So many books and sermons have been devoted to the subject of prayer that I would not have the audacity to think that I could add something or say something new. But prayer is what sets the Christian apart from the world, and the more this world is darkening, the more we stand out as luminaries. So I would like to encourage you to keep up this excellent work of praying: for ourselves, our loved ones, and even our enemies. Never give up on it!

What Is Prayer?

Praying is a tremendous privilege because we can communicate with the almighty God, creator of heaven and earth and all that lives. We have received this privilege because the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, died for our sins on the cross. In Jesus we are adopted as sons and daughters by God, whom we now may call Father (Rom. 8:15). Prayer expresses the special bond of love that we have with him.

In the same way that we can talk to our best friend or loving earthly father, we can talk with our heavenly Father. We can feel so secure in his love that we can open up to him with our deepest longings, our desires, our secrets, and everything that is on our mind, all the time knowing that he loves us and wants to bless us and give us everything we need. In Jesus’ words, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11, English Standard Version).

Nothing and nobody can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35). Even better: in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:37).

Our prayers are quite literally our lifelines. You could imagine them as beams of light shooting up and out of the murky darkness of the peoples on earth. Our beams should never, ever grow dark. We should be praying at all times. And God, who sees us lovingly in his Son, will send his comfort and blessings down to us. We need to train our mind to stay on him.

When we pray, it’s a majestic way to present our loved ones to the care of our trustworthy God. It’s always the best we can do for anyone, and as our relationship with the Lord is one of love, we commit everyone we pray for to his loving care.

When we pray we are also involved in a spiritual battle. As we see the devil prowling around looking for those he can devour, we must stand with the everlasting God in this fight for humanity. We are soldiers for God in this battle and need to do our part in the fight.

What and How to Pray

The disciples asked Jesus what to pray, and he answered by giving them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. When you meditate on each line of that prayer, you will realize it includes everything that you might be worrying about.

Essential parts of prayer are praise and thankfulness. It is good to always include these, even if you don’t feel like it. Remembering how God has worked in your own life will greatly help you. As the hymn goes, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”

If you intentionally focus on the wondrous works that God has done, it draws your mind away from yourself (and your anxiety); instead, you focus on God and the promises he has already fulfilled in your life and in that of others. Then you find many reasons to praise him and be thankful.

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26). Ask Jesus’ Spirit to help you pray when you are at a loss for words.

You can pray God’s promises back to him. When you read from your Bible or pray in your mind, you can remind him of his promises. Of course he didn’t forget, but it’s a good discipline for you. It also makes you more aware of all the promises he has already kept.

The best way to learn to pray is by doing it. There is no formula for successful prayer. Prayer is your time with God and his time to work in you. This time is essential for you to not get conformed to this world but to have your mind renewed (Rom. 12:2). And a renewed and discerning mind is what we need now more than ever. Jesus said that temptations are sure to come, but we do not want to fall into them (Luke 17:1).

Reading your Bible is essential, because God can later remind you what you have put to mind. When you may get in difficult circumstances, the Holy Spirit can bring comforting words to your mind, and you will not have to be afraid. But when reading, a passage can be highlighted that is an answer to your question. So read your Bible often. Having it on your phone can be helpful.

The Bible has much to say about solitude and about quietness. Jesus says in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” It is good to have a literal place where you can go and be quiet.

If you can’t go into your prayer closet, the inner room of the heart is portable. It can be that quiet place in the midst of a busy world. In it, your soul can communicate with God. “Have Jesus in your heart” should be taken literally. In the midst of turmoil, your soul can pray and receive wisdom from the Most High. This is the beauty of being in Jesus connected to the Father.

Why Keep on Praying?

God answers prayers, often through his Word. Jesus is our Comforter, our Helper, our Counselor (John 14:16) who literally is always there. He gives you joy, and peace that goes beyond understanding.

God can also answer through circumstances, often in ways we could not have imagined. He can change hearts too, both yours and/or the one you are praying for. Even the king’s heart is like a stream of water in the hand of the Lord (Prov. 21:1).

Also, God will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (Ps. 91:11). It is good and comforting to be aware of the angels that are there to help and protect you. You can ask for that protection too.

With the world getting darker and more confusing every day, it is difficult to not become anxious now and then. Ralph Abernathy famously wrote, “I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future.” We want to stay close to our Father who holds the future. The more the darkness and the lies creep up, the more we need to lean on him and to trust him for everything. Don’t lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him (Prov. 3:5–6). This is important because this is also how you learn about the works that he has prepared for you that you can do today in order to glorify him.

The best summary of this article is Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Annemarieke Ryskamp was born and raised in the Netherlands. She graduated with a master’s degree in Dutch Language and Literature from Utrecht University and worked for the Dutch L’Abri and as a secondary school teacher at United World College in Singapore. She attends Dutton United Reformed Church (MI), where she leads various Bible study groups and mentor groups. She has two sons who are currently in graduate studies.