Prayer Is Powerful When It Becomes Personal
God is seeking honesty and authenticity, not methods and memorized requests.
Pastor Kevin Wade
When I think about prayer, I'm reminded of Horatio Spafford – the man who wrote "It Is Well with My Soul." He had lost his real estate holdings in the Chicago Fire of 1871 and, after, longed to help D.L. Moody in Europe in 1873. He sent his wife and four daughters ahead to Europe while he attended to an unexpected business deal. Then came the telegram: "Arrived alone." The ship had sunk. His daughters were gone. His wife survived. As he sailed over the very spot where they died, he penned those incredible words: "When sorrows like sea billows roll ... it is well with my soul."
That's what prayer is really about. It's not about getting into some peaceful space where nothing bad ever happens. It's about building a relationship with God so deep that even when the storms rage, we still have peace. Even when the wind blows and the rain comes, our house stands firm because it's built on the rock of Christ Jesus.
Here's the thing: with over 70,000 books written on prayer, we've overcomplicated things. Many think they need to stand a certain way, say certain words, be spiritual enough. But let me tell you what prayer actually is – it's just talking to God. That's it. It's a conversation with your Heavenly Father.
Jesus gave His disciples a masterclass on prayer in Matthew 6, and it starts with what not to do: Don't be flashy in public, but silent in private. The Pharisees loved standing on street corners, making a show of their prayers. But they weren't going home and actually talking to God. Spurgeon contends, "If you do not pray alone, you do not pray at all."
Also, Jesus taught, don't babble incessantly like the pagans who thought their gods couldn't hear them unless they were the loudest. God hears you. You don't need to repeat things over and over like a child going, "Mom, mommy, momma, ma…" He knows you. He understands you.
So what should our prayer life look like?
It should be intentional.
Jesus didn't say "if" you pray – He said "when" you pray. Make prayer a priority. Schedule it. “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went to a secluded place to pray” (Mk. 1:35). If the Son of God needed that time with the Father, how much more do we?
It should be consistent.
After feeding the multitudes, Jesus sent everyone away and went alone to pray. After the disciples returned rejoicing from casting out demons, Jesus took them away to a quiet place. He spent whole nights in prayer before major decisions. This wasn't a once-in-a-while thing – it was His pattern.
It should be humble.
When we come before God, we must recognize who He is and who we are. We don't compare ourselves to others, we compare ourselves to Jesus. It is only when we're alone with the Lord that we truly realize our dependency on Him. Coming humbly also means coming having already forgiven others from our heart. If we won't forgive others, we can’t expect God to forgive us. We can't ask the Holy One to do for us what we refuse to do for others.
It should be expectant.
When we come to God intentionally, consistently, and humbly, Scripture promises He will reward us. What are the rewards? His presence. He hears us. He answers us – not always the way we want, but always according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 says if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and grants our requests.
It should include serenity.
Serenity includes silence and solitude. This is where most of us struggle. We give God our Christmas list, say amen, and walk away. But do we listen? Do we sit in the silence and let God speak? Ecclesiastes tells us to "draw near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools. ... Let your words be few." Silence happens best in solitude. Solitude is where we show God that the relationship matters more than the gifts.
Our prayer life reveals what we believe about God. If we believe He's the Creator who loves and cares for us, we'll run to Him. If we truly want to know Him and have Him know us, we'll invest the time.
It's not about methods or formulas. God isn't looking for better techniques – He's looking for better people – people mighty in prayer who simply want to talk to their Father.
So today, will you make your life a house of prayer? Not worrying about how you sound or what others think, but just sitting with your Father, talking to Him, listening to Him, and trusting that even when the storms rage, it is well with your soul.
When I think about prayer, I'm reminded of Horatio Spafford – the man who wrote "It Is Well with My Soul." He had lost his real estate holdings in the Chicago Fire of 1871 and, after, longed to help D.L. Moody in Europe in 1873. He sent his wife and four daughters ahead to Europe while he attended to an unexpected business deal. Then came the telegram: "Arrived alone." The ship had sunk. His daughters were gone. His wife survived. As he sailed over the very spot where they died, he penned those incredible words: "When sorrows like sea billows roll ... it is well with my soul."
That's what prayer is really about. It's not about getting into some peaceful space where nothing bad ever happens. It's about building a relationship with God so deep that even when the storms rage, we still have peace. Even when the wind blows and the rain comes, our house stands firm because it's built on the rock of Christ Jesus.
Here's the thing: with over 70,000 books written on prayer, we've overcomplicated things. Many think they need to stand a certain way, say certain words, be spiritual enough. But let me tell you what prayer actually is – it's just talking to God. That's it. It's a conversation with your Heavenly Father.
Jesus gave His disciples a masterclass on prayer in Matthew 6, and it starts with what not to do: Don't be flashy in public, but silent in private. The Pharisees loved standing on street corners, making a show of their prayers. But they weren't going home and actually talking to God. Spurgeon contends, "If you do not pray alone, you do not pray at all."
Also, Jesus taught, don't babble incessantly like the pagans who thought their gods couldn't hear them unless they were the loudest. God hears you. You don't need to repeat things over and over like a child going, "Mom, mommy, momma, ma…" He knows you. He understands you.
So what should our prayer life look like?
It should be intentional.
Jesus didn't say "if" you pray – He said "when" you pray. Make prayer a priority. Schedule it. “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went to a secluded place to pray” (Mk. 1:35). If the Son of God needed that time with the Father, how much more do we?
It should be consistent.
After feeding the multitudes, Jesus sent everyone away and went alone to pray. After the disciples returned rejoicing from casting out demons, Jesus took them away to a quiet place. He spent whole nights in prayer before major decisions. This wasn't a once-in-a-while thing – it was His pattern.
It should be humble.
When we come before God, we must recognize who He is and who we are. We don't compare ourselves to others, we compare ourselves to Jesus. It is only when we're alone with the Lord that we truly realize our dependency on Him. Coming humbly also means coming having already forgiven others from our heart. If we won't forgive others, we can’t expect God to forgive us. We can't ask the Holy One to do for us what we refuse to do for others.
It should be expectant.
When we come to God intentionally, consistently, and humbly, Scripture promises He will reward us. What are the rewards? His presence. He hears us. He answers us – not always the way we want, but always according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 says if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and grants our requests.
It should include serenity.
Serenity includes silence and solitude. This is where most of us struggle. We give God our Christmas list, say amen, and walk away. But do we listen? Do we sit in the silence and let God speak? Ecclesiastes tells us to "draw near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools. ... Let your words be few." Silence happens best in solitude. Solitude is where we show God that the relationship matters more than the gifts.
Our prayer life reveals what we believe about God. If we believe He's the Creator who loves and cares for us, we'll run to Him. If we truly want to know Him and have Him know us, we'll invest the time.
It's not about methods or formulas. God isn't looking for better techniques – He's looking for better people – people mighty in prayer who simply want to talk to their Father.
So today, will you make your life a house of prayer? Not worrying about how you sound or what others think, but just sitting with your Father, talking to Him, listening to Him, and trusting that even when the storms rage, it is well with your soul.
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