Prayer is a privilege, a duty, a means, instrument, condition of gaining God’s aid. It is the avenue through which God supplies mankind’s needs. Prayer can be viewed as worship, work, and warfare.
Prayer is worship, not just a means of getting things from God. It is through prayer that we come to know God initially and more intimately. Prayer affirms the worthiness of God. Prayer as worship recognizes the worth of the One to Whom we pray. Prayer is giving God the proper place in our lives. It is by prayer that we enter into God’s holy temple, into the throne room of God, unto the throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 says: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Prayer is the only access into the throne room of God. What a wonder that we have this privilege. In a moment we can stand before God and with all the company of heaven worship and adore the God of our salvation. It is there that we truly worship.

Prayer as work – John 14:12-14 says: I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I  have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater works.” John 6:28-29 says: Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” Believing in Jesus! How deep is our belief? How sincere is our belief? Much of our work does not qualify as a work “of” God. Maybe it might be the work “for” God, but not the work “of” God. There is a vital difference. The work “of” God is simply God at work in us in an unhindered capacity. It is only by prayer that our work can be the work “of” God. Prayer implements God’s work in us. Prayer is work and without prayer, our work “for” God is in vain. Mankind prays and worships God. Mankind prays and works toward the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. As mankind prays, he looks at God in worship and from worship serves the Lord in prayerful work toward others. It is His work and He wants to do it through us and that all comes about by prayer. It is with our praying that God works. It is while we are praying that God works. It is because we are praying that God works. God works through the agency of prayer. When we recognize that prayer is God’s work, and recognize that until we learn to pray we shall do no work, which is God’s work, then we will be determined to pray.

Prayer as warfare – Ephesians 6:10-12 says: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The battle is in the spiritual realm and that takes the battle to the prayer “trench”. When we pray, we give God an upper hand on the battlefield. Satan has no defense against prayer. Prayer throws the battle to the Lord. The devil has no stomach for combat with God. Not Christian work, but Christian prayer, gets to the devil. Because of the vital nature of prayer in the fight against evil, we sometimes struggle maintaining a constant prayer life. Prayer is really the only pace we engage the devil. He may influence us and trouble us, but when we pray, we face him in “hand-to-hand” combat. The devil’s only hope is to stop the praying. When the praying stops, warfare stops and the devil acts unhindered to thwart the Kingdom’s work.

Prayer has been given to the church of the living God. The church (all saved, born-again believers) is the only force that is conflicting and combating Satan’s total rule in human affairs.
Prayer is worship and looks toward God. Without prayer there is no worship. Prayer is work and looks toward mankind as we work in mankind’s behalf. Without prayer there is no vital work “of” God in behalf of mankind. Prayer is warfare against the devil. Without prayer there is no warfare and thus no victory. Prayer does not win the victory. It is the means whereby an already-won victory is claimed and imposed over Satan here and now and forever.

I can pray and touch heaven, God and His throne. I can pray and touch earth, its circumstances, its occupants and its enterprises. I can pray and touch Satan, claiming and imposing a victory over him in the name of Jesus.

“Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?” (The words of an old hymn.) Don’t give up praying; God is not finished with us yet!