Prayer Underpins Everything

Isaiah 56:7 (NIV)

These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

For the last two years, in January, our church has held a prayer event called Powerhouse. This year, the theme verse was Isaiah 56:7, and our aim was to make space for the church to gather, be empowered and equipped to pray. It was a powerful time of encounter, and since then, I have heard numerous stories about how God has moved in situations and how he ignited in individuals a heart for prayer. I have also discussed prayer with friends and what we have learnt since Powerhouse, and to summarise our conversations, it's simply this - we need to pray more and with stronger intent. 

Prayer underpins everything. The more I press in and try different forms of prayer, the more I realise there is so much more to learn. Prayer is a lifelong journey to know God’s heart, and it takes many different forms: solitary, together, brief, long, silent, meditation, out in nature, on our knees, walking, singing, creating, shouting at the top of our lungs for God to intervene - to name but a few.

To become a house of prayer for all nations, we need to be individual people of prayer, whatever form it takes. Just pray, just do it, and if you are not sure where to start, Jesus gave us the perfect example with the Lord’s prayer. Try breaking it down, phrase by phrase, repeating each one slowly. Our father... our father... our father, reflecting, savouring, thanking God for making you his child. You may not need to go any further in prayer that time!

When did you last read a book about prayer? Can we recommend 'How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People' by Pete Greig? Whether you think you're 'normal' or not (!), it might be worth a go!

Prayer - Our Father... our FATHER... OUR father. Thank you, Father God.