The Power of Prayer
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Ever since I was little I wondered what was the point of prayer before a meal if we didn’t mean it. A friend of mine once remarked, “What’s the point really? It’s just a short memorized prayer.” This got me thinking. Prayer before a meal is something almost all of us do, but do we ever really mean it? Are they really just empty words? Often we just rush through it, and think more about the food in front of us then what we’re saying. Prayer is a special way of communication that God gave to us so that we could communicate with Him on a personal level. When you pray before a meal do you ever mean the thanks that come out of your mouth? I urge you that as you sit down for a meal pray with an overflowing heart of thankfulness. Be intentional. Be meaningful. Be genuine. Don’t offer God empty words when He’s blessed us so much. Prayer isn’t just for the strongest Christians. It’s for the weakest Christians as well. Lauren Gaskill once said, “Prayer isn’t too good to be true. Prayer is the surest and truest thing we have in this life.” Pour out all your doubts, worries, and vulnerabilities to God. Raise up your heartfelt thanks and praises. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer," -Romans 12:12. Prayer is a gift from God. So use it.
Prayer can change the world. Have you ever heard the quote, "Be a warrior not a worrier"? So be a prayer warrior and talk to God. I don't mean just talk to God before meals. I mean talk to him whenever possible. This is something I learned to do this past summer. Talk to God while you're making your bed, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, driving to school, etc. Whenever your mind is idle, talk to God. Don't talk to him in your head, talk out loud. This might seem silly at first, but God wants us to talk to Him. He wants to hear about our lives from us. Pray about the little things, and you'll learn to leave the big things in God's hands. Because when we start to talk to God daily, we'll start talking about Jesus to others and that is exactly what we are called to do. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert, and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people," -Ephesians 6:18.
I don’t consider myself a good out loud prayer. I don’t like to pray in front of people at all. I get nervous and I repeat things. Chances are, you don’t like to pray out loud either. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Often during prayer you can feel the Holy Spirit most powerfully. When you stop moving, stop talking, and close your eyes with other people you can feel God around you. So be bold and pray out loud because God might just move someone through you.
"And all God's people said Amen"