Prayer: An Absolute Necessity
for a Proper Christian Life.
The most crucial matter in the Christian life is prayer. Prayer is paramount. Without prayer, it is impossible to mature in Christ. Prayer is not optional, and it is not secondary. It is the absolute necessity for a proper Christian living. The Lord Himself made this clear when He said that we must watch at all seasons, making supplication, that we may escape the things coming upon the Earth and stand before Him. Prayer is the prerequisite to going forward toward our goal. Without it, there is no progress. There is no growth. There is no preparation.
A Habit
Because of this, we must develop the habit of prayer. This does not happen accidentally. It begins with intention. We must set time aside, preferably early in the morning, and shut ourselves away from distraction. Alone with Him, we begin to speak to the dear Lord Jesus. We confess and repent as He shines upon whatever stands between us and Him. We speak from the heart, but more importantly, we open ourselves to receive what is in His heart, that we might pray that back to Him.
This kind of prayer requires time. It requires staying—half an hour, or even an hour, day after day—until prayer becomes part of us, until we reach the point where we must pray, where our inner life depends on it.
A Conversation
Prayer does not end there. We must also learn to touch the Lord throughout the day. We need to develop an ongoing conversation with Him, speaking to Him about the needs of others and our own needs, crying out for mercy as we see suffering across the Earth, petitioning Him to address the wrongs He brings to our attention, weeping before Him for our own lack of growth and our own pitiful condition.
There is simply too much to pray for. Because of this, we must cultivate a moment by moment interaction with our wonderful Lord.
My Reflection
What has become clear to me is that prayer is not primarily about asking God to do things for us. It is about allowing Him to work Himself into us. Without prayer, Christ remains distant in our experience, even if He lives in our spirit. Through prayer, He draws nearer. Through prayer, He spreads. Through prayer, He matures within us.
If we neglect prayer, we do not simply lose discipline. We lose direction. We lose sensitivity. We lose readiness. Prayer is not something added to the Christian life. It is the atmosphere in which the Christian life grows.
Impressions upon reading the booklet,
The Rapture
More information about the booklet, The Rapture,
as well as a free copy, can be found here.
