“And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”- 1 John 5:14

One of the first, and one of the most helpful, books I read as a new Christian was “The Power Of Prayer” by E M Bounds. I later discovered that it was just one section of a much larger book by Bounds and as soon as possible I read everything he wrote on the subject. I wish I could persuade everyone to do the same. It will not only feed your heart, it will put fire in your bones and increase your desire to pray more.

The first sermon I ever preached was on the subject of prayer and over the years I probably accumulated more quotes on prayer than any other anything else. There is something fascinating about prayer. I could spend hours reading one quote after another regarding what people have said about prayer, but the greatest source of all is God’s Word. To see the importance and the power of prayer all we need to do is to read the Bible.

Prayer is the greatest power on earth. I say that because it unleashes the greatest power in the universe, and that’s God’s power, with which nothing is impossible. Not only do we see this in God’s Word, our primary source, we also see it throughout history. One of the most amazing stories is that of George Mueller who through prayer cared for numerous orphans in England without ever asking anyone but God for financial assistance. Read the biography of any great Christian and you will see the connection between prayer and success. Take away the prayer and it would be nothing but failure.

As we face the ever mounting challenge of great difficulties with the insufficient weakness of the flesh we need to realize that we are fighting a losing battle without divine aid. We need to admit that we are in desperate need of God’s help and that without Christ we can do nothing. That should drive us to our knees in prayer.- HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

I have no doubt that prayer is more important than I can understand or explain. I often say, “Everything depends on prayer” and I believe it, but I confess that our behavior doesn’t always express that. As important as I know prayer is, I sometimes fail to pray as I should. I hope you don’t, but I suspect if you’re honest you have to say the same. That’s why I am staying on this subject. Don’t mistake this as a study on prayer – that would be much more involved. I’m writing these articles to simply remind you of the need for prayer and to encourage you to devote yourself to it.

To keep us from failing so often it helps if we are repeatedly reminded of the importance of prayer. I love what Oswald Chambers said about it. He wrote, “Prayer does not fit us for a greater work; it is the greater work”. I hope that sticks with you. We cannot be at our best at anything without prayer. It is the one thing we can’t do without. I believe we ought to pray as though everything depended on it because it does!

In recent days I spoke about cottage prayer meetings and prayer partners, but there’s another phrase that we seem to have forgotten. It’s called “the prayer room or prayer meeting”. I’ve often said that of all the things that helped me as a young Christian nothing helped me more than attending prayer meetings. In those days, the church where I was saved had a prayer meeting every Sunday evening an hour before the service. The men went to one room, the ladies to another, and the young people to their respective rooms. After sharing our prayer request we then divided up in twos or threes and went to separate rooms to pray. Nothing ever helped me grow more than what I experienced in those meetings. Sadly today it seems almost impossible to get people to make such a commitment. That alone should be reason enough for us to see our need of prayer. To think about being a Christian and not seeing the need to pray is akin to saying “I want to live but I see no need to breathe”. It makes you wonder doesn’t it. – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346 

Man is a needy creature. His needs come in all sorts, shapes,and sizes. There is never a second in which we are not in need of something, and to be deprived of a need can have serious consequences – it can be a matter of life and death. But, what is man’s greatest need? While several things come to mind, there is a sense in which we could say, Man’s greatest need is to see his need. Until a person sees his need he won’t seek the solution for his problem. That’s true of the sick person, the addict, and numerous others. It is also true in regards to the Christian life.

As Christians we need several things. I believe the top two are Bible study and prayer, and I think it would be a mistake to put one above the other. They go hand in hand. To be effective at the one we need the other, so we need both. But today I want to focus on our need of prayer.

It’s hard to imagine any Christian not seeing this need, but based on performance it’s evident that many don’t. Somehow they have come to believe that they can fare well without it. But they can’t. There are numerous reasons why we must pray. For example, prayer is necessary to–
– progress in spiritual growth
– prevail in spiritual warfare
– protect ourselves from temptation
– provide our many needs
– perceive God’s will
– prevent coldness of heart
– properly praise God

This study could go on and on for hours, but I simply want to remind you that prayer is desperately needed. Besides your personal needs I want you to consider the needs all around you. These are tough times and people are struggling with things for which great help is needed. Prayer is much more than a religious ritual, it is our life line. Without it we are destined to fail. With prayer all things are possible, except that which is contrary to God’s will. So, regardless of what you and your loved ones are going through, I encourage you to do as the Lord command and pray without ceasing. God can help! “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” With a promise like that why would you refuse to pray? – Heb. 4:16 – HDS