Did you know that praying is self-incriminating? The root of the Hebrew word for praying – leheetpalel — is peh-lamed-lamed (פ-ל-ל), and the form of the word means “to judge oneself; to incriminate oneself as a felon, a transgressor, a criminal”. (1Cor 11:31-32; Lk 18:9-14; Ps 130) Our approach to God recognizes and accepts that we are sinners who have been forgiven and justified through our faith in Yeshua/Jesus and His new covenant sacrifice for us on the cross, and that He rose again from the dead.
At the same time, praying is our communication with God our Father in Heaven. Yeshua/Jesus taught us to pray to our heavenly Father in His Name. We pray by the Holy Spirit who knows God’s will. Our great High Priest is now seated at the Father’s throne in Heaven, and He is interceding for those who believe in Him, His family. (Jn 17:15-24; Ex 28; Lev 16:20-34; Heb 7:20-28) The Holy Spirit dwells within the born-again believer, and also intercedes for us. (Rom 8:26-31) If God is for us who can overcome us, who inherit eternal life?! (Mt 10:27-33) And we, in our soul and spirit communicate with our God and Savior, in the Name of Yeshua/Jesus, through what we call prayer.
True prayer requires faith that we are praying to a/the God who lives, and who hears our prayers, and who responds to them. (Heb 11:6; 1Jn 5:13-15; Ps 65:1-3; 34:17-18; 66:16-20; 1Kgs 18:20-39; Is 44:6-20)
YHVH is the one, true, living God who created and made the heavens and the Earth and the seas – and all that is in them. Fear the LORD, for He is the God who forgives sins, making it possible to be in right relationship and fellowship with Him, and with others. (Ps 130:3-4) Psalm 130 is a prayer, and expresses the self-judgment of the writer, who says that no one can stand before God because of all his/her/my iniquities; and he also knows his God as the Judge, and the One who forgives our sins. Prayer requires a humble spirit before God our Father, even when we come to Him in full assurance of our access to Him, and with our requests of various sorts.
The Apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, at all times. (1Thes 5:16-18) This is not a “religious” act, but a constant recognition that wherever, whenever, whatever – God is with us, around us, and even in us. We are in a personal relationship with YHVH God! We should be constantly conscious of that, and so always be in prayer verbally, emotionally, or mentally. It is our communication with Him at any time and in any situation. He wants us to cooperate with Him according to His will – and to pray into that — to have all know who He is, and to worship Him in Spirit and truth. We only know God as our Father when we know Yeshua/Jesus as our Savior and Lord, the beloved first-born Son of God.
We give Him thanks and praise; we cry out to Him to help us in a difficult situation. If we love Him who has first loved us we come to Him knowing that apart from our accepting the sacrifice of Yeshua on the cross for my sins, we would have no personal access or relationship or fellowship with the living God, who has become our Father, and we His sons and daughters. But coming to Him in love, He is more than happy to commune with us, and to “be there” for us in our lives, according to HIS purpose and glory.
Our Lord in Heaven commands us to love one another and to pray for one another, that we will grow in our faith to live our lives in a manner which brings honor to His holy and righteous Name.
So, without many more words and further ado, let us pray!