Why Prayer Is One of God’s Ordinary Means of Grace

by Dave Jenkins

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges purchased for believers through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Because of His sinless life, substitutionary death, victorious resurrection, and ongoing priestly ministry, those who belong to Christ have been given bold access to the throne of grace. Yet despite this remarkable privilege, many Christians struggle to understand prayer rightly. Some view prayer primarily as a way to receive blessings from God, while others see it chiefly as a spiritual discipline to master. Scripture presents a richer picture. Prayer is one of God’s ordinary means of grace through which He deepens our fellowship with Him, strengthens our faith, conforms us to the image of Christ, and teaches us to live in continual dependence upon Him.

The language of the ordinary means of grace has long been used within the Reformed tradition to describe the ordinary ways God works in the lives of His people. Rather than relying upon extraordinary experiences or dramatic manifestations, God ordinarily sanctifies believers through the faithful ministry of His Word, the ordinances He has given to His church, prayer, and participation in the life of the local church. These means possess no inherent power in themselves. Rather, the Holy Spirit works through these God-appointed means to accomplish His purposes in the lives of His people. Prayer is therefore not an optional addition to the Christian life. It is one of the gracious instruments God has ordained for our spiritual growth.

This truth rests firmly upon the gospel itself. Sin separated humanity from fellowship with God, leaving us spiritually dead and unable to approach His holy presence. Through Christ, however, believers have been reconciled to the Father. Hebrews reminds us that because Jesus is our great High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses, we may “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Prayer is possible because Christ has opened the way. Every prayer offered in faith rests not upon our worthiness but upon His finished work.

Understanding prayer as a means of grace also guards us from treating it as a mechanism for obtaining whatever we desire. Prayer is not a means of manipulating God or persuading Him to alter His eternal purposes. Scripture consistently teaches that God is absolutely sovereign, working all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). Yet the same sovereign God commands His people to pray. This is no contradiction. God ordains both the ends and the means. The God who determines what He will accomplish has also determined that the prayers of His people will be one of the means through which He accomplishes His purposes in the world.

This reality should fill believers with confidence rather than discouragement. Our prayers are not insignificant because God is sovereign. They matter precisely because He is sovereign. James reminds believers that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). The effectiveness of prayer is never rooted in the strength of the one praying but in the faithfulness of the God who hears and answers according to His perfect wisdom.

Prayer also exposes one of the greatest idols of the human heart: self-sufficiency. Every genuine prayer acknowledges our dependence upon God. We confess that we cannot sustain ourselves, overcome temptation, change our own hearts, or accomplish lasting spiritual fruit apart from His grace. In a culture that prizes independence and self-reliance, prayer teaches believers to live as creatures who joyfully depend upon their Creator. It continually reminds us that every good gift comes from the Father’s hand and that apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5).

For this reason, prayer is not simply about presenting requests before God. It is fundamentally about communion with Him. Throughout Scripture, prayer includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, lament, intercession, and praise. These various expressions of prayer draw believers into deeper fellowship with the Lord. The greatest blessing of prayer is not ultimately receiving answers to our petitions, but knowing God Himself. As we behold His character in Scripture and respond to Him in prayer, our desires are gradually reshaped to reflect His will rather than our own.

Prayer also serves as one of God’s appointed means for our sanctification. Jesus warned His disciples in Gethsemane, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Prayer does not merely accompany the fight against sin; it is one of God’s ordained weapons in that fight. As believers confess sin, seek wisdom, ask for strength, and meditate upon God’s promises, the Holy Spirit uses prayer to produce greater holiness. A prayerless Christian is not simply neglecting a spiritual discipline; he is attempting to wage spiritual warfare in his own strength.

Likewise, prayer strengthens faith through seasons of waiting. God does not always answer immediately, nor does He always answer in the manner we expect. Yet His delays are never evidence of indifference. Rather, they are often instruments of sanctification. As believers continue to seek the Lord in prayer, they learn perseverance, patience, and trust. Prayer gradually shifts our focus away from immediate circumstances and fixes our eyes upon God’s unchanging character. In this way, prayer becomes one of the primary means by which God teaches His children to walk by faith rather than by sight.

The New Testament also presents prayer as central to the life of the local church. Following Pentecost, the early believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers (Acts 2:42). Corporate prayer was not treated as an optional ministry for particularly devoted Christians. It was one of the defining characteristics of the church. Whenever God’s people gather to seek Him together, they confess that the church depends not upon human wisdom, gifted leaders, or carefully crafted strategies, but upon the Lord Himself.

Even as believers struggle in prayer, they are not left to themselves. Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us according to the will of God when we do not know how to pray as we ought. The believer’s life of prayer is therefore thoroughly Trinitarian. We pray to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Every member of the Godhead graciously participates in drawing believers into deeper communion with God.

When prayer is understood as one of God’s ordinary means of grace, it is transformed from a burdensome obligation into a joyful privilege. Christians no longer pray merely because they are commanded to do so, although they are. They pray because through prayer the Father welcomes His children, the Son continually intercedes on their behalf, and the Holy Spirit strengthens them in their weakness. Prayer becomes one of the ordinary yet extraordinary ways God shapes His people into the likeness of Christ.

The ordinary means of grace may appear unimpressive to the world. There is nothing spectacular about reading Scripture, gathering with the church, receiving the ordinances, or bowing our heads in prayer. Yet throughout redemptive history, God has delighted to use these ordinary means to accomplish extraordinary spiritual work. As believers faithfully devote themselves to prayer, they discover that God’s greatest gift is not merely the answers He gives, but the deeper fellowship they enjoy with Him through Jesus Christ. That communion is both the joy of the Christian life and one of God’s chief means of conforming His people to the image of His Son.

Continue Growing

Prayer is one of God’s ordinary means of grace, and growing in prayer is a lifelong pursuit. If this article has encouraged you, we invite you to continue exploring the rich biblical teaching in our The Discipline and Power of Prayer series. These articles are designed to help you deepen your communion with God, strengthen your understanding of prayer, and cultivate a life of joyful dependence upon Christ.

Explore the complete series here:
The Discipline and Power of Prayer Series

You can also find verse-by-verse Bible teaching, podcasts, biblical theology, and practical resources to help you grow in God’s Word on the Servants of Grace YouTube channel.

Subscribe today:
Servants of Grace on YouTube