“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:14
If I were to define prayer, I would say that prayer is communion with God. Communion describes a close relationship between two individuals – a union where there is interaction and intimacy. It is a togetherness where both parties have participation in harmonious fellowship. It describes a relationship where there is a sharing of all that each one was is, has, and can do. Communion is the result of covenant, a oneness where each one commits to the other all that they are, all they have, and all they can do. Prayer is the result of the bond we have with God.
When I pray, I do more than talk with God. I do more than hear from God. When I pray, I enjoy the bond of relationship that I have with God, the fellowship that we share. Prayer often describes the times where I can pull away from everything else to focus only on Him, but it also describes any time throughout my day when I turn my attention towards Him, knowing He is always with me.
I believe that there is a joint relationship with God that each of us can experience. God called Abraham a friend, or a companion – a partner in covenant. Think of the closest relationship that you can have with someone on earth, and then realize that relationship pales in comparison to the relationship you can have with your Creator.
When I pray, I enjoy the presence of God. In addition, as a companion of God, I enjoy our partnership where I can do something together with Him. If there is a spiritual task that needs doing, together God and I can do it. Prayer is not one-sided. Prayer is not just about me asking God to move. That type of prayer is shallow in relationship and often ineffective because of the distance in communion. The Bible says in Psalm 16:11 “…at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It is in drawing close to God in a spiritual relationship that we experience His manifested presence and receive what we need from Him. It is from the communion we share through submission to God’s love that we can receive His power that changes things. With God, all things are possible. Without Him, we can do nothing. Effective prayer starts with intimate communion with God.
Application: The Greek word for “communion” is used to describe our fellowship with God. It is also used to describe the symbolic act where we break bread and drink wine/juice in remembrance of what Jesus Christ accomplished at the cross. Today when you pray, take the elements of communion, and enjoy the presence of God.