Date: 25-05-25
Preacher: Ps Daniel Foo
Title: What is prayer?

What is prayer?

I thought it was very wise of Ps Daniel to ask why God would listen to Jesus’ prayers. Yes, indeed one cannot go wrong by going to the source to learn, to learn from Jesus that is, and his message began with Matthew 6:10. Having said that I felt this morning’s message is not an easy one to preach but with God’s anointing, Ps Daniel was brilliant.

Ps Daniel said the emphasis of prayer is to be God-centred. He established from the beginning of his message that God listens to prayers through John 11:41 and John 15:7. But often times, when we pray and when we feel that God has not answered our prayers or our prayers are taking too long to be answered, we feel anxious, discouraged and not at peace. However if we look at Jesus’ prayers and to learn from the source, then what is important to note is when He prayed, he acknowledged that God had already heard His prayers and with that, God’s peace would be on Him.

Ps Daniel also reminded the congregation that God’s presence and His word are inseparable because the Word is God. That is another important principle to bear in mind in our business of prayers. Hence, we are to obey and keep God’s Word (words, commandments) so that the principle of ‘we are to be in Jesus and Jesus in us’ and ‘we are all in God the Father’ is established in and through us. It then would lead us to understand and obey God’s will (1 John 3:23-24). Of course in all this, the Holy Spirit is inseparable too.

Before his conclusion, Ps Daniel shared a virtuous cycle diagram which depicts what a prayer life with God is: Love God – Love God’s Word – Obey God’s Word – Presence of God - Living with God and the cycle continues.

At the end of the day, we will know beyond a shadow of doubt whether God is listening. It is when we are so close to Him that His will and ours merge. It is that personal relationship cultivated as a result of a close and constant walk with Him in our lives.