Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB 1995) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer is Our Access to the Father

Hebrews 4:16 – “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The word “confidence” here means boldness, freedom of speak freely. We don’t approach God timidly, as though we might be rejected. Through Christ, we have been granted unrestricted access to our heavenly Father.

And we approach Him with the constant awareness that it is by His grace that we can come to Him boldly, with the faith to believe that we have been granted access to Him through His great love for us

Ephesians 3:12 – “In whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”

This access was purchased at a tremendous cost. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” the curtain separating the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom—God’s own hand tearing open the way to Himself.

John 14:13-14 – “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Notice Jesus says “in My name”—not as a magic formula, but because we now come as His representatives, clothed in His righteousness. 

Application: Are you approaching God with the confidence He invites, or are you still standing outside, uncertain of your welcome? Begging for Him to do what He wants to do on our behalf, You are His child. Come boldly.

Our boldness to believe is what honors God the most

Prayer Aligns Us with God’s Will

1 John 5:14-15 – “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Prayer isn’t about bending God’s will to ours, but aligning our hearts with His. As we pray, the Holy Spirit transforms our desires.

There are specific topics I talk about with my kids, it is the things that they are excited about the things they are passionate about

If I try to cross the lines and bring in topics they have no connection to, you can see that you have lost them

When we talk to the Father, there are topics that He is passionate about as well, He is passionate about His will because His will represents all the good things He wants for us

When we come to truly realize that His will is for our best, we begin to pray the things He desires for us more than the things of this world that we have desired for so long

Romans 8:26-27 – “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Even when we don’t know what to pray, when words fail us in our pain or confusion, the Holy Spirit translates our deepest groans into perfect prayers before the Father. 

Holy Spirit acts as our translator, think about that, while we are praying, Holy Spirit is speaking to the Father on our behalf to convey the proper message

Matthew 6:10 – Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Prayer changes us. We come with our agenda, and through communion with God, we leave with His purposes in our hearts. This is transformation, if that is what we are seeking through our prayers

Aligning ourselves with His will happens through humble prayer and obedience.

Prayer Cultivates Intimacy with God

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.”

This doesn’t mean constant verbal prayer, but living in continuous communion with God—a running conversation throughout your day.  Practicing being in His presence throughout the day, knowing that is His design for you and Him, that is what Holy Spirit enables for us

Luke 5:16 – “But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”

If Jesus, the Son of God, needed dedicated prayer time with the Father, how much more do we? Prayer isn’t just about asking for things—it’s about relationship.

John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Abiding comes first. When we remain in constant connection with Christ, our prayers flow from that intimacy. We begin to want the very same things that He wants.

Philippians 3:10 – Paul’s great desire: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Prayer is the pathway to knowing God deeply. Not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally and experientially.

Application: Is your prayer life primarily about getting things from God, or about getting more of God Himself?

Embracing the Gift

Prayer is God’s gift to His children—a gift that provides access, peace, power, alignment with His will, and intimate relationship. Yet how often do we neglect this gift? We live prayerless days, carry unnecessary burdens, and miss the joy of communion with our Father.

1 Timothy 2:8 – “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”

Prayer should mark every place we inhabit—our homes, our workplaces, our churches.

Colossians 4:2 – “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

The word “devote” means to persist, to be steadfast. Prayer requires commitment, but the rewards are immeasurable.

Closing

When I transitioned into the role of Pastor, God had already given me the top 3 priorities to work on in the church

The top of that list was prayer

His house is to be known as a house of prayer, look at how many times it is said in His word

Matthew 21:13 –13 And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

Isaiah 56:7 – 7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”

Mark 11:17 –17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.”

Luke 19:46 – 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘And My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robbers’ den.”