PRAYER IS FELLOWSHIP

Have you ever asked the question, “If God knows my needs before I ask Him, why must I pray?”

That’s the way we think because we view prayer only from our perspective. Why must we pray? Because God instructs us to pray. That should be enough reason for doing what He tells us to do.

Praying is like giving God a bouquet of flowers. A bunch of flowers has many colours and fragrances which, together, present a display that is beautiful and pleasing.

In the next few weeks, we’ll explore some of the facets of prayer that are both pleasing to God and beneficial to us.

Before we begin to examine the details of prayer, let’s get this fact firmly fixed in our minds… true prayer can only happen between the God of the Bible, the Creator of heaven and earth, and us because we have a relationship with Him as children of God. No false religion can claim this relationship with its god since we alone are God’s offspring by natural and supernatural birth.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it…. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth….

Acts of the Apostles 17:24-26 NLT

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”

John 1:12-13 NLT

This relationship is the foundation and reason for our fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Tha Apostle John wrote…

“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

1 John 1:3 NLT

And Paul included the Holy Spirit…

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT

So, first, prayer is the expression of our fellowship with God. Fellowship implies having that which we have in common. We fellowship with God not as equals but as Father and children, the Father our Supreme authority, and the children living in loving obedience and submission to the Father.

This fellowship is the heart of a relationship between a father and his children, communication, the best way we have to maintain the connection with our dad. So, priority number one, prayer is fellowship with our Father, through Jesus, our Mediator, in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER

Thank you, my heavenly Father, that you have called me into fellowship with you through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who made me alive when I was dead in my sin. Thank you for the spiritual life you have given me, restoring me to your family as a beloved child.

Please help me, Father, always to remember that I am here to worship you, to praise you, and glorify your name in all that I am and do. I am not my own master. My life belongs to you.

“The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning It’s time to sing your song again Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me Let me be singing when the evening comes.”

“You’re rich in love and you’re slow to anger Your name is great and your heart is kind. For all your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.”

“And on that day when my strength is failing; The end draws near and my time has come. Still my soul will sing your praise unending Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL,

O MY SOUL

WORSHIP HIS HOLY NAME

SING LIKE NEVER BEFORE, O MY SOUL

I’LL WORSHIP YOUR HOLY NAME

(Matt Redman)