The power of prayer lies in the fact that, though God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, our ability to receive and enjoy it depends on our earnest indication of interest in it through prayer. God makes this truth clear in the Bible : “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11). This verse of the Scripture presupposes the following truths : You are not an accident of creation or illegitimate; God is ever conscious of you. He is always mindful of you; God values you. He calls you the apple of His eyes (Zec 2:8); God takes responsibility for you (Isa 46:3-5); God has a purpose for your life (Jer 1:1,4-5). However, the condition He gives for you to enjoy the fulfilment of His plans for you is, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:12-13).
    Though God is good and every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17), He does not pour out His blessings on people who are not interested in them and could not care less. Though God’s blessings are free, they are not cheap. Therefore, He does not give His pearls to swine (Matt 7:6). Is it any wonder that in the next verse (Matt 7:7), the Bible says, ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” No matter how much God offers us, prayerlessness can deny us access to it all: “You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God” (James 4:2 NIV). We can be potentially rich but experientially poor because we do not ask God. Prayer bridges the gap between God’s promises and their fulfilment. Remember, prayer is not an attempt to overcome God’s reluctance, but an indispensable effort to take hold of God’s willingness.
    Several Scriptures indicate that God wants us to ask Him for the things we desire. Some examples are the following: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7). “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (Jn 14:13-14). “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (Jn 16:23-24). Only God knows how much we forfeit just because we do not ask Him.
    Prayerlessness has cost the Church more of God’s blessings than any other omission. Laziness to pray is the deadliest form of laziness. The call to prayer is for every believer. No one is absolved of this responsibility. There is no such thing as the work of the ministry without prayer as its basis. Prayer undergirds every spiritual enterprise worthy of the designation. Where there is little or no prayer, there will be, correspondingly, little or no spiritual impact on humanity from the so-called work of the ministry. If we do not speak to God on behalf of people, we cannot hope to be effective or efficient in speaking to them on God’s behalf. The main goal of the local church should be to see its members demonstrating the power of both personal and corporate prayer. Prayer is not the exclusive preserve of the pastor or an elite few in the church. It is the privilege and responsibility of all members of the church. Shalom.