For too many people, prayer has become a drudgery instead of a delight. It has become a nonessential. In seminary class one day, Dr. Jack Magorman made a comment that I have never forgotten about the drudgery of prayer in the church. He said, “Those in our churches who cannot stand a thirty minute prayer meeting in the presence of God, for them heaven will be hell.” Wow! That sounds harsh, but think about it. Heaven is going to be a forever relationship with God.

Let’s begin by looking at two examples of people who walked with God through prayer: an Old Testament example, and a New Testament example.

Old Testament Example
In the Old Testament, in Genesis 6, we are confronted with the challenge to walk with God from a man named Noah. The first words used to describe this man are incredible. It says that Noah, “. . . was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”
It is my prayer that you will be a righteous and blameless person who walks with God.

Read Genesis 6:9 – 8:22, then consider the following questions:

  1. What do you think it means to talk to God?
  2. Why do you think God chose to talk to Noah?
  3. Do you think God wants to talk with you?

New Testament Example
In the New Testament, the life of Jesus exemplifies that prayer is a must
not a maybe. Prayer for Jesus was not optional; it was continual. Watch and evaluate how the life of Jesus challenged others to walk with God through prayer.

Luke 11:1 records that Jesus was praying in a certain place. This certain place is an indication that Jesus was regularly talking to God. In Jesus’ consistency to pray, His life became a model of prayer. His example impacted the disciples and caused them to want what Jesus had. They asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

This is what we all need: a challenge to pray. Jesus is challenging us today to pray; and he can, because he did. His model inspired the disciples and it should inspire us. If we don’t begin to model prayer as Jesus did, we may raise a generation of prayerless Christians. If this happens, Satan will be filled with joy. You see, a generation of prayerless Christians is a generation of powerless Christians. God forbid that such a day will come. It is my prayer that we accept the challenge to pray from godly people we know, from Bible characters we read about, and most of all from our Savior Jesus.

Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord my desire is to model a life of prayer. Reveal to me whatever may be hindering my prayer life. Do whatever it takes so my heart may say, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:2