I was doing some classes in church on prayer; and one evening when going through the readings I came across the words Prayer is a key, these words caught my attention and I decided to read more about keys.
A key is an instrument that we use to operate a lock by locking it or unlocking it. There are two main parts in every key; the bit and the bow. The bit secures the locking system, whereas the bow is what the person operating the key uses and twists so as to unlock the door.
When reading about the design and purpose of a key I learnt that there are two main things that happen when we have the right key we are able to unlock the door, and get access. So the bit has to be right and designed specifically for the lock you are trying to unlock, and the bow has to be handled correctly by the holder.
What did I learn?
- Prayer (much like a key) is a tool: It is a tool that helps us connect to God. Isn’t it amazing how whenever we leave the house; we always want to make sure we have the right keys, and in case we leave without them we actually go back to get them. The key is a tool that we use to access the other side of our door. How many times do we make sure we have prayed? How many times do we go back and take a pause when we realize we haven’t prayed?
- Like the act of unlocking a door, prayer requires effort– you need to have the right key and twist it the right way to open the door. Praying is intentional and thus it needs your effort.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7)
I love this verse because it proves that we must first act – Ask, Seek, and Knock. Prayer requires action, because when we pray there times when we are then called to do something, but we must first pray. However, the act of praying itself needs effort – you need to be intentional, you need to actually pray.
- My key is unique to your door (and my lock therein): Prayer is designed for my life and to connect with God – to know His heart and for Him to know my heart. People pray differently, and this for me is always confirmation that prayer is personal; prayer is unique to each individual. We pray based on our how we relate with God.
I must take care of and always have my keys, because without them I cannot access the other side. Guard your prayer life, cherish your prayer life, and learn to have it with you all the time.
And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18
The details in a key are unique to the extent that a specific key is made for a specific door. Think about it like this – when we pray (use a key) to connect with God (the door) He reveals Himself to us, speaks to us, elevates us, gives us peace (the door opens and we get to the other side). The right key opens the door easily and when you know your key and your door, you are able to connect the two without looking – because you have reached a place of confidence. When we pray we get to a point that we do it easily and with confidence, because we know we have it in us. But more so, we know we need it to connect with God!
Like I said in my last post, prayer is beautiful and as Children of God we need to keep seeking knowledge on prayer and all aspects of our relationship with God. It is through this that we understand why we pray and this leads to us treasuring our prayer life.
