“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” (Luke 18:1 NLT)

 

Even if prayer were a difficult thing to do, which it is not, or an unpleasant thing to do, which it is not, we still would have every reason to pray because we are commanded in Scripture to do so. The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT). And Luke 18:1 tells us that Jesus used a story to show His followers “that they should always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1 NLT).

Prayer is God’s appointed way for us to obtain things. This doesn’t mean that God is like some big Santa in Heaven. He’s not standing by, ready to grant our every wish.

Prayer concerns something much more important: our needs. God invites us to take our every need to Him. We see it in Paul’s words in Philippians 4. We see it in David’s psalms. We see it in Jesus’ alone time with His Father. We see it in the lives of countless Bible characters. Whatever was on their minds, whatever was in their path, whatever was impacting their lives, God wanted them to involve Him in it.

Jesus said, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need” (Matthew 6:9–11 NLT). If you need it, God wants you to tell Him about it.

Do you have needs right now? Pray about it. Do you need His provision? Pray about it. Do you need His healing touch? Pray about it. Go to God with your requests, and your heavenly Father, who knows you need these things, will hear you.

James wrote, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2 NIV). Think about that. You might ask, “Why is it that I never know what the will of God is for my life?”

Answer: You do not have because you do not ask God.

You might ask, “Why is it that I never have the opportunity to lead people to the Lord?”

Answer: You do not have because you do not ask God.

You might ask, “Why don’t I feel more confident when I face spiritual battles?”

Answer: You do not have because you do not ask God.

I wonder how many answers to prayer would be waiting for us if we were to just pray about things. What would happen if we just said, “Lord, I’ve never actually brought this before You, but I’m praying about it now.” The worst-case scenario is that God will say no. But what if God says yes?

 

Reflection question: What need will you take to God in prayer today? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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