By now I believe we all know what prayer is and why people pray. It is basically an act of communication usually between humans and a higher power or deity. For Christians, we pray to God Almighty the creator of the universe, as this is required of us.
Even Jesus made a bold declaration in Luke 18:1 that "Men are supposed to pray always and not to faint." But the big question remains is prayer enough to get us closer to God?
Brother Eli Soriano did justice to that question by breaking it down for us to get a clearer understanding of it. Prayer alone is not enough to get us closer to God, but acting on the word of God would.
This is true because prayer is an act of faith but acting in the word of God is work. No wonder the bible speaking in James 2:17 says that faith without work is dead.
Bro Eli gave an example for a better understanding, as he quoted Matt 7:7 where Jesus said "We should Ask, Seek, Knock and we shall be given, we shall find and the door shall be open unto us." This might look like a call to prayer, but it's actually a call to action.
This words of Jesus reveals a progression of increasing action, as it requires us to actively engage in physical activities rather than just sitting there and wishing. The door opens to those who approaches with persistent, obedient and action.
A very remarkable prayer without action critique can be seen in James 2:14-26. James presents a scenario that mirrors our discussion saying *"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16).
In summary, the secret of getting closer to God relies greatly in our ability to act on the word of God rather than just praying. True prayer is not the opposite of action, but it is the source of it. The question is not "Should I pray or should I act?" but rather "Will my prayer move me to act?"
To act on the word is to continually do what it says, and that is the evidence that you believe. This is what gets us closer to God, because we can still pray to God with our lips but our hearts are far away from him.
Prayer is the breath of the Christian life, but a body that only breathes and never moves is not alive, it is rather in a coma. Wake up, ask, seek, knock, but do so with your sleeves rolled up, your feet walking, and your hands ready to hold the hammer, write the check, embrace the outcast, or carry the cross that your prayer has requested.
