01/27/2025
Jean Morrison
In order for us, as Christ-followers, to be revolutionists for the Kingdom of God —especially in these last days — we need a consistent and powerful prayer life. We’ve all heard the adage, “Prayer changes things.” And it does. Yet the truth is, many people, even Christians, struggle to pray, neglect to pray, or admit they don’t know how to pray.
A Lifeway Research study found that 37% of people struggle with distractions during prayer, 28% don’t know how to pray effectively, and 20% find it difficult to carve out time for prayer in their daily lives.
But here’s the reality: We cannot be effective as Christ-followers if we do not pray. The Christian life calls us to be revolutionists for Jesus, advancing His Kingdom by leading others to know Him as Savior and Lord. That’s our mission, and prayer is vital to fulfilling it. We must use our talents to showcase His Glory throughout the earth. Kingdom Revolutionists must be men and women of prayer.
Even the disciples recognized this need when they asked, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). They saw firsthand that Jesus had an intimate relationship with His Heavenly Father that began and ended with prayer.
Mark 1:35 reveals Jesus’ daily prayer habit: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” Despite the demands of His growing ministry, Jesus prioritized time with the Father — even after miraculous moments like feeding the five thousand and raising Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus not only modeled prayer but also taught it. In Matthew 6:5-8, He said:
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."
Jesus continued in Matthew 6:9 and said: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."' He taught us to pray to God, our Heavenly Father, who is full of love, compassion, and mercy. He knows our needs even before we ask.
For some, the concept of God as "Father" is difficult due to our earthly experiences of an earthly father who disappointed or hurt us. But our Father in Heaven is different. He is a good, good Father — one who is neither distant nor beyond our reach.
God doesn’t want prayer to be difficult for us.
Prayer isn’t meant to be difficult. It’s a conversation — a sacred time to be in His presence, to listen, speak, and intercede for others, not just ourselves.
Kingdom Perspectives on Prayer
Here are some Kingdom perspectives to overcome objections and insecurities about spending time in prayer with our loving Heavenly Father:
Kingdom Perspective #1: God cares more about our hearts than our words.
When we approach our Heavenly Father, we don’t need to use fancy words. He’s more concerned about the posture of our hearts and our motives. Are we coming with humility and truth? Do we cry out for forgiveness and worship Him, or do we approach Him with a laundry list of requests? Prayer is as much about listening as it is speaking. What does your heart posture look like in prayer?
Kingdom Perspective #2: Our Father reigns with affection and authority.
Our Father is both loving and sovereign. He reigns over heaven and earth, and nothing is too big for Him. His names reflect His authority: Jehovah Rapha, our Healer; Jehovah Nissi, our Banner; Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. Scholars identify as many as 24 distinct names of God in Scripture, each revealing a facet of His character.
Kingdom Perspective #3: Always honor God’s holy name.
Jesus taught us to say, “Hallowed be your name.” As children of the Most High, we must revere God’s holy name. He is who He says He is — worthy of our love, praise, and honor.
The Bottom Line
Our prayers should always be reverent and relational. We must love, adore, praise, and honor God—not just for what He does but for who He is.
This week, I challenge you to cultivate a stronger prayer life. Set aside time to revere and build your relationship with our mighty Heavenly Father—the Alpha and Omega, the Eternal One, our good, good Father. He’s waiting to meet with you in prayer and desires a relationship with His children—you and me.
Let’s deepen our prayer lives and walk with Him as sold out revolutionists committed to Jesus, His Word, prayer and the Kingdom of God revolution!
Want to dive deeper? Watch Pastor Rhedrick's message, Enter the Throne Room, by clicking on the video below.
