Prayer Changes Things

Several years ago when I was working as an Assistant Pastor on staff at a church in California, I drove by a large billboard that sat along the highway and the sign simply said, Prayer Changes Things. It's been 15 years since I first saw that sign but I still remember the impact that the message of that sign had on my life as a Christian believer. Prayer is the key that opens the windows of heaven and brings God's presence, power, provision and blessing into our lives. Jesus taught in his sermon on the mount about the importance of prayer, and he said in Matthew 6:6-8-"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Jesus said "when you pray" which means the Lord expected us to pray and to live a daily life of prayer. It wasn't "if" you pray or "should" you pray, Jesus said, "when you pray." Prayer is the command of the Lord Jesus Christ and later the Apostle Paul admonishes us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-"Pray without ceasing." Which means that our hearts and minds should be focused on prayer and seeking the Lord as often as we can. Seek the Lord in prayer today and pray for His will and guidance in your life and watch God pour out his blessings.