Praying online

I wonder how many people are waiting for answers to their prayers. How many people pray with expectation? I don’t think people have a problem “loading” their sentences, but there seems to be uncertainty as to “downloading” the answer. Perhaps the question should be why do we pray? One of the reasons is to bring us to a consciousness of God. We also “talk” with God to express our requests. Prayer is not a one-way street, but an active exchange with our Creator. The answer to the sentences may be related to the petitioner’s “online” status. When the person praying does not have an active “connection” with the Lord, their prayer life will suffer.

Peter had been arrested and was facing a death sentence. Prayer meetings for him were being held throughout Jerusalem. One group in particular illustrates the “disconnect” they had with God. On this particular night, the petitioners’ prayers were answered and Pedro was miraculously released. Peter decided to go to one of the prayer meetings to show that prayer works. Upon arriving at Mary’s house, he knocks on the gate door and asks someone to come and open the door. A young woman walked to the door and when she heard Peter’s voice, she got so excited that instead of opening the door, she ran inside and yelled that Peter was outside. The answer he received was that he had lost his mind! Through his prodding, they finally claimed that he probably saw an angel. Pedro kept calling and shouting until finally the “prayer warriors” came to the door and when he saw Pedro he was amazed. Prayer without expectation is to have the appearance of godliness but to deny power. Praying without the assurance that God hears our prayer is not prayer. Prayer is praying with confidence that God will address the issue. (It may not be the answer we are looking for, but it will be related to the request.) After Peter shared with the bewildered prayer team, he left to go to other groups showing the power of prayer. (Acts 12: 1-17) I wonder how many prayer groups jumped for joy when they saw Peter. I imagine they may have turned their prayer meetings into a worship meeting.

If believers are having a hard time with prayer, it’s time to check if we are still “online.” If not, we must verify our connection to the Bible and get rid of any viruses that may have confused our prayer life. Pray with anticipation and don’t be surprised when “Peter” is standing at your door!