5 Reasons Prayer Alone Is Simply Not Enough
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For one reason or another, lots of us can get into the habit of prayer being our only spiritual practice. We send a quick “thank you” to God before a meal or whisper a request for help during work. The hectic days drown out any other form of discipline, so we try to stay tethered to our Lord through simple prayers.
Such a scenario is understandable, especially when we consider the type of technological age we live in. And there is certainly nothing wrong with praying to the Lord throughout the day; we are told to pray continually, which includes the tidbit times of prayer we snatch during the trek through our schedules (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
But there is something wrong if we are unable to engage in other vital practices, like Bible reading and meditation, worship, meeting with other believers, and serving. Prayer is a significant discipline, but it alone is not enough to nourish us completely.
Even if someone devoted themselves to prayer in a cloistered life away from distractions and busy schedules, his or her spiritual life would still be hindered if this was all they did. Think what would happen if we took this mindset with other parts of life, such as making a recipe. Broth alone does not make soup. Neither is spaghetti a proper dish if there are only noodles or meatballs. Likewise, there are many other ingredients in the Christian life that we need if we are going to walk in obedience to the Lord, loving Him and our neighbor in the way He intended.
So, let us take a breath as we step away from the busyness and consider why we need prayer and other practices to have a strong relationship with our Lord.
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1. In Addition to Talking to God, We Also Need to Listen to Him
Imagine you were on the phone with someone. The other person can speak, describing events in their day and asking questions, but you are unable to say anything in return. Likely, you and the other person would become frustrated and end the call. Not much of a conversation, is it? The same would be true even if the roles were reversed.
That is what we do to God when we only pray and never make time to listen to what He has said. We should present our concerns and requests to Him and offer thanks and praise for all He does. Yet, prayer is only half of the conversation when we spend time with God.
In His love and grace, the Lord has provided us with the Bible which is His inspired Word (2 Timothy 3:16). To read Scripture, then, is to listen to the very words of the Lord.
Studying Scripture, meditating on it, and committing it to memory is important to our relationship with God. We are wise to keep the Word before us, in our hearts and minds, so that we can follow the Lord and grow in our relationship with Him. For example, the Bible tells us that loving Jesus means obeying His commands (John 14:15). If we are not familiar with what He has said, then how are we to show our love for Him by obeying Him? Also, David compared Scripture to a light and lamp that provides guidance (Psalm 119:105). We need the guidance and instruction that God’s Word provides so that we can walk in faithfulness.
Praying is vital in our relationship with the Lord, but so is listening to Him by reading and studying His Word.
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2. The Lord Can Use Us in Answer to Prayers
Prayer can be a powerful way to intercede for people we know locally, but also for those around the world, including our global brothers and sisters in Christ. There are numerous issues to pray for, all of them pressing concerns that the Lord cares deeply about: Missions, assistance with physical needs, justice work, the health of congregations. But if we are solely focused on what we do when we bend our heads or kneel, then we miss what God may be calling us to do with our hands and feet. How the Lord often answers prayers is through believers as they willingly submit to Him.
This is not to say that our intercession is unimportant or unneeded, because it is a worthy ministry in serving and loving others. As James 5:16 reminds us, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” However, prayer also has a way of changing our hearts and moving us to action.
That relative or neighbor we have been earnestly praying for to be saved? Perhaps God is leading us to share our testimony with him or her. Or, when we commit to praying for a certain cause, like helping those in poverty or children who are at risk of being trafficked, we should not be surprised when an opportunity arrives to support or serve in a ministry that addresses that issue. God can use our prayers to propel us into action.
Consider the example of the first-century churches, when they heard about those in Judea suffering from the famine. The disciples in Antioch undoubtedly prayed for those affected, but they also gave according to their ability (Acts 11:27-29). Similarly, when those in Macedonia and Achaia heard about the poor in Jerusalem, they gave from their resources to help their brothers and sisters in Christ (Romans 15:25-27).
Our Lord certainly does not need us in order to answer prayers, neither are we inflicting a force on Him to bend his will to ours when we pray. In His grace, He invites us into His work by using our lives and relationships to answer our prayers and the requests of others. And He listens to us because He cares (1 Peter 5:7).
Maybe the next time we pray, we can add a question to our requests: “What, O Lord, would You have me do?”
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3. Prayer and Worship Is Also Meant to be Corporate
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that prayer should not be done as a performance to please others (Matthew 6:5). Such an approach to prayer already receives its intended goal by making the person appear religious. Warning against hypocrisy, Jesus told the disciples to pray in private so that their focus is on communicating with God (Matthew 6:6).
We are wise to pray in private when we spend time alone with the Lord. But Jesus’ instruction was not against corporate prayer or worship. For example, the early church lived in obedience to Christ’s teaching and regularly met together to eat, pray, and worship together (Acts 2:42-47). We can even read about their prayer for boldness in proclaiming the gospel (Acts 4:23-30).
The Apostle Paul also gave instructions for corporate worship and prayer, which would not make sense if prayer is meant only for individual practice (1 Timothy 2:1-8). Likewise, the book of Psalms – filled with prayers and songs – was used throughout Israel’s history and in the church for worship during gatherings and events. The early church regularly sang the Psalms, individually and with other believers (see Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16).
We need consistent times of meeting with other believers to pray together and offer praise to the Lord.
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4. Other Believers Can Encourage and Challenge Us
In addition to praying together, we also need to be fellowshipping with other members of the church. The Christian life is not meant to be practiced alone with the mentality of being “Jesus and I.” When we are saved, we are brought into the family of God where we can use our gifts to serve and encourage our brothers and sisters (John 1:12; 1 Peter 4:10-11). To take the stance of a loner is to miss the blessing of having companionship with the church.
Scripture tells us to “not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). We benefit from fellowshipping with other believers since we can be encouraged and equipped to better serve the Lord. And all members grow in increasing maturity when they meet for the mutual building up of the church (Ephesians 4:11-13).
Fellowship is an integral part of our discipleship. All of us need a “Paul” and “Timothy” in our life, who spurs us on to greater faithfulness and who provides the opportunity to disciple another believer. Our Lord said that others will recognize us as His disciples if we love one another, which necessitates being in relationship with other believers (John 13:35).
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5. Our Time Alone with God Is Meant to Affect Our Everyday Lives
We pray to commune with the living God, and our interactions with Him will inevitably affect us. Like all spiritual disciplines, prayer has the capability to be transformative. We do not merely pray and move along with our day. Our relationship with the Lord should impact how we engage in our daily life.
Scripture shows us that true faith will always have the outward signs of fruit. We will care for orphans and widows (James 1:27), help the poor (James 2:15-16), love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), strive to use words that build up (Ephesians 4:29), and do other good works our Lord has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). Prayers can fuel this, but it cannot replace the need to live out our faith. As James 2:26 says, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”
Followers of Jesus are praying people who put their faith in action.
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