Prayer is the antidote for all the ills of society. It is a magnificent weapon to wield against the forces of darkness permeating our world. The core of all that is wrong with humanity is a spiritual sickness brought on by demonic forces, and we fight against them with prayer.
Satan has been at war with mankind since the beginning of time, and he only grows more vicious with each passing hour. Neither physical weapons nor the best of intentions are any match for Satan. We must fight this battle in the spiritual realm, and nothing but the Word of God is more effective than prayer in battling the forces we cannot see.
Evil eats away at this world like cancer, and prayer is the antidote. David, known as a man after God’s own heart, encouraged the people to seek God’s face always (1 Chronicles 16:11). We should continually be going to God in prayer. When we face challenges, when our world feels like it is spinning out of control, seek the Lord in prayer. When times are good and you feel content, seek the Lord in prayer. There is no wrong time to pray, and never a time when we should not be praying. If we will draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).
Paul encouraged the church in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to never stop praying. We should pray until it becomes as natural as breathing. We don’t think about inhaling and exhaling. It’s just something we do. It should be the same with prayer. We need to nurture a rhythm in life where our mind is always in prayer, even as we go about our daily tasks and conversations. Pray God will give you the wisdom to bring glory to Him at the moment you are in and thank Him for the privilege of allowing you to speak with Him.
Ephesians 6:18 gives us some concrete instruction on how we should pray. Once again, we see we should never stop praying (“pray at all times”). There should be variety in our prayer, not just mindless repetition (“every prayer and request”). We don’t just ask for things, nor do we refrain from bringing our needs before God. Pray what is on your heart. Finally, Paul instructs us to pray “in the Spirit”. This means we are staying in tune with the Holy Spirit of God and praying according to His will and not our own. Prayer should never be selfish but focused on the needs and suffering of others. The point of prayer is to bring glory to God.
Our world is sick, and prayer is the antidote. We will not fix the problems of our day through political maneuvering, endless legislation, or outright war. The only hope for our world is Jesus Christ. If we want the world to know Him as we do, we’ve got to stay on our proverbial knees, being in constant prayer with the holy and awesome God. Breathe in, pray. Breathe out, pray.
This world is running out of time. Pray for the lost souls who are dying and destined for hell. Pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters who are being tortured for their faith in Christ. And pray for those who are sick, in prison, destitute, deformed, handicapped, and for those who lack wisdom. Pray for all to respond to Christ as He calls to them. No matter how deep the problem, prayer is the antidote.