Why I Pray

I am now leading CCF's prayer ministry, and I feel so blessed to be a part of this ministry. At the leaders retreat I spent less time brainstorming ideas of things to do and mostly just listened to everyone else talk about their ministries and wrote down their struggles and how I could be praying for their ministry. The thing about prayer is that through it we are acknowledging God's power and love and relinquishing control to Him. GOD HAS ULTIMATE POWER. Why would we ever not want to rely on Him?

When I began going to prayer group at CCF two years ago, it changed the way I viewed prayer, and what I prayed about. We prayed for the body. We prayed for the speakers and the ministries. We prayed for big things. It was then I really started to realize that CHRIST is leading the body, we are not left without a shepherd. It was then I realized we could give up our mindset of control in the church. We aren't in charge.

But that is nothing compared to what God taught me about prayer in 2011. First of all, it seemed like whenever I prayed, God always answered, and quickly. By last year I was seeing this in my life more and more and more. Huge prayers and small prayers. He answered in normal ways and in surprising ways. He provided money for me to go back to school two days after praying with people at Camp Eagle, from my least expected source--my dad--who had last told me he was done paying for my school. On a night when I had still recently left camp and I felt really alone, I had decided there was a family I needed to see, and prayed before I fell asleep. I ran into them the next day because God gave one of them a dream that night that they went to a restaurant, which made them crave it and insist on going there--the same restaurant I had planned to be at that day.

My biggest prayer when I came back to Missouri was for God to provide opportunities for me to serve him. I was also praying fervently to be provided with money to visit camp sometime over the summer. I only had a little saved up when I was presented with the opportunity to financially serve the Lord. I was uncertain if I even had enough to take part in it, but I could not pass up this opportunity when I had prayed for it. So in faith I spent all that I had. I told God that I was trusting Him to provide even though I was giving. And if He didn't provide, I would accept that the need of who I was serving was way more important than me going to camp. He did provide. Within a week I had all the money I needed, and ended up with MORE than I needed. The Lord literally multiplied the money I had given and gave it back to me. One night I prayed for a friend's release from idols and surrender to God. My desire was so strong that I nervously, but boldly asked Him to do it that night, as soon as possible. Within ten seconds I received a text from her that read, "I just repented." My prayer that God would show his presence one night was answered by a homeless man on the street speaking truth to us and praying for us. Unexpected.

Prayer is the life of a believer. It is communion with God. Prayer requires faith, tests faith, and increases faith. Our salvation comes from faith and our lives must be lived out in faith. It's through faith we serve and obey God. Our faith in what God can do brings Him glory! Our desire to see His very own desires be fleshed out brings Him glory! Prayer gives me my hope and strength daily. We must pray believing He will answer. What hope! When I pray I am filled with it because I can't wait to see God answer. It's a mystery why God should wait to carry out His will and blessings by depending on our asking, but many times He does. Prayer reveals my heart. Prayer changes my heart. Sometimes He waits to answer until we have prayed diligently. I don't know why He does, but I see it increase my desire for things of God to come about. Sometimes when a prayer is left unanswered I find myself begging more and more to see the answer. It increases our desire to do things that would contribute to the answer to our prayer. When we earnestly pray for someone's need, we will recognize more opportunities and seek to provide for those needs. Praying for others will produce more love for them in us.

My favorite prayers are the more spiritual prayers rather than physical prayers. Our spiritual need is our greatest need. Without God we are completely unable to draw near to Him nor to obey Him. It is in these prayers that I find the most hope. God is all I need and the closer I am to Him, the more complete my joy is. So I pray for Him to draw me near, to purify my heart. It only leads to more prayer! These are the prayers I have seen the most fruit from: Show me you're near. Reveal my sins. Draw me close to you. Purify my heart. Help me share your word with reckless abandon. Protect me from the evil one and temptation. Speak to me. Prepare my heart. Give me patience. Give me wisdom.

Prayer isn't just talking to God, or asking Him things. Prayer is listening. Prayer is asking Him to speak, and waiting for the answer. Sometimes I would say I'm praying, yet I'm not really talking. I just sit in silence in His presence when I have no idea what to say. Prayer is thanksgiving. Prayer molds my heart into His. Prayer is giving God the credit. Prayer takes our focus off wordly things.

It is through prayer that I have realized that stepping into this ministry will never be me taking charge. God is the head and in complete control of His church and its ministries. God is the one who first desired the things I desire, and even greater things than I desire. He has been in the prayer ministry from the beginning. So I am stepping into His plan, the plan that cannot fail and cannot be stopped. I enter into this position in prayer, as I ask God to inform me of His plan. I lean in closer and listen for His whisper in my ear.


 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2