Some of you who see this title might think, “well, duh.” Sure. I’m preaching to the choir when I say that prayer matters. A choir of seasoned and impassioned intercessors who have learned the secrets, joys, struggles, and power of prayer in many of its facets and forms.

But the song of this choir that prayer matters must become a clarion call to every church and congregation in every city, county, and state of this great land and beyond. A shocking number of people who call upon the name of Christ have no notion of what a life of prayer is supposed to look like. They are the victims of a church culture that has moved, by leaps and bounds, away from the basic disciplines of a daily walk with God to multimedia productions, online presence, and fun activities in the shelter of well-appointed campuses.

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Join us to pray about this on Pray with Others Live at 12:15 pm ET Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Watch at IFApray.org/live or call (667) 771-7910, access 2452#. Author Remco Brommet will be sharing and praying with us.

I’ve seen the result of that in the anxiety and confusion of many around me, even friends and acquaintances, as the rapid-fire crises of COVID, natural disasters, political upheaval, border security, and supply-chain issues unfolded. Many were at a loss of how to digest the onslaught of contradictory information, how to respond and maintain peace in the midst of it. Had they known their Bibles, and had they made a daily practice out of communion with God, they would have been less dismayed. Instead, they would have found solace and guidance. Even though most went to church, they seemed like sheep without a shepherd. And I saw, to my horror, that they may well represent a very large number of Christians in our nation.

My heart broke. It led me to pray daily and deeply for the past year that a new and lasting movement of prayer be awakened in the Body of Christ. One that leads to a restoration of daily relationship with God, spiritual vitality in our hearts, our homes, and our churches, a love for and knowledge of the Word, unity and genuine love among Christians, and passionate outreach among the masses that are going through these End Times crises in utter darkness.

My heartbreak turned into a call to write a book and title it “Prayer Matters – discovering the joys of God’s design for a life of prayer.” It became a book that examines prayer from a variety of helpful angles and delves deeply into the Scriptures to bring its teachings on the subject to life. Every chapter was birthed in prayer and formed in my mind by the Holy Spirit, to Whom all praise is due.

Why “Prayer Matters?” Because by and large, our church culture has forgotten that it does. The message is clear: Prayer matters to the Christian because it is his lifeline to the God of the Universe and all He desires to pour into us – His grace, His power, His truth, His wisdom, His perspective, His strength, His guidance, His peace, His joy (see John 15: 1-5, Hebrews 4:16). Prayer matters to the church, because it is the key to its spiritual vitality (see Acts2:42, Acts 4:23-31). Prayer matters to God, because He ordained to do mighty things through the prayers of His people (see Isaiah 37). He doesn’t need to, He chooses to. Prayer matters to the world, because it is the vehicle by which the people of God intercede for unbelievers (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Prayer matters to the Kingdom of God because through prayer the work of mission advances and God’s Kingdom marches on to every tribe and nation (Matthew 9:38, 2 Thessalonians 3:1). Prayer matters to the heavenly realms because, through it, victory over Satan and his demons is brought about (Ephesians 6:12-18).

The aim of the book is simple: move the reader from prayer as an occasional (often need-based) activity to a life of daily, unbroken communion with God. As a life-long prayer warrior, leader, and mobilizer, I have found that information needs to be transformational to the reader, especially when it comes to prayer. Prayer is more caught than taught. That’s why I wrote this book for four levels of involvement. You can just read the book. That’s one. You can read the book and do the Prayer Practices at the end of each chapter. That’s two, and takes you a little further towards transformation. You can read the book, do the Prayer Practice, and answer the Questions for Reflection and Discussion. That’s three, which will take you a little deeper into the transformation of your prayer life. Or you can read the book as a group study and do the Prayer Practice and the Questions for Reflection and Discussions when you meet. That, in my opinion, will have the greatest and deepest transformational impact.

My hope and prayer are that you, my fellow intercessors, will do three things with this book:

1. Read it, do the practice steps and questions, and let the Holy Spirit speak to you. I’ve often found it useful to go back to basics from time to time to check the foundations and recall anything I might have forgotten.
2. Recommend the book to others – friends, pastors, fellow prayer warriors – or buy it for some as a gift.
3. Use the book to become a prayer mentor: gather a group of “prayer novices” around you and do the book with them as a study.

I ask you to join me in spreading and amplifying the clarion call to the Body of Christ that Prayer Matters. Now more than ever. Not only does the spiritual health of the individual believer stand or fall with it, so does the spiritual vitality of the church. And by extension, the future of our nation, and the advance of the gospel around the world.

The book “Prayer Matters” is available on Amazon. Here is the link.

Share a testimony on how God has recently answered your prayers in the comments below! 

(Article written by Remco Brommet. Photo by UnSplash)