Great Prayer: The Prelude to Great Mercy

God is all powerful and we are not, Amen? Therefore, His desire is for His children to seek Him through prayer and depend upon His Almighty Hand at all times and in all circumstances. It is He that is to direct our path in lieu of depending upon our own weak arms of flesh (or any other weak arms of flesh - for that matter!). Prayer is the prelude to His great mercy and thanksgiving is to be the correct response from His people for His works on our behalf. Gratitude is always the proper response to flow from the lips of God’s children. Grateful hearts are endearing to God and with them He is well pleased. Further, God desires not to be our last resort rather our first – He has promised to fight our battles for us as we depend upon Him. Indeed, 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV) tells us: “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Our Father yearns for His children to depend upon Him and not on ourselves because He knows it is for our very best. Mere flesh can do nothing eternal. And with God all things are possible.   

Sometimes, sadly, we get busy and neglect prayer in an effort to get to work on what we may deem is more important. Yet what we do not realize is that prayer is the more important work. When we miss that, we miss God’s best. Our great role model Jesus was never too busy to pray. Early in the morning, late in the evening, and all in between. When He was joyful, when He was sad, when He was overworked – and in all other circumstances - communion with His Father was as breathing to Him. He loved to get alone with His Abba Father and pour out and have Him pour in. And Jesus was busier, more sought after and wanted than we will ever be yet He made prayer His priority. And He is our Supreme example, providing us our best illustration.

Jesus was a prayer warrior. He prioritized prayer, and it must be our priority as well. We are told in 1 John 2:6 (NIV): “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” Believers are to make it our aim to be like Jesus. And our Lord’s prayer life was a daily pattern of thanksgiving, joy, grief, need and longing. Behind all His amazing public works was His private prayer life fueling it. Prayer is the power that makes the work possible. And thanksgiving follows as the One that gives the power is to get the glory. Believers are merely vessels of flesh housing within the very power of God through the Holy Spirit. God’s ears are always open, He answers those who ask and bestows good things to His children. He is aware of our needs and loves us with an everlasting love. And neglect of prayer is always to our own harm.