Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord. Abraham came closer and asked, “Are you really going to sweep away the innocent with the guilty?”
Genesis 18:22–23
Prayer is direct contact with God. It isn’t meditation or contemplation but a conversation, a back-and-forth with the God who has the power to do all you could ask. Our prayers can get repetitive and boring. But the prayers you see in the Bible are totally different. When these men and women of God pray, they are relentless, not passive. They beg, plead, and ask over and over again. Abraham wouldn’t give up asking for God to save the town of Sodom from destruction (see Gen. 18:20–33). Moses pleaded with God (see Exod. 32:11). Hannah “poured out her heart to the Lord” so much that people thought she was drunk (see 1 Sam. 1:15). King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah called to heaven (see 2 Chron. 32:20). Paul fell to his knees in God’s presence (see Eph. 3:14).
Prayer is where you plead with the one who can do anything to do what he wills. Prayer is free access to the Creator of the world, available to all who make Jesus the Lord of their lives. And the Word of God says you can be sure that he hears your prayers and he will answer according to his will (see 1 John 5:14–15). He listens to your pleadings. In fact, he expects them. When Jesus told the parable of the widow and the judge, he said we should “cry out to him for help day and night” (see Luke 18:2–8).
So make your prayer active. Be fearless about asking for what you need, knowing that God answers prayers and no matter what answer you get, you can be sure it’s the best thing for you. Just don’t neglect to pray. That’s where the power lies. Be persistent. Be vocal. Talk to God as the only one who can. And you’ll find that he is truly the one who will.