The Position of Prayer | First Response

The Position of Prayer | First Response

Maybe you’ve been carrying emotions you can’t even name. Maybe you’re stirred inside, but you don’t know why—or what to do next.

So the question comes: How do I respond?

This past weekend at my church, The Gathering Place in Moody, Alabama, we had an encounter night with Corey Russell. He spoke on prayer. Then my pastor, Matt Scott, followed with the same message: prayer is the response. Not just to the chaos we see in the world today, but also to what is coming.

Scripture is clear: things will not get easier. As believers, we can’t afford to be caught off guard or live only on the defensive. We are called to position ourselves on the offense. And that begins in prayer.

Not in joining another group. Not in marching or debating (whether you choose to or not). The greater call in this hour is back to the secret place—back to the prayer closet.

Jesus said in Matthew 9:36 that He felt compassion for the crowds because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. Isn’t that the world right now? Isn’t that many of us?

The world doesn’t need more surface-level Christianity—Sunday attendance, a verse posted online, a t-shirt with a slogan but no light behind it. Influence isn’t the same as impact. What the world is really looking for are people who carry the presence of Christ.

So how do we become more like Him?

We look at His life. And what do we see? Jesus prayed.

• He prayed in the morning before anyone was awake (Mark 1:35).
  
  

• He prayed through the night on the mountainside (Luke 6:12).
  
  

• He withdrew often to be alone with the Father (Luke 5:16).
  
  

• He prayed with tears (Hebrews 5:7).
  
  

• He called His disciples to watch and pray so they wouldn’t fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).
  
  

If Jesus Himself needed prayer, how much more do we?

Prayer is not just a religious activity—it’s where transformation happens. Prayer takes the truth in your head and sets it on fire in your heart. It reshapes your affections until they center on Jesus. Prayer conforms us into His image.

That’s why 1 John 5:21 says, “Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

We don’t just need a prayer moment—we need a prayer lifestyle. A revival of prayer.

Not a three-minute devotional checkmark. Not a tidy list of requests we hand God like a shopping order. Prayer isn’t about inviting Him into our agenda—it’s about joining His.

The Spirit Himself intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27). Jesus is interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25). Why wouldn’t we step into that prayer meeting?

Look at those who prayed:

• Hannah, in anguish, wept before the Lord (1 Samuel 1:10-11).
  
  

• Hezekiah tore his clothes and prayed when destruction loomed (Isaiah 37:1–2).
  
  

• Elijah prayed until rain came and drought broke (1 Kings 18:42–44).
  
  

Their prayers moved heaven and shifted earth.

And so can ours.

There’s no pressure to “perform” in prayer. You don’t have to move mountains by eloquence or see miracles every time. God isn’t after performance—He’s after your attention.

He says in Jeremiah 29:12–13, “When you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”

The enemy is defeated on our knees. Transformation begins in His presence. Prayer is the posture of offense in a world that desperately needs hope.

So the invitation is simple: pour out your heart before Him (Psalm 62:8). Return to the prayer closet. Seek His face. Watch. Pray. Weep if you must. And in those seeds of tears, expect a harvest of joy (Psalm 126:5).

Because prayer changes everything.