Have you prayed today?

Have you prayed today? Do it again.

Come on, it’s good for us – and it’s good for so many who need our prayers.

We’ve given thanks to our Lord for His creation and expressed our gratefulness for His love and mercy. Take time to find three specific items that deserve special thanks to Him just for today. No, you don’t have to stop at three!

We’ve prayed for those close to us. We’ve given thanks for those who have given their lives in service to Him, and for those we know need Him in their lives so desperately. Did we thank Him for bringing them into our lives?

The disciples must have seen the impact of prayer Christ’s life for them to have asked Him how to pray. What He gave them serves as our example today – do we use it as our template? Or do we use it in place of what we need to say.

I love the psalms – where David often says, “O Lord,” in much the same way two men called to Jesus: And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. (Matthew 20:30)

Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake. (Psalms 6:4)

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. (Psalms 25:4-5)

The sixth chapter of Second Chronicles speaks deeply of praying and answered prayer – but it is it is in the seventh chapter that we receive our greatest promise concerning prayer.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

This is a great promise for His people, but what of one man? What happens when one man prays?

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. (Acts 10:1-4)

There’s a bit more to the story, and a wonderful lesson for Peter lies between these verses and the result of Cornelius’ prayers to God. Eventually, Luke writes of the result:

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (Acts 10:43-44)

Paul tells us about praying, too: I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy 2:8)

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)