Remember who you are – and remember WHOSE you are!  Because you have invited the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart, you can pray! God is waiting to hear from His children. Just as a parent loves to hear his children talk, God loves to hear from us. He loves the prayers and praises of His children. In fact, He values them so much, He is saving them! In Revelation 5:8 we read, and when he had taken it. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Many Christians think they must ask someone else to pray for them. And, in fact, it is good for the community of believers to pray for each other.   God’s Word teaches us to “pray for each other.” James 5:16 says, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

However, there is a truth that Christians sometimes miss: when the child of God prays, he has help in the Person of the Holy Spirit and of Jesus Christ. In Romans 8: 26-27; 34 we read, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will…Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

PRAYER BEGINS WITH A RELATIONSHIP*

You were created for a relationship and God desires a relationship with us. The first prayer of a Christian is inviting Jesus Christ to come into their life – forgive their sin and allow them to spend eternity with Him – and eternity begins the moment of surrender. 

PRAYER EMPOWERS THE BELIEVER*

• God provides the equipment – the armor – for the child of God to put on:
• Helmet of salvation = protection and victory
• Breastplate of righteousness = right standing with God
• Belt of truth = character
• Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace = sharing how God has changed my life
• Sword of the Spirit = the Word of God
• Shield of faith = “I trust you, Jesus.”

Wow! When we pray we are joined by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Himself! That means, when we pray God sees our heart and He answers in accordance with His will. Pastors, are you ready to start your congregations praying? Laymen, are you ready to start interceding for those who need intercession? 

                                                                             *Inserts from Carolyn Fuqua