Follow Me Week 2
- Heritage Church
- May 12
- 5 min read
TRANSCRIPTION:
Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed your study last week as we tackled the deep topic “Who is God?” That discussion is full of information that can be difficult to grasp at first so if you stuck with us for each of the daily devotions - even when it didn’t all quite make sense - then give yourself a pat on the back because YOU DID IT! You pushed through the difficult and gained a new level of understanding of Who God is! Not only that, but you came back this week, ready to tackle Chapter 2: Why and How do I pray.
Take a moment to think back over the past week or even the past month. As you do, think of each of the times you prayed. What was your motivation for those prayers? For many of us the answer to that question is likely one of two things - One: I said a prayer over my meal. Or Two: there was an urgent need in my life. And if you fall into either or both of those categories, way to go! Prayer absolutely applies to each of those scenarios. But if you are limiting your prayer life to offering God thanks for the food on your plate or calling out to God in desperation to meet a need or move in a specific situation in your life then you are missing out on so much of the blessing that is prayer!
Prayer isn’t just a suggestion box to God. It doesn’t just put you in a que of prayers prayed - leaving you to sit in the “waiting room of life” until your number is called and God is able to address you and your situation or need. Prayer, in fact, is communication with God! It’s how we spend time with Him and one of the ways we are able to get to know Him more personally.
Think of it like this - you meet someone new, maybe you meet them at the park, at work, or at church, and you seem to hit it off! So what’s the next step? First you are going to exchange numbers and chat a bit via text. Next you are going to meet up for coffee or dinner. Maybe you even plan to catch a movie! Each time you connect - be that via text or an outing - you are learning more about them and that acquaintance status begins to change. Before you know it they are a dear friend. What started as a chance meet up grew into a new member of your chosen family! But that closeness didn’t happen overnight! It took time spent together. It took conversations with one another! Had you never traded phone numbers and engaged further in conversation than time would have still passed but a friendship would not have formed. You would have remained aware of one another but would never have gotten to know each other. You would know OF one another but you wouldn’t really KNOW one another.
God doesn’t desire to be your acquaintance. He desires to know you. To talk to you. To have a relationship with you. And a primary way we grow in that relationship with Him is through prayer! However, though prayer is as easy as having a conversation with a friend, it’s far more powerful!
When we pray we aren’t just having a little “how’s the weather” chat with God. Though it might at times seem like we're simply speaking into the silence—offering words, hopes, fears, and thanks to a distant God - prayer is far more than a conversation. It is a transaction of power. It’s not just us talking to God. It’s us tapping into His strength. It’s aligning our weakness with His might, our confusion with His wisdom, our limits with His limitless grace. In prayer, we are not merely heard—we are empowered.
Christian author, C.S. Lewis said it perfectly - "I pray because I'm helpless... It doesn't change God. It changes me." These words set the stage for what we're exploring today: why we pray, how we pray, and what prayer really does in our lives.
Prayer isn’t just a childhood bedtime habit or a mealtime rhyme. It’s meant to be a lifelong conversation with our Heavenly Father. In the book of Luke, Chapter 11, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Teach us to pray,” which tells us even the most devoted believers sometimes struggle with it. But prayer isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being present.
Just like kids go to their parents for help, guidance, or even just comfort, we’re invited to do the same with God. We may not get everything we ask for—just like a parent doesn’t give their child every toy on the shelf—but that doesn’t mean God isn’t working. Often, He’s preparing something better than we even knew to ask for.
Throughout the Bible, we see prayer as essential—not optional. Matthew chapter 6, verses 5 & 6 say:
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Did you notice what Jesus said there at the beginning of those verses - He said when you pray, not if you pray.
In the same way, the Psalms overflow with cries to God and Paul tells believers in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. And stories like Job and Moses show us that prayer brings breakthrough, often when we least expect it.
Again, prayer isn’t optional - it’s essential!
But prayer isn’t just about talking—it’s also about listening. The Holy Spirit is like the still small voice that helps us understand God’s Word and nudges us when we don’t even know what to say. It’s through this relationship that we’re spiritually refreshed, strengthened, and even healed.
Of course, there are roadblocks—sin, doubt, and distraction can all break the chain. But prayer is part of a powerful connection to God. When our hearts are aligned with Him, our prayers become more than words—they become a source of peace, power, and purpose.
Take George Müller, a preacher in 1800’s England who built 5 orphanages and cared for 10,000 children, for example. Despite the great need for provision with such a lofty task at hand, he never asked people for money, yet God provided for thousands of orphans through his prayers. Why? Because he anchored his faith in God’s Word, not worldly resources.
So maybe you're wondering, “How do I start?” Simple. Just start talking. You don’t need a theology degree—just an open heart.
This week in our daily study, we’ll go deeper into how Jesus Himself taught us to pray. But for now, remember: prayer doesn’t just change your situation—it changes you. And that’s where the real power lies. Not because we are worthy, but because He is willing.
Scripture tells us in James 5:16 that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”. This power and effectiveness has nothing to do with the person praying and everything to do with the God who responds to the prayers. When we pray, the Spirit of God begins to work—not just around us, but within us. Fear is replaced with courage. Weakness becomes strength. Doubt turns to faith. In our still moments with Him, He equips us for the battle, gives us words for the silence, and fills us with peace that surpasses understanding.
As I mentioned earlier, as you work through the daily devotions this week, you are going to learn more about what to pray and how to pray. But before you ever start on that journey I hope you are reminded today of the truth that prayer should not be your last resort, it should be your first weapon. It’s not just a cry for help, but a way to draw closer to Jesus and to carry His divine authority into the chaos of life. For every time we pray, heaven leans in—and power flows out. It doesn’t change God. It changes you and it changes me.
LINK TO KIDS CHAPTER
LINK TO WEEK TWO
Comments