Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you were to ask any John Doe on the street to loan you $200, it is highly likely he would simply laugh. If, however, you were to approach someone of longstanding friendship—someone who knew that you were honest, honorable, and trustworthy, the odds of a loan being granted would increase exponentially. God wants His people to build a relationship with Him, to communicate with Him frequently, to trust Him, and to recognize His sovereignty in our lives as men such as Daniel, Abraham, and David did. This is the only way to become equipped for spiritual warfare.
Abraham is a striking example of the power of prayer. For Lot’s sake, he interceded for Sodom and God delayed judgment. He would have even spared Sodom for ten righteous souls (see Genesis 18:20-33). Abraham thought that surely Lot, his wife, his daughters, his sons, and sons-in-law would be righteous and total more than ten; he was wrong. Even Lot’s wife paid the ultimate price when she turned to look longingly at the worldly treasures and pleasures she was leaving behind.
God heard Abraham’s prayers, and He hears ours. Moses interceded forty days for Israel. The result was a mighty deliverance for the nation. God’s movement to bring Israel from bondage had its inception in prayer (Exodus 2:23-25; 3:9). If Daniel and Abraham found it necessary to pray regularly, and if Jesus said that He could do nothing without prayer, then we surely cannot hope to accomplish anything of eternal significance and value without prayer.
A Christian who refuses to pray is not unlike a swimmer refusing to get in the water. All the talking in the world of how much we know about swimming will only bring those we are trying to influence to laughter. For a Christian, to refuse to make prayer the number one priority is like saying to the Islamic State, “We refuse to fight; you win!”
Darkness flees when we pray! Demons tremble when we pray. Heaven moves when we pray, and angels receive assignments when we pray. Prayer affects three realms: The Divine, the Angelic, and the Human. Without prayer, demons rule uncontested (see Ephesians 6). Prayer turns the head of God, penetrates the heart of God, and moves His hand.
We cannot make contact with God without prayer. If we don’t make contact with Him, no matter how sincere our intentions, we will see no change in the circumstances of our life...or our world.
