Prayer is Not Enough – Published March 5th, 2025
For one reason or another, lots of us can get into the habit of prayer being our only spiritual practice. We send a quick “thank you” to God before a meal or whisper a request for help during work. The hectic days drown out any other form of discipline, so we try to stay tethered to our Lord through simple prayers.
Such a scenario is understandable, especially when we consider the type of technological age we live in. And there is certainly nothing wrong with praying to the Lord throughout the day; we are told to pray continually, which includes the tidbit times of prayer we snatch during the trek through our schedules (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But there is something wrong if we are unable to engage in other vital practices, like Bible reading and meditation, worship, meeting with other believers, and serving. Prayer is a significant discipline, but it alone is not enough to nourish us completely.
Even if someone devoted themselves to prayer in a cloistered life away from distractions and busy schedules, his or her spiritual life would still be hindered if this were all they did. Think what would happen if we took this mindset with other parts of life, such as making a recipe. Broth alone does not make soup. Neither is spaghetti a proper dish if there are only noodles or meatballs. Likewise, there are many other ingredients in the Christian life that we need if we are going to walk in obedience to the Lord, loving Him and our neighbor in the way He intended. So, let us take a breath as we step away from the busyness and consider why we need prayer and other practices to have a strong relationship with our Lord.
Sophia
Sophia Bricner is a contributing writer at Bible study tools.
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Me thinks Ms. Brickner is correct. Prayer certainly must be part of our Christian experience but prayer alone will not get the job done. Many times, if not most times God uses His servants to bring about His purposes.
James, the half brother of the Lord and pastor of the church at Jerusalem encouraged the perisheners of that church and the scattered Jews to > “22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).
He knew the necessity of prayer but also knew that strength would come from participation in the ongoing work of the church. The reason for this is found in Paul’s letter to Timothy, his fellow worker and son in the Lord. He wrote > “1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
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7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra–what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Doesn’t this imply that we Christians are to be involved in the Lord’s work? Me thinks, yes!
Steve – Berean Class Facilitator