Omission can be a tricky concept. There are definitely times when we should leave things out of our conversations, interactions, habits, and our lives. But there are so many gray areas. What is the line between confidentiality and lying by omission? When does telling the truth become gossip? And when is moderation appropriate?
These are all difficult questions that we must all figure out for ourselves. There are things that we should leave out completely, some things that are situational omissions, and some things that must never be left out. One of the most important things that many Christians seem to put in the “situational” category but unequivocally belongs in the “never omit” category is prayer.
I hear people talk all the time about the power of prayer. They share stories of healing, peace, and revelation. Christians are always offering to pray for folks and situations, and we include prayer in many aspects of our worship services and Bible studies. Our ability to talk about prayer and pray situationally is off the charts. The power of prayer is obvious. However, we rarely talk about how powerful it can be when we don’t pray.
Many people only pray when they want to see God move in a powerful way. However, what they don’t realize is that their lack of prayer in the other times can have just as powerful of an impact on their lives. Not praying can change your life just as quickly as an answered prayer can.
Prayer is communication with God. It’s a time for us to praise him, confess our sins, acknowledge His glory, and ask for provision according to His will. It is also a time for listening. Prayer allows us to completely focus on God and open our hearts for the leading of the Holy Spirit. During those times, we get a better understanding of His will for our lives and our plan comes more in line with His. Yes, that is powerful.
When we choose not to pray, we are obviously not spending as much time in the presence with God. We are missing out on a great worship experience, missing an opportunity to confess our sins, and refusing to ask God for things even though He clearly wants us to.
And just like all relationships, if we are not spending time with God and growing closer to Him, we are more than likely growing further away from Him. And when we create distance between us and God, it is much more difficult to understand His plan for us.
We start to misinterpret and even ignore the Holy Spirit. We spend more of our time doing unholy things. We produce less fruit. It becomes so easy for us to lose touch with who God wants us to be, and we are much more likely to give in to temptation.
“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26:41 NLT)
By leaving prayer out of our daily lives, we give the devil a foothold and create a significant barrier that prevents us from growing closer to God. Yes, prayer is powerful and miracles come from it every day. But if we fail to pray, we make it nearly impossible to be who God wants us to be. We damage our relationship with God, and ultimately sabotage what He wants for our lives.
Prayer is one of the only things that you can do anywhere and in any situation. There is absolutely no excuse for any of us not to have an active and vibrant prayer life. Isn’t it awesome that we can talk to our Creator anywhere and anytime we want? Let’s all take advantage of that today.