WHY?

From intense business decisions, marital disagreements to raising kids in today's world, we are all in need of a little outside wisdom. Tragedy is everywhere, there is a steady rise of blood pressure, cholesterol and weight due to the every increasing stress levels and it is hard for me to get my brain around the concept of not praying. Sure, I get the fact that we are all busy and sometimes our schedule gets the best of us but there is a God and if you are listening in the slightest, you will have that prompting to pray or at least ask, "Are You really real?" Which leads me to the questions, "Why not? Why don't people pray?" Do they feel unworthy? Do they not know how to pray? Do they think only a "holy" person can pray or maybe they have done too many bad things? God won't hear them? The list goes on and on. I have fallen into one of these questions a time or two in my life.

It's a trap. It's a ploy of the enemy to get us not to pray. Frankly, I am tired of asking "Why not" so I decided to answer the "Why" question. "Why? Why pray?"

Top ----reasons why people don't pray:
1. God always hears you when you pray. Psalm 34:17, 'The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears..."
2. "God is NOT the author of confusion but of peace..." (1 Cor. 14:33). If there is an area you don't feel peace, pray. Ask God to bring peace and to show you anywhere you may be out of integrity (thoughts, words and actions are not in alignment).
3. God always answers prayer. God answers prayer, each time we pray. He says slow, no, grow or go. Matthew 7:8, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
4. Anyone can pray at any stage of life. God is not a big, faceless person but rather a loving father Who gave His only son in hopes to have relationship with you.
5. God wants to talk to you. Prayer is a two-way conversation. John 16:13.
6. God has made you holy. 1 Thess. 4:7, "For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."
7. It is the way to heaven...eternal life. If you haven't prayed and asked the Lord into your heart, do it. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and He died on the cross and rose again for you, believe it in your heart and you shall be saved. Romans 10:9,10. Ask, right now. Let someone know about it. Blog right here!
8. There's no perfect prayer. Prayer comes right from your heart. There is no wrote or specific prayer we must pray. Jesus gives His disciples a model in Luke 11.
9. When you pray the Word of God, you won't ask amiss. The Bible tells us we do not have because we do not ask and sometimes we ask and don't have because we ask amiss. When we ask amiss, it means we are not asking within the will of God. We know the Bible is the perfect will of God so each time we pray the Bible, it is within His will. When it says in 1 Peter 2:24, "By His stripes you were healed," we know that it is God's will to heal any and all diseases, infirmities or infections. When we pray a prayer for healing, we know it will be answered with a "Yes!"

Everything lives and breathes on prayer. Prayer is the life blood of The Rock Church and my personal life. It is the easiest way to allow God to bring something great to pass. If God does it, He's got to keep it alive. If I make it happen by my strength, I've got to keep it afloat. And if you've seen my houseplants, they are all artificial because I don't want to bother keeping them watered!

Pray. When things get tough, pray. When things are at their best, pray. When you feel like you can barely keep your head above water, pray. When you need inspiration, pray. Prayer aligns us with the things of God. Heaven and Earth are gonna kiss, baby and when you are in prayer, you get caught right in the smack.

Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." God wants to give you His grace (unmerited favor, blessing, all the good stuff).

The Rock Church has a 24-hour prayer line. If you are in need of prayer, call 425.787.4085.
All scripture from NKJV.