As Christians, prayer should be a permanent fixture in our lives. Not a day should go by without us praying to our Father, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Why should we pray? Let us look at some reasons for bowing our knees before the Father every day.
- We Should Pray Because We Can
The blessing of prayer came at a great cost. We have free access to our Father through the blood of our Lord.
Hebrews 10:19 (KJV)
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Hebrews is filled with biblical types. In this book, the second section of the Tabernacle was called the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:3). It was a type of heaven. We know this because it is the place where Jesus entered after He ascended back to heaven (Hebrews 6:19-20). Hebrews 10:19 says that we can boldly enter into this place by the blood of Christ, which we do through the avenue of prayer. Prayer takes us to the throne room of God, and it is all made possible by the blood of Jesus.
By dying on the cross, Jesus made it possible for our sins to be forgiven, for us to be reconciled to God, and to enjoy fellowship with Him (1 John 1:7). A part of this fellowship is the privilege of prayer. We should bow our knees before the Father because Jesus made it possible for us to do so.
- We Should Pray Because It Demonstrates Our Faith
Every time we pray, we are showing that we believe in God. It is an act that demonstrates that we do not doubt His existence. A person who does not believe that God is real will never pray to Him. The more we pray, and the more things we pray for and about, the more faith we are showing.
Do you believe that God will take care of you? If you do, then pray for it. Jesus tells us to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). It shows faith. Do you believe that God wants to help you? If you do, then pray for it. The writer of Hebrews tells us to pray in times of need (Hebrews 4:16). Do you believe that God can give you wisdom? If you do, pray for it. James says that we should pray for it without doubting (James 1:5-8). Every time we pray, it shows that we believe in God. Let us bow our knees before God and demonstrate our faith.
- We Should Pray Because It Is a Way to Help Brethren
This was the reason Paul said he bowed his knees before the Father. He wanted the brethren at Ephesus to be strengthened in the faith (Ephesians 3:14-20). Remember, prayer is not all about ourselves and what we can get out of it. Most of the prayers in the Bible show one person praying for others. That is why we should bow our knees before the Father. We want brethren to be strong and faithful and grounded in love. We may not be able to do a lot about that, but one thing we can do is bow before our Father. Before you wind down tonight, pray.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.