Have you ever found yourself silently thinking:

• “… My ‘lil ole’ prayers aren’t going to DO anything.”
• “… They don’t matter.”
• “… They rise no higher than the ceiling.”
• “… Everything is predetermined anyway, so why bother.”
• “… I can’t REALLY influence God’s actions.”
• “… My pipsqueak voice can’t even be heard.”

Scripture says otherwise, from cover to cover …

Our Prayers Are Precious to God

Let me ask a simple question. Doesn’t your heart melt every time your children check in with you just to say hi? Don’t you just jump at the chance to help them when they need you?

What makes you think God is any different?

Consider this passage from Revelation 8:3-5: 

“Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and sounds, and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”

From the above passage we learn that the prayers of ALL the saints (including you and me) are:

• Saved up on a golden altar before the throne of God 
• Combined with the work of Christ as the “smoke of the incense” that ascends to the very throne of God
• Are always answered by God — sometimes causing Heaven to react

Our prayers are treasured by God. Like a father or mother cherishes everything that their children personally create just for them (think about the things that we stick on our refrigerator doors from our kids, sometimes for years).

Not one of our prayers goes unheard, or are lost, or go unanswered, “… everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened”. 

Your prayers move the hands of God, as shared in Acts 10:3-5:

“About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, ‘Cornelius!’ And he looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, ‘What is it, lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and charitable gifts have ascended as a memorial offering before God. Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter.”

Needs and Wants

Of course, as a wise and loving parent, God gives us what we need, not always what we want. What we WANT can sometimes ultimately be harmful (snake, stone, scorpion from Matthew 7:9-11: 

“Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? So, if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

God knows what is best for us. And He may refuse our requests if necessary, especially if we (figuratively) always seem to want Twinkies for dinner instead of broccoli.

The condition of our hearts influences our prayer life, as described in Isaiah 1:15-16:

“So, when you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you offer many prayers,
I will not be listening.
Your hands are covered with blood.

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil …”

God is looking for transparency, and honesty from His supplicants. He sees right through us anyway, as noted in Mark 12:39-41:

“And in His (Jesus) teaching He was saying: ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like personal greetings in the marketplaces, and seats of honor in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.’”

1 Peter 3:7-8 warns that sin hinders your prayers:

“You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

How About You?

Can you say that your prayers reflect these motives when lifting up others before God?

“… always striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you …” — Colossians 4:11-13

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