#DailyDevotion Why Pray?
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Our Lord and God, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is almighty and powerful and we apparently have either perspective problems or we have a view of God problems. Paul says he is able to do far more abundantly than all we that we ask or think. So this is mostly a perspective problem. What do we bring to God in prayer? Now I’m not saying don’t bring God your piddlely stuff, or your medium problems or especially your big problems, because God cares for you and wants you to bring your cares to him. What I am saying is we don’t ask God probably for a lot of stuff we probably ought to ask him for.
What should we ask for that we don’t ask for? Well I’m in the same boat as you. I still have the sinful flesh that constrains the inner man more than I’d like to admit. But I’d think I’d focus more on things of how I live my life and letting God’s power work in and through me. Let me be less selfish and self-centered. Let me be more merciful and forgiving. Help me to be more self-controlled particularly with my emotions. Give me a great and better understanding of God in the Scriptures and his Christ. Longer prayers for the Church at home and in distant lands that the Gospel of Christ would take hold of men’s hearts. Perhaps we should ask for wisdom to ask for things he wants us to ask for because he is able to do more abundantly than all we ask or think.
Our other problem is we either think our problems are too small to bother God with, we’re to insignificant to think God cares about us or we don’t think God will do anything about our problems. But all of that is wrongful thinking. Your heavenly Father cares for you. You are not insignificant. He desires to make your body his temple. He sent his son to die for you. He counts the number of hairs on your head. He is never too busy for you. He cares everything about you. He will do something about whatever is causing you distress.
Now God is able to do all this according to the power working in us. That is the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank God he gives us the Holy Spirit. He is so important to our prayer life. Rom 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (27) And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” You see despite our great weakness in prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us to the Father for the things we ought to pray for. He prays for us according to will of God. But not only is the Holy Spirit interceding for us. Paul says, Rom 8:34” …Christ Jesus…who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” You know if the Holy Spirit is interceding for us and Jesus is interceding for us, that makes two persons of the Holy Trinity, two persons who are God interceding for us to God the Father and you know their prayers are faithful, according to the will of God and not limited by our frail, fallen, human nature. They’re prayers for us are answered with yes, it will be so. That should encourage you to pray all the more.
Gracious God and Father, grant us faith and knowledge that we may pray for more than we can ask or imagine that your Son Jesus Christ may be glorified. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.