I hope this message finds you well. Now that September’s over, BIG Camp is done, and we’re back in the homestretch for the rest of the year, I want to remind you of our current church preaching series on prayer every Saturday mornings. As we settle back into the rhythm of life, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on something so familiar yet so vital: our prayer life.
It’s easy to think we know prayer because we’ve been doing it for years. Most of us have prayed countless times—before meals, before meetings, before big decisions, and certainly in moments of trouble. Yet, even with all that experience, it’s possible to become so familiar with it that we lose a bit of the wonder. It’s a bit like knowing someone really well but talking about them more than you actually talk to them. You know their stories, their habits, even what they’re likely to say—but the closeness fades when you stop having real conversations. In the same way, we can talk about God, sing about Him, even serve Him—but if we don’t truly speak with Him—if we don’t really pray—we miss the heart of the relationship.
That’s why this series matters. It’s not that we don’t know what prayer is; it’s that we need to be reminded what prayer does. Prayer is not just a practice—it’s an encounter. It’s not merely communication—it’s communion. It’s where our hearts meet the heart of God. And these days, we’re all in pretty deep waters, aren’t we? The world feels loud, anxious, and uncertain. There’s a constant stream of opinions and updates, and it can leave our souls running on fumes. But prayer is the place where we breathe again. It’s where our hearts align with heaven, where our strength is renewed, and where the chaos starts to make sense—not because the storm stops, but because we finally remember who’s in the boat with us.
The truth is that prayer isn’t just about getting answers—it’s about growing closer. It’s not a spiritual task on our checklist—it’s a lifeline. Prayer is where we move from simply believing in God to experiencing Him. It’s where faith becomes friendship, and where knowledge turns into encounter. Sometimes we treat prayer like the spare tire in the boot of the car—something to pull out when things go wrong. But prayer was never meant to be the emergency tool of our faith—it’s the steering wheel that guides us through every mile. Without it, we drift. With it, we find direction, peace, and strength for the road ahead.
So, friends as we dive again into the topic of prayer during our worship time, remember that prayer isn’t about learning a few techniques or memorizing the right words—it’s about rediscovering the heart of our relationship with God. It’s an invitation to slow down, to listen, to be honest, and to find that God still meets His people in the quiet moments. My hope is that as we journey together through this series, you’ll not only talk to God more—but also hear Him more clearly, feel His presence more deeply, and trust Him more fully.
Because the greatest miracle of prayer isn’t that we change God’s mind—it’s that He changes our hearts. So, church family, let’s not just talk about prayer—let’s pray. Let’s dive in together—knees first—and see what God will do when His people seek His face again.
With love and joy, David Peñate
