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Benefits of Prayer – Part Two:
Not only is confession good for the soul, but it is necessary to receive forgiveness for our sins from God that will allow you to receive benefits and blessings from your prayers. When you confess your sins to God through prayer, He forgives you of your sins and your relationship with Him is restored. Likewise, when you have a grievance with another, it is through prayer that you can find the power in Christ to forgive them. All throughout Scriptures, there are illustrated examples of Jesus speaking about the importance of forgiveness. He illustrates this forgiveness on the cross in Luke 23:34. So, when anyone turns their heart in prayer, you are capable to not only repent and receive forgiveness but offer forgiveness to others in return.
4. Forgiveness of Sins:
“If my people on whom my name has been called humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear from the heavens and forgive their sin” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
The book of James states that wisdom is a free gift to anyone who asks God. King Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom and he was the wisest man who ever lived. Yet, as we learn from Solomon, to obtain wisdom is not enough. We must then live by wisdom. When we are in continual prayer with God, we receive a perpetual flow of wisdom and guidance.
5. A Way to Help Others:
“A righteous man’s supplication has a powerful effect” James 5:16.
The best gift anyone can give to another is to pray for them. We live in a sinful world where bad things happen to people and people are tempted to sin. Praying for another person not only helps that person find God in the midst of trouble, but also helps us recognize the blessings that God gives us daily. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. God answers our prayers for our personal concerns, prayers are usually answered quicker when it is directed towards the needs and requests of others. God wants us to connect with each other through prayer. There is a lot to be said about personal prayer and spending quiet times alone with God. But the overwhelming truth of scripture is God wants us to pray together in community.
When Jesus’ disciples asked him how to pray, one part of his prayer was to ask that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Through this petition, you can learn the importance of discerning and accepting God’s will for your life. By communing with God, you can avail yourself to submit to His authority. After Jesus wrestled in prayer at Gethsemane, he was ready to suffer the cross because he knew it was his cup to bear. For believers, when you seek the Lord, peace comes at the knowledge of His will. The Bible encourages believers to approach God with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. You are to recognize Him for who He is and what He has done for you. In doing so, you bring honor to the Lord. You also learn to adopt a positive mindset. The Apostle Paul is a testimony of someone who observed a lifestyle of gratefulness. No matter the circumstances, his contentment was based on his identity in Christ and the freedom of forgiveness. This gratefulness permeated every area of his life. When you acknowledge and identify through prayer how God has worked in your life, you begin to become more grateful in other areas of your life as well.
6. Encouragement When Prayers are Answered:
“Jehovah said to him [Solomon]: ‘I have heard your prayer and your request for favor that you made before me’” 1 Kings 9:3.
The more time we spend with God and focus on Him, the more it will translate into your daily lives. In a world that advocates everything that is against God, as believers, you can use prayer to remind you of all God has done for you in the past and all God has promised to do for you. The prayer of Habakkuk 3 illustrates this mindset. James 4:6 states that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:“God resists the proud,But gives grace to the humble.” When you go to God in prayer, your attitude should be one of humility because you recognize the greatness of His glory and the gratefulness of your grace. In so doing, you learn to combat the pride that wells up within you. The story of the prayers of the tax collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18 shows how God honors humility. When it is tempting to place yourself first, an active prayer life can help you have a proper perspective. God as your Heavenly Father deeply desires for you to walk with Him. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, you have been given access by faith through in him. Prayer is a primary tool for you to draw closer to God and understand Him better. Answered prayer is not only possible, but it is also assured to the righteous. Righteousness is more than a lifestyle. More so, it means depending on Jesus Christ for an answer to every situation you face. Prayer, the Christian’s most powerful resource, is communion with God in every aspect of life.