Is praying REALLY worth it?

 

I love my prayer time each morning. Don't misunderstand me, I pray throughout the day. But, my morning prayer time is special. Each morning my prayer time starts with prayer with Stephanie. We have been praying together for many years. I remember how hard it was to get started doing this. For most of our marriage, we just prayed separately. Now I look back and think how strange it was that we didn't actually pray together. That time together where she verbalizes what is on her heart and I do the same thing, is one of the best parts of my day. David talks about his morning prayers in Psalm 5:

"O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." (Psalm 5:1-3)

One of the constants included in my morning prayers is something David said later in Psalm 5:

"Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow." (Psalm 5:8)

Our prayers don't have to be something long, "pretty", or formal. David asked the Lord to pay attention to his groaning. Often, Stephanie and I have a hard time putting into words what to say. We stumble over our words, and our thoughts aren't always that clear. God knows. He knows our hearts and knows what we desire even before we form the words. 

At the end of the letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul says this:

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should." (Ephesians 6:18-20)

I cannot even begin to list the examples of how powerful God is. It is not that my prayers are powerful, it is the power of my God that makes prayer worth it. God is always working and when we pray God responds to our request. Like David after my prayers I wait on him expectantly. There is never a doubt in my mind that God will respond.

Earnestly spend time in prayer. Dedicate a specific time each day to pray. Make a list of those prayers and then watch God as he answers. Yes, I know, sometimes the answer is no. But, when God answers no, he always provides a response to replace that request which is better than we could ever imagine. I have seen it happen over and over again. Yet, even so, I have noticed that most of the time, the answers are YES! I marvel at his goodness. God is so faithful in guiding me throughout the day. TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!

Yes, prayer is powerful and worth it. I would not give up my time with him, for anything in this world. If you do not spend time with the Lord, talking, pleading, crying, asking, listening, and just sitting in his presence, today is a great day to start!