I questioned Dr. Estes why it seems that we have more knowledge about prayer today than probably any other generation in history. There is no telling how many books have been written on prayer in the last hundred years, yet in most lives, I’m not seeing the fruit. Either people aren’t praying or God isn’t answering. He explained:
In recent days, I have been considering the subject of prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that His followers would be people of prayer. The prayer life of the believer in Christ is not to be rote prayers of repetitious words spoken to a distant God. Rather, Jesus says that in contrast to the prayers of the Pharisee’s, our prayers flow from a close relationship with the heavenly Father who meets us in the secret place and who knows and cares about our needs.
Later in the same passage in Matthew, Jesus admonishes us to ask and keep asking, to seek and keep seeking, to knock and keep knocking because God is good and He is the giver of good gifts. In Luke 18, Jesus encourages the disciples to continue in prayer and to persevere. Then, of course, we have the model pattern of prayer that Jesus taught, the Lord’s Prayer.
Many more things could be said about prayer. We could talk about prayer and fasting, all night prayer and praying in the Spirit. We could list the kinds of prayer: petition, supplication, intercession, declaration, etc. However, in the end there is one self-evident conclusion that encompasses and supports all aspects of prayer – the most important thing about prayer is to DO IT!
The lethal deception that renders prayer impotent is when we act as if knowing about prayer, teaching about prayer, talking about prayer or thinking about prayer is equivalent to actually praying.
You see, we do not study and meditate in the Word of God simply to know what it says. We study and meditate in God’s Word so we can DO IT. It is in the doing of the Word that we prosper and have good success. The DOER of the Word was the one whose house withstood the storm. It is the one who hears the Word and is a doer of the Word who is blessed. In fact, the forgetful hearer has deceived himself.
The lethal deception that knowledge alone is sufficient will cripple our prayer lives. To know about prayer is not enough. We must pray. To know about the power of prayer is not enough. We must pray. To know the authority of Jesus name is not enough. We must pray and exercise the authority of His name. To know the promises of prayer is not enough. We must pray.
I want to encourage you to pray. Spend time and make your request known to the Father. Reap the benefits of answered prayer. See the power of God released on your behalf. Experience the change and transformation that prayer can bring.