Romans 12:10-12
10Be (A)devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another (B)in honor;
11not lagging behind in diligence, (C)fervent in spirit, (D)serving the Lord;
12(E)rejoicing in hope, (F)persevering in tribulation, (G)devoted to prayer,
Jesus loved to talk to His Father and often sought the opportunity to be alone with Him. At times, He would speak with God in front of large groups of people or ask a few of His close disciples to join Him in prayer. Because Jesus prayed frequently, He followed God’s lead, joined in His work, and spoke the Father’s words to the people around Him.
When we are serious about prayer, our intimacy with the Lord begins to grow. We come to know God better the more we listen and speak with Him, and as that happens, we start to view the world from a divine perspective. The things that matter to God will become our concerns as well, and our prayers will increasingly reflect His interests. Experiencing answered prayer will encourage us and grow our faith.
Over time, the discipline of prayer should begin to have a purifying effect upon us. The Holy Spirit works God’s truth deep into our hearts as we allow regular study of Scripture to fuel our communion with Him. Consistent exposure to the Word will reveal personal areas of ungodliness, and the Spirit will give us power to change. What’s more, we will learn to recognize where God wants us to become involved and how to invest our time, finances, and spiritual gifts in His work. Through prayer, we will also receive divine peace—even when circumstances worsen or remain unchanged (Isaiah 26:3).
The benefits of prayer are many, but greatest of all is the joy derived from spending more time with the Lord.
Used with permission.
