The Intent of Prayer

Today I want to bring our attention to prayer. We are called to pray each day to the Lord. Many are so busy we forget the awesome privilege we have in calling on the name of the Lord. In Ephesians 6:18 it says, “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.”

The most common Greek word translated “prayer” in the New Testament is the word proseuche. It is used over 127 times.

The first part of the Greek word is pros which means a sense of closeness. It is the same word John uses to describe the relationship of the trinity in John 1:1. It is also used in Ephesians 6:12 to describe our close contact with unseen evil spirits that are warring against our soul. The second part is euche. It describes a wish or a vow. It is like the vow that Hannah made with the Lord if He would grant her a child in 1 Samuel 1:11. If God blessed her with a son, then she would dedicate her son to Him and he would be devoted to the work of the ministry the rest of his life. She gave her most valued and prized possession in exchange for answered prayer. God granted her request and then we have the story of Samuel unfold.

In Greek culture, before prayer was verbalized and offered to a “god,” an altar was set up and thanksgiving was offered on that altar. This is what Hannah did. She vowed before the Lord even before there was an answer. The person would promise that once the prayer was answered, they would be back to give additional thanksgiving to God. It was well thought out and planned. I look at that and look at how busy our lives get and wonder what God thinks about our feeble attempts to come to Him and call upon His name in prayer. Hannah showed the Lord that she was serious about her petition. It was an outward sign of what was going on in her heart.

Please know that the majority of Paul’s readers understood the full meaning of this word. So every time they read it, they would automatically think of prayer being a face to face encounter with a living God. A close encounter and intimate relationship with the Almighty God. They would also think of the sacrificial element that accompanied prayer. The person engaging in prayer was willing to surrender everything he owned in exchange for answered prayer. The life of the believer was totally consecrated to God.

God never forces us to surrender our lives to Him. He will never take anything by force from us. This word for prayer tells of a place of decision, a place of totally giving things over to God freely in exchange for His life. Because we have been given this opportunity to pray by God, this tells us that He wants to do more than just bless us – He wants to change us! He wants us to come to a place of consecration where we meet with Him face to face and surrender everything to Him and He does not disappoint us. He comes and exchanges our sacrifice for His power and presence. I am getting blessed just thinking about it. So therefore, I have this urge to thank Him in advance for hearing and answering my prayer.

Can you see that the word “prayer” is more than simply a prayer request or a routine we begin our day with? It demands surrender, consecration, and great effort. God wants to have that time with us each and every day. I encourage you to comb the New Testament and see for yourself. Better yet, be engaged in prayer as the Greek word proseuche describes. It will transform your days and fill it up with Spirit-driven living. There is no comparison.

May the God who is always present lead you through this adventurous day as you put Him first in all things.

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike