Why Is Prayer So Important?

I interrupt the flow of thoughts about the Great Commissions for some thoughts about prayer.  After all, our purpose here is to stir one another up to prayer.  I read these words from Charles Swindoll as I studied about Nehemiah who was known for his prayer life.  Here is what Swindoll wrote:

Why is prayer so important?  Here are the four shortest reasons I know.

Prayer makes me wait.  I cannot pray and work at the same time.  I have to wait to act until I finish praying.  Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it makes me wait.

Secondly, prayer clears my vision.  Southern California often has an overhanging weather problem in the mornings because of its coastal location until the sun "burns through" the morning fog.  Prayer does that.  When you first face a situation, is it foggy?  Prayer will "burn through."  Your vision will clear so you can see through God's eyes.

Thirdly, prayer quiets my heart.  I cannot worry and pray at the same time.  I am doing one or the other.  Prayer makes me quiet.  It replaces anxiety with a calm spirit.  Knees don't knock when we kneel on them!

Fourthly, prayer activates my faith.  After praying I am more prone to trust God.  And how petty and negative and critical I am when I don't pray!  Prayer sets faith on fire.

In taking on the task of evangelizing unengaged unreached people groups, all of these reasons for prayer are not only valid but essential.  We can't do this without prayer.  The great Bible expositor Warren Wiersbe quoted Scottish novelist George MacDonald who wrote, "In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably."  He also quoted evangelist Alan Redpath who said, "There is too much working befoer men and too little waiting before God."  Let's pray like never before!