The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is the communication of the human soul with the One who created the soul ―GOD . Prayer is also the primary way for believers in Jesus Christ to express our emotions and desires with God, as well as for us to commune or fellowship with God. Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or informal , however, all prayer must be offered in faith ( James 1:6 ), in the name of the Lord Jesus ( John 16:23 ), and in the power of the Holy Spirit ( Romans 8:26 ). In the Bible, prayer is described as seeking God’s favor ( Exodus 32:11 ), pouring out one’s soul to the Lord ( 1 Samuel 1:15 ), crying out to Heaven ( 2 Chronicles 32:20 ), drawing near to God ( Psalm 73:28, KJV ), and kneeling before the Father ( Ephesians 3:14 ).

In Philippians 4:6 – 7 , the Apostle Paul writes: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV). In other words, worry about nothing; pray about everything . Everything? Yes, God wants us to talk to Him and with Him about EVERYTHING . And h ow often should we pray? The biblical answer is “pray without ceasing” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ). In other words, w e should keep a running conversation going with God all day long. FYI: T here is really no special formula for how to pray in the Bible. We should just do it. We can pray under any and all circumstances , and prayer develops our relationship with God and it demonstrates our trust and utter dependence upon God . In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread” ( Matthew 6:11 ).

WHY DO WE PRAY? We pray to praise God and to thank Him and t o t ell Him how much we love and appreciate Him. We pray to enjoy His presence and to tell Him what is going on in our lives. We pray to make requests and to seek guidance and ask for wisdom. God loves this exchange with His children, just as we love the exchange we have with our children. This is the heart of prayer, and too often we lose sight of how important prayer is within our daily lives, as well as how simple prayer is really supposed to be. Simply, BE YOURSELF. When we make petitions to God, we let God know exactly where we stand and what we would like to see happen , and in our prayers, we must acknowledge our sins and admit that God is greater than we are and that He ultimately knows what is best for us in any given situation ( Romans 11:33 – 36 ). Therefore, we should trust God and yield to His direction for our lives, as Jesus also taught us to say when we pray: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done” ( Matthew 6:10 ). Finally, t he key to answered prayer is praying according to God’s Will and in accordance with His Word. Prayer is not seeking our own will but aligning our will with the Will of God ( 1 John 5:14 – 15 ; James 4:3 ). MUCH PRAYER, MUCH POWER. LITTLE PRAYER, LITTLE POWER. NO PRAYER, NO POWER. Jesus says: “Men ought always to pray , and not to faint” ( Luke 18:1 ).