Introduction

The reason why a lot of people struggle with prayer is that they misunderstand it. Prayer is not a religious duty that we must fulfill in order to be a good person in the eyes of God. Prayer is not a choice or a burden. It’s an opportunity to fulfill the very reason why we exist in the first place. To neglect prayer is to contradict our nature as spiritual beings in need of God who created us and sustains us. Just as it is unthinkable for us not to eat or drink, or to even not breathe, so it is unthinkable for us not to pray. To understand what is pray is all about, we should we must first know the reasons why we need to pray.

Four Reasons

1. We are spiritual beings with a spiritual purpose. (Gen 2:7; 1:27) If we think we’re just physical beings, we will not prioritize prayer, because prayer is a spiritual activity. But once we understand that we are spiritual beings with a spiritual purpose, then we will see why prayer is so vital to our spiritual lives.
2. We are responsible to fulfill our spiritual purpose. (Gen 1:28; 2:8-9; 2:15-17) No one is responsible for fulfilling our spiritual purpose except us. God gave us the responsibility to do this, and we cannot be passive. We need to be actively pursuing God’s purpose, and that requires regular prayer because apart from God we cannot do it.
3. We live in a spiritual world controlled by evil spirits. (1 Jn 2:15-17; Eph 6:12, 18; 2:1-3) We live in a hostile world controlled by Satan and his demonic spirits. Therefore we cannot fulfill God’s purpose without opposition. The enemy will try his best to stop us. We can only succeed through prayer.
4. We need God to fulfill our purpose under His kingdom. (Eph 2:4-7; 1 Jn 3:8-9; Phil 2:12-13; 1:9-11; 2 Thess 1:11-12) The power of prayer is not ours alone to use at our disposal. We need God to show us His will and to pray regularly so that we can fulfill our purpose by His grace and power. We are co-laborers with God. We are to be active participants in the process of fulfilling what He puts in our hearts to accomplish by faith.

Conclusion

1. Main Idea: “Prayer is an activity that matters for all eternity.”
2. Because our lives matter to God, prayer should matter to us each day.
3. From now on, bring to God in prayer whatever matters to you and to Him.

Discussion

1. Why do we need to know what prayer is all about?
2. How can the reasons for prayer motivate you to pray more regularly?
3. How does this sermon affect your overall attitude toward prayer?