Within the scope of the body of Christ, prayer is the ONLY channel or means of communicating WITH GOD. Prayer is a face of fellowship through which believers can worship God IN TRUTH and IN SPIRIT.

In other words, it is the mode of ‘fellowship with God’ which is done through the name Jesus, else, it’s not consistent with what the Bible calls prayer.

The reasons for prayer varies from person to person, the reasons underlying our prayers, are reflectives of the benefits we intend to receive.
However, there are fundamental benefits of praying, which includes:

1. INTIMACY WITH GOD

Our degree of intimacy with God differs because the CAPACITY of our relationship with God is not the same. Intimacy is the platform upon which the church is espoused to Christ (the head of the church).

Intimacy also exists between a husband and his wife, the basic purpose of their marriage is to live together as ONE FLESH.
In likewise manner, we’re joined with Christ and our intimacy with him is maintained and explored through prayer.

In marital relationship, sex is not just for satisfaction, it is a language of intimacy which strengthens the oneness of the couple.

In relationship with God, prayer is not a ritualistic exercise, it is a language of intimacy which sustains the oneness of the body of Christ.

Intimacy with God Is primarily concerned with ‘walking with God’ before working for God. It is a facet with emphasis on “the secret place.”

Genesis 5:24: “And Enoch WALKED WITH GOD: and he was not; for God took him.”

The above text is the account of Enoch’s testimony, he’s the facet dimension which depicts the christian journey into the depths of the realities of God.

2. SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Both individual and collective growth is the product of consistent intimacy with God, when every believer is growing, the body of Christ will eventually reach ‘the unity of the faith’.

Growth is a characteristic of believers, it is the evidence that one has not just walked with God, but has TOUCHED realities of God which are encrypted in his spirit.

Growth becomes part of your benefit when you’re GIVEN to many prayers which concerns the matters of the kingdom.

Nobody grows by default, Never!
Therefore, it is not enough to ignite intimate relationship with God, you must endeavor to GROW, if not, you’ll remain a new-creature-infant.

Growth is concerned with spiritual maturity. Prayer helps to draw you closer to God, it serves as a mode for approximating to a higher realm. When this happens, it shows you’re actually growing.

Ephesians 4:13: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto A PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of THE FULNESS of Christ”

From the above mentioned text, ‘a’ perfect man is used to typify THE BODY of Christ as ‘one perfect personality’ which has attained the fullness of Christ. This is why WE pray for THE BODY, until this benefit is achieved.

3. IT IS A MODE OF WARFARE OPERATION.

Isaiah 9:4-5: “For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.”

From the above scripture, the war scenario is the immediate devastation of the Midianites, which is used to compare the conflict and a sudden conquest that Christ obtained over sin, satan, the world, and death.

As christian soldiers, we know that we are not permitted to wrestle against our fellow human, we are rather approbated to fight against evil forces.

Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS of this world, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS in high places.”

The wrestling and the victory over these evil forces, can ONLY be possible through praying, else, we can’t be able to fight those forces. This is one of the outstanding benefits of praying.

Due to the powers that be, whenever you pray, it turns to be a war in the spirit world.

David was a man who uses songs to pray. Those songs are called ‘songs of prayer’ or ‘intercessory songs’. More often than not, he sings prayerfully, that’s why he was not just a singer, but a worshipper THROUGH prayer.

Prayer was actually the life of his songs.

Prayer is the life of ALL believers. This is the emphasis behind what Jesus said in Luke 18:1

“….Men ought ALWAYS to pray, and not to faint

He said, ‘always’.

When something is done always, it will automatically become a lifestyle. When something is your lifestyle, it is already an addiction, there will be no day you won’t do it, there will be no day you will relent in doing it.

Pray more often in your secret place, intensify your prayers and maintain it as your lifestyle.

Let us pray!

David Chikwado Caleb