In case you didn’t know, prayer has benefits. Here we will look at some of the benefits of prayer. Prayer gives the believer access to God. It is through prayer that a Christian can communicate with God. You can talk to God in prayer about your problems, or you can just talk to him in prayer, giving glory to God for all that he has done for you and will do for you. Do not wait until trouble arrives before beginning to pray. Form a habit of praying now; that way, it will be easy to connect to God whenever you call upon him.
God likes it when you come to him in prayer instead of complaining about something that’s bothering you. Jesus served as an example of this by praying often and teaching his followers to do the same. Luke 18:1, says, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” So Jesus recommended to his disciples that they pray because it works.
Prayer has so many benefits, but here are some:
Praying does a lot for you as a child of God. For example, when you form the habit of praying to God, he draws nearer to you. He fights your battles even before you know about them. Prayer brings you into the center of God’s will. However, there is a way to pray. One day, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Luke 11:1-13. Jesus told them to pray because he knew how much they needed it in this world. You don’t do God any favors by praying. The benefits of prayer are for you, not God.
The believer must know how to pray kingdom-based prayer and not just pray about things that they want to consume themselves. It is when you commit to praying about the things that matter to God that he will begin to take note of you. God is interested in your spiritual growth, and one way you can grow is by learning how to pray for others.
Pray for the sinners who do not yet know Jesus. Ask God to save them, to give them a change of heart, and to deliver them from the power of Satan. Pray that the cause of God’s work on earth, like the churches of Jesus Christ across the world, may flourish. We want to see the glory of God upon the church, which is possible only through prayers. The benefits of prayer are achieved through obedience.
You see, there are so many reasons why you should pray. It is through prayers that you will be able to build a relationship with God. Jesus talked to the Father consistently in prayer; why shouldn’t you? Through prayers, he built a relationship with the Father that made it so easy for him to connect with God. How? by committing to praying at all times
Jesus Was a Praying Man
We see how Jesus prayed at Gethsemane. Nearing his time of arrest, he sought God through prayers to change the original plan of him having to die for us to save us from the curse of sin. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit ye here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy; and he said unto them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death; tarry ye here, and watch.”
How much more can you pray about something you see happening to you if Jesus can? The Bible says, “And he went forward a little, fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.” And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
What about the disciples? Did the three of them keep watch with him when he prayed? Were they praying, and did they understand the benefits of prayer at the time that Jesus was still with them? We’ll find out soon. The Bible says that when he arrived, he found them sleeping and asked Simon Peter, “Sleepest thou?” Couldn’t you watch for an hour? “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” The spirit is truly ready, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14: 32–38)
Jesus told them to pray so that they would not enter into temptation. You see that prayer has benefits. It protects the believer from temptation. It eliminates the plans of the devil before they are made manifest. Jesus prayed; God could have overturned the plan, but remember that this was their original plan—to restore the broken relationship with man. And the only way to do it was for the Son to come into the world in the form of a man and die the death of the cross. Dearly Beloved, you ought to pray because doing so will benefit you tremendously.
Recognize the benefits of prayer, and pray as Jesus did.
Like Jesus, prayer will help you build a bond with God. Although Jesus is God, he still prayed because, when he was on earth, he was a man just like you and me. Jesus understood the benefits of prayer more than anybody, so it’s no wonder he committed himself to it. Starting your daily prayer practice today and committing to it can help you grow spiritually and earn you rewards from the Lord. You don’t just pray at your own convenient time. Form a habit of reverencing God for who he is and see how your life will change for the better.
If you don’t know why you should pray, just go ahead and pray that God will have mercy on sinners and deliver them. This is important because the salvation of sinners is the heartbeat of God. Remember that heaven rejoices more over one soul who repents of its sins than the ninety-nine people who are already saved. So, God expects us to pray, and more importantly, to pray for the salvation of the souls of sinners.
Finally, pray because you fear God. Pray because you reckon that he is God and no one else is like him. If your heart is right and the Lord sees it, I tell you, he will come to fellowship with you. God will hear you anytime you call upon him and do for you what you cannot do for yourself. I hope that this writing inspires you to pray because, in truth, the benefits of prayer are many.
