Prayer Is like Oxygen

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.
–Ephesians 1:4

The first lesson Jesus taught us about prayer–both by His words and by His example–is that communication with God is not a nicety; it is a necessity for our spiritual lives. Yet if we’re being honest, most Christians don’t think of prayer that way.

Have you ever been on an airplane? If so, you know that at the beginning of a flight, while the plane is taxiing out to the runway, the flight attendant gives a safety demonstration. The attendant explains that if the plane unexpectedly loses pressurization, an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling–and when it does, you should put the mask over your face, breathe normally, and everything will be okay. I’ve been flying for more than fifty years, and I’ve never seen the oxygen masks drop on a plane. But it comforts me to know a mask is there in case I ever need it.

Most of us treat prayer like an oxygen mask. We go through our hours, our days, and sometimes entire weeks without thinking about or talking to God. Nevertheless, we like to know that prayer is available to us in case of an emergency. If our backs are against the wall, then we can put on that oxygen mask and begin talking to God.

But Jesus said prayer is not like an oxygen mask; it’s like oxygen itself. Prayer is what keeps us spiritually alive. Prayer allows us to tap into God’s supernatural power in our lives, and it is one of the primary ways we deepen our intimacy with our heavenly Father. Prayer is also one of the most effective tools we have for combating Satan’s temptations and living in obedience to God. When Paul described our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6, he closed by saying, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit” (v. 18). Notice he didn’t say prayer is a weapon we pull out in the heat of battle; he said, “Pray at all times.” Prayer is essential.

That’s why Satan will do everything he can to disrupt or corrupt your prayer life. I think it’s significant that when Jesus taught His disciples to pray during the Sermon on the Mount, He began by telling them how not to pray. Not only will Satan try to keep you from praying, but he will also try to distort your prayers from God’s intended purpose.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Prayers That Really Work” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.