Does It Really Pay To Pray?
Years ago, I had a thought-provoking experience. I was visiting a man in the hospital. He was a hard-nosed, retired, and agnostic movie producer. He'd just been told he'd have to have open-heart surgery later in the week. We had a long conversation. As I was getting ready to leave, I asked him if he'd like me to say a prayer. I'll never forget his abrupt remark: "Sure, if it will make you feel better!"
Obviously, my friend wasn't what you'd call a "tuned-in" Christian! His words have stuck with me for years. They raise some tough questions:
"Why pray?"
Does it really help? Does it really pay to pray? Or is prayer just another type of "positive thinking"?
Of course, I believe it pays to pray. The Bible is loaded with instructions from the Lord's Prayer and numerous other comments on prayer, such as "pray without ceasing," "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects." Apparently, prayer does make a difference. Why else would Jesus have spent so much time praying?
Some folks call Jeremiah 33:3, "God's telephone number." God invites us in good and bad times to:
Call unto me, and I will answer you, and tell you great and hidden things which you have not known.
What are some of the "great and hidden things" God promises to show us if we "call unto Him" in prayer? If it really pays to pray, what are the advantages? The Bible promises that you will receive at least seven benefits as a result of a consistent prayer life.
1. Peace of Mind
First, it pays to pray because you will receive peace of mind that you can get no other way.
Dr. Hans Selye is one of the world's acknowledged authorities on the implications of stress. He wrote these words in an article titled How to Avoid Harmful Stress:
Each man's supply of life's energy - his ability to withstand stress - is like deep deposits of oil; once a man has summoned up these and he's burned them, it's all gone. If he picks a high-stress career, he spends his portion fast and ages fast. He is then a prime candidate for an early coronary.
Stress, anxiety, and fears—fears about the pressures of your finances, your job, your future, your friends, raising your children, your grandchildren, and other concerns elevate the risk of heart problems.
Dr. Selye says this stress-prone man is much more likely to suffer a heart attack than the average American male, whose chances of having a heart attack before the age of 60 are one in five.
Selye says that even if this man does not have a coronary, it may be migraine, ulcers, asthma, ulcerative colitis, or perhaps a collision on the road. Stressed people are far more accident-prone.
The Apostle Paul writes these words to some Christians in the city of Philippi:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 4:6-7)
One specific benefit of prayer is that it gives you and me stability, serenity, and peace of mind that we can obtain in no other place or way.
2. Re-Focuses Our Perspectives
Secondly, it pays to pray because through prayer, we can find a new perspective on our circumstances.
Pity the person who depends entirely on his or her own judgments and abilities to reason their way through problems. That person is living in self-centered independence and experiencing a one-dimensional life. The Bible says that sooner or later, our own abilities will let us down.
The Bible says:
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 16:25)
Wise is the person who admits the shortcomings of his or her own insights and is willing to go to God in prayer to seek God's perspective on their life and circumstances.
The writer, Keith Miller, puts it this way:
Prayer helps you see things through God-colored glasses.
That's why the Bible says,
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
3. Forgiveness
Thirdly, prayer is important because only through prayer can you and I receive forgiveness. How else can we be forgiven for our sins? Rationalize them away? Blame circumstances? Blame others? Or try to handle the guilt ourselves?
There is only one way God says we can have our sins forgiven. That's through the prayer of confession. Granted, God already knows both our commissions and omissions. What He desires most is for us to admit to Him that we have fallen short, that we have been disobedient— so that He can cleanse us, clean us up, set us back on our feet again.
This is why the Bible declares:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
4. Involves Us in Others' Needs
Fourthly, prayer helps because it plugs into the needs of others.
Paul wrote a young pastor, Timothy:
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people. (1 Timothy 2:1)
It's so easy to live in our own private world, with no concern for the other guy. But, as Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for others and bear their burdens in prayer.
What a thrill it is to see how your prayers are answered in others' lives. Many of us who sacrifice time and energy praying for others have had the exhilarating experience of seeing our prayers for someone else answered.
5. Strength for Spiritual Battles
Fifth, prayer benefits you and me because it's our main source of strength for the spiritual battles we will face.
Make no mistake about it, the Bible is very clear when it talks about the existence of a personal Satan. The Apostle Peter writes:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
Satan never rests and will do anything in his power to ruin you and destroy your relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul writes about the reality of this unseen spiritual warfare:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Paul goes on to give a descriptive list of the types of armor you and I should put on to defend ourselves in spiritual warfare against Satan. The last piece of armor he mentions is prayer,
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18)
Prayer is key in spiritual warfare. Paul says, "Look, you're in a battle. Don't fool yourself. Here are the pieces of armor to help you - but they'll do you no good unless you include prayer."
6. The Deeper Experience of the Holy Spirit's Power
The sixth benefit of prayer is that it's the primary method God has given us for gaining a deeper experience of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives, our work, and our service to others.
Perhaps you've been teaching a Sunday School class for a number of months, and you see very few results from your labors. Perhaps you're experiencing marital struggles, having a difficult time raising your children, or you'd like to become more confident in sharing your faith.
Listen to what Jesus says:
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)
Want more power in your life for serving Christ? You've got to ask Him for it.
I've been amazed at the effects on my life and ministry since I became aware of the Holy Spirit's ministry and began to ask Him for more of His energizing power.
7. Preparation for Christ's Return
Seventh, it pays to pray because prayer is how God will protect you from being smothered by all the negative secular influences around you, so that you will be prepared when Christ returns.
Jesus made a very interesting but solemn statement about prayer:
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34-36)
For centuries, the subject of when and how the world will end has alarmed countless believers. Popular books like The Late Great Planet Earth and other more current ones have sold thousands of copies, because people are curious and concerned about the turn of events in our world. People want to know what biblical prophecy has to say about the end times.
It's one thing to read and talk about the Lord's return, but it's another thing to be prepared for it.
We live in an atmosphere that tends to make us unfit for Christ's coming. The world tends to pull us down with its gratifications, its attempts to find security, and its troubles. The only way we can rise above these negative influences is through constant prayer. How can you and I be ready for Jesus' return? Pray. And use common sense
It does pay to pray. Because only through prayer will you:
- Receive peace of mind that you can get no other way.
- Find a whole new perspective on life.
- Find God's forgiveness.
- Be plugged into the needs of others.
- Find spiritual strength for spiritual warfare.
- Be protected from the secular snares of our society and be prepared for Christ's return
I do not claim to have arrived yet at the prayer experience I want to have. But I believe a consistent prayer life will make all the difference in the world in my life—and yours. I believe God when He says:
Call unto Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and hidden things which you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Do you believe that prayer can benefit you and others?
Are you willing to experiment with prayer at different times of day, in various places, and for different lengths of time?
On the journey with you,
Jim Stout