" When All You Can Do Is Pray..." I can understand this sentiment being echoed by someone who doesn't believe in the power of prayer, but it seems to be expressed mostly by those who profess to be in a vital relationship with God. Why would anyone who professes to believe in prayer turn to it only when all else has failed? Could it be that many professed Christians don't possess an accurate understanding of what this thing called "prayer" is really all about? I believe that the problem for many of us is that we haven't grasped an understanding of the power or the purpose that prayer plays in our lives. Sadly, for many of us, prayer is often relegated to being our last resort instead of the daily life-giving communion with God that it was meant to be. In my class that I teach at WAU, one of the student's very first assignments is to create their own working definition of prayer. I make it clear at the onset that this has to be their creation and not just a mere reflection of someone else's thoughts. The purpose for this exercise is simple: to help them to see how their perception of prayer helps determine how it will or will not be utilized in their lives. Several years ago I decided to create my own working definition of prayer and it has since revolutionized my prayer life. My definition of prayer is simply this: "Prayer is inviting God, who happens to be the most powerful force in the universe, to intervene in the affairs of my life, knowing that He has my best interest at heart." If I truly believe that whenever I pray I am granting the most powerful force in the universe permission to intervene in every aspect of my life, knowing that He will only do what's in my best interest, why in the world would I ever use this powerful resource merely as a last resort? The question that you need to ask yourself today is: "Why should I?" Charles A. Tapp Senior Pastor
| 
