EVERY day, 24/7/365, is a day of prayer! Prayer is without a doubt the most underused asset we have as people of faith. Most people pray only in a time of crisis. Many pray in almost a superstitious way, not really in faith, but in hoping that there may be someone out there who hears them. It is a shame that most people do not realize either the intimacy of, or power
in prayer. Prayer is our communication with our Creator. It is our very real, yet unseen connection to the God who created us as well as the heavens and earth!

When you think about it, it is almost too great to comprehend that God would make a way for us to talk to Him...yet He has through prayer. Having direct access to God, being able to communicate with Him at any time, about any situation, is a gift that you could never put a price tag on. If AT&T charges you .30 a minute for a long distance phone call, how much would talking to God Himself be worth? Plus, God's line is NEVER busy! But even with this free access God has provided, sadly, most never take full advantage of it.

Many question why we even pray at all. Either God doesn't exist which means you are just talking to yourself, or He already knows what is going to happen, so what is the use? As far as God's existence, He has given us all the free will to believe in Him or not. If we exercise that free will and choose not to believe, that does NOT change the fact that God does exist. For those who doubt this fact, I would suggest visiting your local Christian bookstore and buying one of many books on the case for God's existence. It would be the best $10 you ever spend. By the way, the case for God's existence is overwhelming to the point that you would have to literally try NOT to accept any of the multitude of facts that point to God existence.

As for the argument "why pray since God already knows what is going to happen," the answer is simple. He commands us to pray in His Word. Prayer is not something that God suggests, but commands. Why? Because it not only is a way for us to exercise our faith, but it demonstrates our dependence on Him. It is an act of showing God how much we need Him.

For anyone who doubts the incredible power of prayer, you doubt God. We have an archive of over 1,300,000 praise reports from people that God has touched in the 59 months of Liveprayer. These people took the time to come back and give the Lord thanks by sharing how He moved in their life and circumstances. Incredible testimonies of people who were healed, had financial needs met, marriages restored, relationships mended, people delivered from various addictions, and every kind of need you can imagine. God is a God of the answered prayer!

Of course, there are many prayers God does not answer. One of the questions I am asked most often is why did God not answer my prayer. I wish I had that answer. God often says NO, or God may say wait, or God may answer our prayer in a way we never even thought of. The fact is, we pray in faith, and we accept God's answer whatever it may be, by faith. If our lives are really surrendered to Him, then we are prepared to accept His will for our life. In our flesh, we may not agree with God's answer, or like it, but we must remember that when we accepted Christ into our heart we gave our life to Him. One of the tests of our spiritual maturity is accepting God's answer even though we don't understand why, and moving forward in faith knowing that He is in control and has a plan and purpose for everything.

My hope today is that you will get more serious about prayer in your life. That you will make it part of your daily life. What a gift God has given to us to be able to communicate with Him any time, about anything. We need to take advantage of that gift. Paul said to "pray without ceasing." There are many interpretations of that verse, but to me it simply means what it says. I try to live each day with my line to God always connected. Think of it as a speakerphone. You dial the number, put the phone on the cradle, turn the speaker on, and never hang up. Just between you and me, without that constant communication to Him I could never make it through most days.

It also is a way to avoid making serious mistakes in our life. I can guarantee you right now that 99% of your bad decisions came WITHOUT prayer. The more you pray, the less trouble you are going to get in. Prayer is not just an offensive weapon, but a defensive one as well. Let me encourage you to make EVERY DAY a day of prayer in your life.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller