The Importance of Prayer
The Importance of Prayer
March 1, 2026
My goal for this website is to issue one blog post per week and a video every two to three weeks. I failed to get a blog out last week as I had another topic in mind. As I got deeper into writing that blog, I realized discussing prayer was an important step prior to the subject I was working on, which will now become my next blog. Please bear with me, as this is a learning experience for me, and this may happen a time or two before I get in a better rhythm and thought process!!
At any rate, lets discuss prayer; its power, why it is important, and ultimately, how to pray to God.
What is prayer? It is an act that may be done individually or with a group of people. Prayer is the act to speaking WITH our Heavenly Father. Since God isn’t someone, we can touch or see, it is difficult to think about a having a conversation with Him. However, listening for God’s response to our prayers, is as important as our part of the conversation. For those who are unsure of how to pray, just remember that prayer is a conversation with God that may be done in the sequence of the acronyms below:
1. WAR
Worship – Worship God for His love and blessings.
Admit – Confess your sins and seek forgiveness.
Request – Present your requests to God and ask for guidance.
2. ACTS
Adore – Praise God for being Himself and unchanging.
Confess – Confess your sins and seek forgiveness.
Thanksgiving – Thank God for all that you have and His presence in your life.
Supplication – Present your requests to God.
There are many other examples, but they all follow the same model. In fact, Jesus gave us the model for prayer in Matthew 6:7-13. The Lord’s prayer is part of this reading in verses 9-13. In verses 7-8 Jesus instructs us not to say the same thing over and over or continue to repeat the same prayer day after day. God wants to hear what is on your heart, not some memorized writing or thought, that isn’t from the heart. Anyone reading this who is a parent, can you imagine your child coming up to you daily, repeating the same words and then not speaking until the next day and hearing the exact same thing? What kind of relationship would you have with that child?
Continuing with the thought above, God wants to hear from you regularly not just when you have a problem or want something. It's important to note that God isn't some sort of mythical vending machine that you speak with only when you have a problem or desire something. As mentioned above, God seeks an intimate relationship with you. As you spend more time speaking with Him and your relationship grows, you learn more about Him and His desires for you and your life. When this happens, we find our desires become more like His. As this growth happens, we become more confident and able to find joy in all we do. This DOES NOT mean that you won’t have difficulty in your life, or experience hardships.
The final step is listening for God’s response to our prayers. This is the most difficult step in the process. I made on observation many years ago that those who believe and have faith in God, see Him in everything. Those who choose not to believe in God, see Him in nothing. After I pray, I do my best to clear my mind and listen for God to reveal His thoughts to me in my mind. This takes, plenty of practice and is an incredible feeling when He does. Most often, I hear His voice in my Bible readings, a devotional I read, or a fellow believer during a conversation. It is extremely important to check what you believe is an answer from God with Scripture, as God will not contradict Himself. The Psalmist wrote, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” (Psalm 119:160 ESV). Additionally, in the book of Hebrews, we see, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). There are other verses in the Bible that let us know that God is not double minded going against His word. All this to say, as an example, if you pray for your neighbor’s car, God’s answer isn’t going to be I want you to have it, go and take it from them.
Prayer is an important part of life, and I can’t imagine going through life without seeking God’s wisdom and assistance in anything I do. I have found myself at times leaning on my own strength and getting frustrated for not getting through the task at hand. It is then, that I remember, “I haven’t spoken to God about this issue and asked for His guidance.” God wants to see you learn, so He may not give you the answer, but show you where to go, and how to get it. I share this because God desires us to have faith in Him and be an active participant in our growth. This will lead us into the next week’s subject, God’s Timing.
Prayer is a topic that books may be written about, this is just a short primer to address the topic. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at tiwaters68@gmail.com
Blessings,
Tom
