Prayer. It’s such an integral, crucial part of our relationship with God, and yet so easy to pray for all the wrong things or with the wrong motives. In the second sermon of his “Lord’s Prayer” series, Pastor Hong said that at times we like to treat God as if He is a banker when it comes to prayer. We expect Him to transact our prayers when we’ve done good deeds and feel that He is more compelled to listen. We want Him to bend to our will, rather than us bend to His will. We want to ask for things that only pertain to us and what makes us happy rather than Him. These are all temptations that feed our selfish desires.

But even when you pray to God as our loving Father rather than a banker, strive to follow His will, and ask for things that will glorify Him rather than us, the temptation still lingers. The problem arises when we try and make God do all the work for our prayers. Of course, He could do all the work if He wanted to, but His will is not something we just observe from afar. He gave us a body because we are active participants of it. A popular verse that people like to quote is James 2:16, that “faith without works is dead”. It is no different for prayer without works, and this is clearly illustrated when you read James 2:14-22, where James 2:16 is taken from:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.

It’s hard enough to say all the right things with the right motives in our prayers. However, God also doesn’t want us to just “pray around” all day. Don’t just pray for your neighbors who are in financial distress, but go to them and ask how you can help. Don’t just pray for your children’s sickness to subside, but give them medicine or take them to a hospital. If you’re struggling with weight, don’t pray to God that the pounds magically disappear, but pray that He gives you the strength to eat better and go to the gym.

As we strive to walk closer with God, let us realize that not only prayer, but action in fulfilling His will is just as integral to our relationship with Him.

– Solomon