Prayer is More than Simply Talking with God
David Reyes
It’s the summer of ‘98 in Dallas, TX. I’m rocking to Third Eye Blind’s debut album on my way to Six Flags Over Texas. It’s the dog days of summer, 100+ degrees outside. On the way to the theme park, my youth pastor tells a group of guys and me that “prayer is simply talking with God.”
For years I’ve struggled with this idea, “prayer is simply talking with God.” “Why doesn't God talk back?” I wondered. I would ask God a question and sit and wait for an audible answer. Years later, someone told me, “He speaks through the bible.” So I would ask God a question, then grab the bible, open it up to a random passage, and I’d search for answers. But it never felt quite like my leaders described.
Now I realize that those ideas were missing something. It would have been helpful if someone would have told me, yo, forget what you know about earthly relationships and communication. Instead, people tried to make prayer so relatable and natural. “It’s cool, man. It’s just like talking to your homies!” Except it’s not. At least not entirely. There was such a push to make spiritual things natural. To their credit, I think they were trying to make spiritual things normal.
Here’s an example. It’s not natural to “love your neighbor.” I don’t want to. I’m selfish. What’s in it for me if I love them? Will they love me back? Because if they don’t, I’m out.
Yet this is the second most important commandment for God. So if the Holy Spirit ever gets a hold of you, and transformation starts to happen in your life, you will begin to love others truly. That’s not natural. That’s SUPERNATURAL!
Close to fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. Out of the fifty percent that remain married, few enjoy a happy marriage. Why? Because things like true love, fidelity, and monogamy are not natural. If you have been happily married for many years, it’s probably because of the enormous grace of God. That’s SUPERNATURAL!
Consider the words of Jesus in this passage in John 4:23-24: “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
There is a sacred, spiritual approach when interacting with God. God is spirit; interact with him in spirit and truth.
The apostle Paul explains the thought further to the church in Corinth: “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” - 1 Corinthians 2:13-14
I can confidently make the case that prayer is more than “simply talking to God.” It is a sacred, spiritual, supernatural interaction with our heavenly Father.
I can see now why my leaders aimed to lower the bar. I mean, that sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? Sacred, supernatural, spiritual, holy, that all sounds scary. However, In an attempt to make prayer more doable and less intimidating, we watered down the truth about what it means to commune with God.
I’m not attacking your prayer life. Because it’s not about how you pray, when you pray, how many times you pray, etc. In fact, there are many different kinds of prayers. Intersession, supplication, and faith are a few. And maybe there’s something to “lowering the bar” at the beginning of one’s faith journey. But we must always be pushing forward because there’s more!
What I aim to do in this blog is to help you understand the truth about prayer. Prayer is SUPERNATURAL. And when you intentionally construct a prayer life that is sacred and spiritual, prayer becomes even more powerful!
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
James 5:13-16
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
These passages scream miraculous, supernatural activity! And prayer is involved in every single one.
So, my challenge to you is to reset your mindset. If you have looked at prayer as just two homies sitting down drinking coffee and chatting, that’s fine. But get intentional about prayer. Make it a sacred time. Consider the supernatural power that is available when you step into the fullness of prayer.
Peace!