This is an excerpt from Prayer Craft, by Eryeza Kalalu, pg 1-2. Available on Amazon in ebook, paperback, and Hardcover

Individual praying is the basis for all prayer and was the outstanding norm for many Bible figures.

It’s the Christian’s distinguished honor—to have a personal encounter with God—a duty Christ wouldn’t interfere with—who in his own words said, “I didn’t say that I will pray for you.”

The pastors may still be here and the prayer warriors may continue to pray. The question is, will they be present to pray for every Christian, every time? What happens to those in places where there isn’t any spiritual leader to pray for them, one-on-one?

Besides, the concerns of life are numerous and so intricate. Numerous, because when we think we have submitted one prayer request to those we consider prayer experts, another prayer item arises. 

Before we know it, prayer issues overlap.

These endless needs make our dependence on God non-negotiable. Yet talking to God is the surest way of inviting God into our complexities. And we don’t have to be prayed for, each time we face these personal issues. And then there is the intricate part: the challenges we face are sometimes too detailed for any ear and too personal to share. 

Third Parties

To depend on external prayer for every internal crisis is as impossible as it’s cumbersome. Nobody, except you, can pray for every single challenge you face in a day. Others may desire to pray for you, they may promise to lift you in prayer and may go the extra mile and actually pray for you, but they won’t do it as well as you should. We can’t forego the joy of personally asking for God’s help every time we need it.

God is closer to His people than the air they breathe. And prayer is one aspect through which God has revealed his proximity. The Lord’s nearness is revealed each time we make a request, sometimes a whisper, and He answers us without involving a third party. God assured Israel that there was no nation under the earth to which He was so close, in all they called upon Him, as unto Israel. (Deut. 4:7-8).

Jesus Christ stressed this further when he advocated for secrecy in prayer. He added that Father knows our issues before we ask.

Private prayer is important because God is nearby. He’s within your reach. Why defer our requests to only distant people? Why should we talk about all other forms of prayer and exclude the soul that both owns the needs and whose solution giver is right at hand? Are pastors’ prayers for the believers more prominent than those made by the individual Christians? Should the intercessory ministry of the spiritual elders render private prayer needless?

To wait until the next meeting with a pastor before presenting your hardships to God isn’t as cool as it sounds. The clergy who teach God’s word to the Church shouldn’t downgrade individual prayer on the side of the people they lead. They should instead encourage and facilitate it.

Question to Ponder:

How often do you pray through your needs before asking for the prayers of your pastor, friends, and Church members?



This is an excerpt from Prayer Craft, by Eryeza Kalalu, pg 1-2. Available on Amazon in ebook, paperback, and Hardcover