bring about change and victory in our lives.
As John Bunyon famously said,
“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.”
John Bunyon
Prayer is a powerful weapon in the believers life as we seek to bring heaven to earth and overcome the schemes of darkness in this present age.
Building a Pray-First Life
To have a prayerful life, we need to make prayer a priority. Neely encourages us to pick a time, place, and plan for prayer. By setting aside dedicated time for prayer, we are making a deliberate effort to connect with God and seek His guidance and presence. Additionally, we can also pray in the little moments throughout the day, finding pockets of time to offer up quick prayers. By prioritizing prayer gatherings and coming together with other believers, we can experience the power of corporate prayer and see God move in our midst.
Conclusion
Prayer is not just a religious duty or a ritual, but it is a powerful tool that can transform our lives and bring us closer to God. It is through prayer that we can experience spiritual renewal, see the hand of God move in our lives, and bring about change and victory in our circumstances.
By making a plan for prayer, setting aside dedicated time, and finding a designated place to pray, we can cultivate a consistent and meaningful prayer life.
Additionally, we can also pray in the little moments throughout the day, keeping ourselves connected to God and seeking His guidance in all aspects of our lives.
Furthermore, the power of corporate prayer cannot be underestimated. When we come together with other believers to pray, there is a special unity and power that can be experienced.
Prayer is a weapon that can bring about change and victory in our lives, and it is through prayer that we can experience spiritual awakening and renewal.
Let us prioritize prayer in our lives and seek to build a prayerful life that is marked by joy, peace, and the presence of God.
