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Prayer is a very important part of one’s life. It is an expression of praise, thanksgiving, confession, or a request for something, such as help. “Prevail” means to be constant in prayer. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Prayer can be incorporated into our daily “thought life,” in which one is constantly in communication with God.

We don’t pray to impress God. We are not heard for our “much-speaking,” nor should we use poetic language or be an amateur Shakespeare. If an earthly child can speak to an earthly father, you can speak to your Heavenly Father. We’re told to cry out to Him as our “Abba” Father, literally translated as “Daddy” (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6). We’re not praying to impress Him. We don’t pray to inform God. You can’t tell God anything He doesn’t know.

It is very important to understand this: when we pray, we are inviting God into our lives. When we pray, we experience:

1. Fellowship: We become “workers together with Him” (2 Corinthians 6:1). When we pray, God gives us the joy and privilege of administering to His kingdom, His affairs — working together with Him. What a glorious privilege it is that God allows us to do this with Him!

2. Development: Prayer helps us grow in our knowledge of God. When we pray, our faith grows stronger, and we draw closer to God, gaining insight into His plans for our lives.

3. Dependency: God never wants us to live lives independent of Him. If God did everything for us, and we never had to pray, we would soon take things for granted and cease to depend upon God.

Dear Lord,

What a privilege I have to meet with You, ‘Abba Father.’ There is nothing in my life quite like being in communion with You. It’s true that “all because I do not bring everything to You in prayer” is often my failing. Help me to praise, confess, and ask You in all honesty, and to be united with You always.

In Your precious name,

Amen