There is a hymn that we sing regularly titled, Sweet Hour of Prayer. The words written by W.W. Walford express the sentiment of what so many Christians feel today. The first stanza says, “Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father’s throne, make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escape the tempter’s snare, by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”
Prayer is a communication we have available to us that reaches farther than any other medium, like cellphone services or internet connections. The recipient on the other end, of course, is God our Heavenly Father, who is always happy to hear from us and, most of all, He has an ever-listening ear. The greatest blessing to us is that the price for this communication has been prepaid for us, not with dollars and cents but rather, the life of His Only Begotten Son. (Psalm 145:18, Jeremiah 29:12)
Our Heavenly Father loves to hear from us because He wants the very best for us. He reassures us that everything will work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. All we need to do is trust Him and be faithful (Rom. 8:28; James 4:13-17).
You see, prayer isn’t about us, it is about God, but it is for our benefit. God doesn’t need us, but we do need Him. He wants us to pray to Him so we can understand His will for us. He can guide us in the paths of righteousness for His namesake (Psalm: 23:3). No individual can ever blame God for their failures because He has given us the ability to choose right from wrong. We are free moral agents.
We have heard a great deal about Jesus as our High Priest the last couple of weeks. He stands ready to help us in our time of need because He laid His life down for each of us thousands of years ago (Heb 4:16).
The next couple of weeks we will be looking at the topic of prayer. First thing we need to understand is prayer is not simply a ritual or reciting of words, it is a living act of communication, reaching farther than any earthly means ever could. Also, prayer is for the believer. Someone who knows and trusts in our Heavenly Father and is willing to hear His Son speak to us through the scriptures and obey His commands.
As each new day dawns, may we embrace the sweet hour of prayer, not as an obligation, but as an opportunity and blessing. Let us draw near to God, confident of His love, assured of His wisdom and grateful for His grace.
My prayer for each of us is that we will use this form of communication and always believe we have unlimited access and unlimited minutes purchased by our Savior Himself. Have a blessed week and may you find strength and joy in the sweet hour of prayer.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we assemble to glorify God and thank Him for the incredible blessing of prayer, the invitation that beckons our soul to enter into communion with God. In Christ,
Steve
NOBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST