What Prayer Is Not

Prayer is not a 'spare wheel', but it is a 'steering wheel' of life.

​As believers, we communicate with God via prayers. Among other attributes, prayer is God centred and the primary focus of Prayer is God.  ​

Against the popular practice of praying only in time of need, we should pray to God at all times. In fact, we are to pray always in order to build a good relationship with God, which is helpful even in times of need.

A Prayer out of fear for what the future holds is not recommended at all. We are encouraged to pray out of love and trust in God the Father. In fact, I would say do not limit the divine two way communication to time of trouble.

Although, there are several ways to pray to God, yet at all times, we should truly connect our mind with God while praying. Another perspective of prayer to consider is what we called prayer chain.

Reflection: Do you pray alone or gather people to pray for you?

Always keep in touch with God at all times.

Prayer is not only an emergency line. It is a Lifestyle.

As read in the book of Esther 4:16, Queen Esther prayed by herself (interceded) and yet, ask others to pray with her. Our individual or corporate prayers should be connected to God and this is highly influenced by our lifestyles. 

Your lifestyle, mindset and purpose of praying determines the outcome of your prayers. Here's a question to think about: Is your prayers Kingdom centred or for selfish reasons?

However, prayer is everything except: ​

• prayer is not bribing or manipulating God. When we do the will of God and pray according to His will, then we receive answers. 1 John 5:14 says "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." You and I must live to please God. Prayer is not an attempt to please God. And prayer is not a way to manipulate God. It is our lifestyle that pleases God, and not prayer.
• ​​prayer should not be vain repetition. 
• prayer is not a feeling. 
• an answered prayer is not a measure of spirituality. It is the grace of God.
  2 Corinthians 12:7-10 says: ​"or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
  
• And sadly, prayer is not necessarily a way to escape from trouble. Sometimes, we don't receive answers because God has another alternative plan for us. In Hebrew 11:35-40,  it was recorded that some of the disciples suffered and yet none of them received what had been promised. The troubles were all commended for their faith. So sad!
  

​"35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[a]they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."
At some point in life, we might experience difficulty despite praying. It could be that God wants us to learn from that undesirable hardship. In such an ugly situation, the Word of God consoles us whenever we pray to Him.

In conclusion, prayer is not an experience. Prayer is a Lifestyle. We must all embrace this great lifestyle of Prayer. Amen.

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