Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

THE PRAYER PUMP Prayer has often been compared to an old water pump. When a pump is frequently used, the water pours out at the first stroke because the water level is high. But, if the pump has not been used for awhile, the water level gets low and one must pump for a long time before the water trickles out. So it is with our prayers. If we neglect them, it is difficult to recapture the sense of God's presence. However, if we maintain the habit of daily devotions, the surging stream of God-awareness stays high in our lives. Paul felt prayer to be the primary concern of the believer. Paul knew that from the platform of prayer come the godly actions of witnessing and right living. He knew that things and people are changed by the power of prayer. Therefore, he said: I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. In the fifty major prayers of the Bible, we will discover which ones God answered and why. Perhaps in reviewing these, we will also discover ways to improve our own praying and develop the habit of perpetual prayer. It is not always easy to pray, but it is always necessary. In today's prayer period may we, like the disciples, say, "Lord, teach us to pray."