Prayer: Duty or Delight?

While the Bible is a timeless, inspirational documentation of man’s continuous communication with God–and God’s faithfulness in speaking to man–how often do we in the church today tend to give-up on prayer because we have serious doubt that our prayers even “connect” with the Lord, much less truly make any real difference? What can we do to experience an exciting and meaningful transformation of our heart towards “prayer”…from a Christian duty to a much-anticipated delight (Psalm 42:1-2)?

Is it possible for us to hear God speaking today, as the “pray-ers” in the Bible surely heard and responded to Him? How can we regain the real confidence God wants all His people to have in prayer? What is the “key” difference in Jesus’ prayer-life and so much of ours today? What was it that prompted Jesus’ disciples to ask Him to teach them only one thing: “how to pray” (Luke 11:1)?

What would it take for our church to see a greater move of God among our members and in the community? Of all the activities in our church, where does/should “corporate prayer” fit-in? What did Jesus mean when He said: “My house shall be called a House of Prayer…” (Matthew 21:13)? What is a “House of Prayer”? Is there a difference between a church with an active “prayer ministry” and what Jesus would call a biblical “House of Prayer”? How important is it that our church becomes a true “House of Prayer”? What “results” might we see in our church and city if we responded to Jesus’ expressed desire and became serious about ministering as a devoted and dynamic “House of Prayer”, as did the first-century church in the Book of Acts?