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The Importance of Prayer

If I were to ask what is the single most important of the spiritual disciplines that a Christian could practice, the majority of people I know would probably say reading the Bible.

This is not a bad answer. After all Scripture is the primary avenue through which we come to know who God is and what Christ has done for us. It is our first source of information about the history of God in this world and the best place to go to understand how God wants us to live our lives. 

As good of an answer that Scripture reading is, I think it is the second most important of the spiritual disciplines. While it is obviously something indispensable, and I am in no way suggesting that we should all read our Bibles less or something, I do think there is one discipline that must come first.

Prayer.

Now praying has taken something of a hit in recent years. In the wake of tragedies the world over, the people of the internet generally sends their "thoughts and prayers" to the victims of whatever has happened. This used to be the standard courtesy, but now it is seen as not doing enough. It is seen as an empty gesture by those with the power to change things but the lack of motivation to do anything about it.

While I disagree wholeheartedly that prayer does nothing, I do sympathize a little bit with the sentiment. In churches prayer is often sidelined for sermons and singing. It is seen as something you do when someone is sick, but not much else otherwise. This attitude is a clear sign that we have forgotten what prayer is all about.

A lot of people assume that prayer is about trying to change God's mind or trying to influence God to work in your favor. This is not a healthy view of prayer. While the Bible does say that the prayers of the righteous are indeed mighty and that God does indeed listen to us, prayer isn't about trying to change God to fit our needs.

Prayer is about changing ourselves in order to fit God's purposes.

When we pray we are focusing our entire being on who God is and what He is doing. If done in the correct spirit of humility, prayer is a powerful discipline that shapes us to be holy. This is why prayer is so important to Bible study. Anyone can study the Bible for their own reasons. The New Atheists have shown that they know the Bible better than most Christians, but it is for their own goals and ambitions. Prayer hones our focus to seek out God in all things and prepares our minds and hearts to encounter Scripture.

This is why prayer is the first spiritual discipline in my reckoning. It is the one that informs and shapes all the others. If we are not a people of prayer, a people that seeks out God in all things, then what kind of people are we? 

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