James 5:13-16 "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven, Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much."
How often do you hear, "Please pray for me/my family," or, "The X family has requested prayers"? Now, how often do you mention those people by name in your prayers? As Christians, prayer is not only a privilege, but a responsibility. We have the ability to communicate directly with our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, with the help of the Spirit. We should count it as an honor and a blessing when someone requests prayers from us. This means they know we have a close relationship with God. We should want to, and in a sense, feel obligated to honor their request. Not obligated in a grudging manner, thinking "Ok, God. Here I am doing my duty and sending up this prayer," but humbly and lovingly.
We should also remember that while it is okay to ask for things to turn out like we want them to, we should always let God know that we are confident in Him; we know that He will always do what is best for us, even if it isn't to our liking at the time. Jesus gave us the example to pray "Your will be done." (Matthew 6:10, Matthew 26:39, 42) He also told us to be persistent in our petitions (Luke 18:1-8), and that we should ask in His name (John 14:13, 14).
Prayer is our direct line to God, and should be taken seriously. This isn't to say that it always has to be formal. We should be able to talk to Him like we would our earthly fathers, or a friend. How wonderful it is to know that He is always there, ready to listen.
Dear Lord, help me to remember You are always available, and I can come to You for anything. I know You will always answer my prayers as You see fit, and as You know will best benefit me adn those I pray for. In Christ's name, Amen.
