Pray Whenever, Wherever

We can call upon the Lord throughout the day and communicate with God wherever we are - it's a sense of abiding in Christ, a subject that Jesus addressed in John 15:

5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Abiding in Christ involves an awareness of God's presence with us - we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and can commune with God throughout our day.  Not only are we to be aware, but we can acknowledge that presence through our words and our actions; we can possess an attitude of worship and adoration to our Savior.  And, He calls us to ask, confident that He will answer.  The Bible teaches that we have not because we ask not - He wants His children to ask, to bring our requests before His throne, so that His glory might be seen.

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We can come before the Lord with confidence, knowing that Jesus Christ has, by His death and resurrection, given us access to the throne of God, and 1st John 5 reminds us:
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

A large percentage of Americans have experienced answered prayer over the past year, according to what is called, "The 2023 American Prayer Wrap," which was released around the time of the National Day of Prayer in early May.  The Christian Post reports that the poll, conducted by the Radiant Foundation, "showed that 87% of respondents who pray saw at least one of their prayers answered in the past 12 months."

Now, this is by no means a survey of Christians, but it does show that 85% of the over 1,700 Americans surveyed do "connect with a higher power," in various ways, but unless it is the one true God, people are not praying according to the Scriptures.  The article says:

According to the survey, the average American prays twice a day and for 18 minutes every day. Eighty-four percent of those surveyed believe God hears their prayers regardless of how they believe.

Bedtime is the most "popular" time to pray, with 55% indicating they did it then. And, the bedroom is apparently the place where people pray most frequently; the Christian Post reported: "Eighty-three percent of respondents reported praying in their bedroom within the past 12 months, while 61% said they prayed in their car. Less than half of those surveyed have prayed at their house of worship in the past year (46%)..."  And..."One out of every four Americans prays at work, with 74% of those who do so citing their workstation as their place of choice for connecting with God."

The article notes:

Most common prayer requests involve the well-being of a loved one during a time of crisis (76%), the health of someone who is ill (71%), other people suffering during a time of crisis (68%) and an individual’s own health when they fall ill (56%).

Again, it appears that the respondents to this survey are from a variety of spiritual backgrounds.  But, it can give each of us a reminder that we can call out to God no matter where we are.  Our everyday activities should ideally include the practice of prayer.

I think we can also consider how we are seeing answered prayer.  The Bible can give us the confidence to know that not only our prayers are being heard, but that if we pray according to God's will and asking for His will to be done, then we can see Him move in our lives.

And, when we see the answer, we can give God the praise. Thanksgiving is an essential and valuable part of our prayer lives, as we express to the Lord how much we love Him and acknowledge His faithfulness.