More Than A Habit
By: Pastor Bailey Miller
Prayer is often talked about in Christian circles or referenced in the public sphere as a sentimental activity, but it’s just as often misunderstood or misused. Many people think of prayer as something casual—a quick word before a meal, a bedtime ritual, or even just “sending thoughts and prayers” to someone in need. But prayer is far more than a religious habit or empty words; it's one of the primary ways we connect with our Heavenly Father.
What Prayer Is Not
Before we explore what prayer truly is, let’s clarify what it’s not.
Prayer is not a way to have God carry out our will or meet our most pressing desires. Nor is it something by which we make requests unto God so our circumstances may change, rather than ourselves being transformed. Misunderstanding the purpose of prayer can lead to a misunderstanding of God Himself as well as His character. If prayer is treated like a wish list and participants expect God to act like a genie, we reduce the Sovereign Lord of all creation to a mere servant of our desires and rob ourselves of prayer’s eternal purpose and impact.
Philippians 4:6 reminds us,
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
The prayer of the righteous may include requests, petitions, and cries unto God as referenced above, but its ultimate basis and hope is that God’s will would be established and that ours would align (Matt. 6:10).
What Prayer Is
True prayer is about surrender unto God and submission of one’s self. It's a sacred act in which God, through His Spirit, draws His children to Himself so they may actively exercise the child-like faith that longs to hear from their Father and the obedience to become like Christ, His Son. It is an offering we make in that name of Christ, not just of words, but of our hearts and lives.
Romans 12:1 says,
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Does this mean we build an altar for ourselves to lay on? Of course not. The key is to be a living sacrifice. In other words, Christians can rightfully live unto God when they submit to his providence rather than their preferences, using prayer as the primary means to do so. In its biblical essence, prayer on this side of eternity is a tool by which sanctification can be made sweet, obedience can be made worshipful, and life can be purposed for its Author.
As A.W. Pink wisely said,
“Prayer is not designed for the furnishing of God with the knowledge of what we need, but it is designed as a confession to Him of our sense of need.”
Trusting the Father
Take heart: God already knows your needs, both present and eternal.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:8,
"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
God, in His perfect wisdom and love, doesn’t always give us what we want—but He always gives what is best for our good, which is His glory in His time. When properly applied, prayer becomes a holy and redemptive exchange: our worries for His peace, our confusion for His wisdom, our weakness for His strength, our way for His will.
May we purpose our prayer to be the God-given wind at our back as we run this race of faith, humbly coming before God and aligning all desires to His will through daily submission. There is nothing today that you can carry on your own strength or hope for in your own understanding that wouldn’t better belong at the foot of the cross or stored up in Heaven through prayer.