The Problem with Prayerlessness

There are two serious issues that I have seen over and over again in the modern church as it relates to our prayerlessness.

First, we forget we can talk to Him – that God is a real person with real feelings and who cares deeply for us.

What is prayer? In a basic definition, it is talking to God.

Having a relationship with anyone without talking with them is impossible. Also, talking to someone and not listening to them is a problem. Relationships have to have a two-way communication system, and this is just as important with God as with our fellow man. We talk, and more importantly — we listen.

In Luke 11, the disciples had spent months with Jesus. They had seen Him heal the sick, feed the 5,000 with just a few loaves and fishes, and impact people’s hearts and lives forever.

It is fascinating to me that they didn’t ask Jesus how they could follow in His footsteps and do all those important works. Instead, they made a simple request – “Lord, teach us to pray.”

They knew instinctively that His power came from somewhere. His ability to do miracles and healings couldn’t be taught. The power that flowed from Him came from His relationship with the Father.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say…”– Luke 11:1

Jesus instructed them to make a time and place to pray – “When you pray,” – not if you pray.

Then Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, gave these weak disciples an indispensable outline of praying to the Father in what we today call – The Lord’s Prayer.

The American Church must start at the beginning again. We must go back to simply talking with God.

We need to remember that we can’t survive a week, a month, or a year in a prosperous place in our souls if we don’t start talking to Him regularly. It doesn’t have to be complicated; we just need to be consistently in need of Him.

Did you know that when we speak to God He hears us?

I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I will heal you. – 2 Kings 20:5

Secondly, we forget we can regularly talk to God about specific people and about our national burdens – even government officials, people in the news, and God forbid – our enemies.

We see injustices as Christians. We discern things. We know something is not right in our nation.

When we watch the news and see corruption, political games, or injustice in our cities we shudder. Our children and grandchildren are feeling lost, alone, and overstimulated; they are overcome with deception as they abandon the truth.

Why do we see it all? Because the Spirit of God is IN us.

If we are Christians and we have been born again by the Holy Spirit, then we have the Holy Spirit inside us, and the Holy Spirit will “teach” us “all things.” (John 14:26)

When we study the Bible, we find truth and wisdom. Our discernment gets heightened. We know deep inside that things are not right in America. We start being concerned about the generations who will follow us, so we begin looking for solutions to our national crisis. We are awake and know that something must change.

The question then arises – “God, what would You have us do?”

We must begin with the most important act – WE PRAY.