The Encourager
“What Are Some Qualities of Prayer? - Leland Ping”
What Are Some Qualities of Prayer?
By Leland Ping
It is valuable to spend a few moments examining the value of prayer in terms of some of the great qualities associated with this great privilege.
First, prayer is productive. Praying is not merely talking to God to fulfill a commandment of His. Prayer is, however, the single-most productive thing a person can do, no matter what his circumstances are or what challenges he might face. James writes, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). We need to be ready to speak to our God and to ask Him – for He desires such communication and praying to Him is very productive.
Second, prayer is powerful. Again, prayer is not passive and unimportant. It is more powerful than anything else. John writes that, if we confess our sins to God in prayer, He will forgive us (I John 1:9). Wow! A Christian who has sinned can communicate to God and, with a penitent heart, ask for and receive the forgiveness of God. Indeed, prayer is very powerful.
Finally, prayer is patient. Peter writes that we are to cast all of our care upon our God. He also says, however, that God will choose to exalt us in “due time” (I Peter 5:6-7). We must be patient and wait on our God. Being prayerful, and at the same time, being patient, is a hallmark of the devoted servant of God.
As we think about prayer, let us be reminded of the great privilege it is. Being able to speak to God each day is certainly a wonderful blessing. As we pray, let us strive to pray as our God has instructed, praising Him and giving Him thanks for all of His love.
Three Keys for Spiritual Health
By Leland Ping
In one of his earliest letters, Paul wrote the following profound words in his closing paragraph:
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Among all the many things that this teaches us is the importance of rejoicing. Some might say, well, it’s easy to rejoice when life is good – but I can’t be happy when life is tough. To that, Paul would say he disagrees. Rejoicing isn’t something that (spiritually speaking) should be dependent on circumstances but rather on one’s mindset. That’s not easy, of course, but the more we learn to rejoice in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, the more we’ll be aligned with what the Holy Spirit is counseling here.
We must also never underestimate the value of prayer. So much could and can be said on the subject. And, so much has been said through the centuries. But, simply put, prayer ought not always be scheduled or ritual. Rather, we should communicate with our great God on a regular basis. It’s our lifeline to the heavenly Father and we should fully take advantage of it and its power.
Finally, we should be a grateful people – thankful in all things. Being thankful in some things isn’t challenging. It’s a difficult thing when life doesn’t go our way, though. Paul was the perfect person to write these words. Over the course of his life, he would face so many, many challenges and setbacks. But, in spite of every difficulty he faced, he did so with a trust in the Lord and with a thankful heart.
Today and each day of our lives, let’s dedicate ourselves to doing these three things that make up the will of God.
Meditate on this:
Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
