It's... gasp! another Christian article.  Skip it if you don't want to read another Christian article.  Here, I'll put in this 'more' tag so that you won't have to read any of the substance if you don't want to.

Still with me?  Good!  There's no substance in here, either, but hey, I didn't say there would be.

So some people pray, some meditate, some have quiet time, some do none of that.  What's the difference, and why does anyone care?

First off, I need to define meditation and quiet time, which I will lump together as 'not prayer'.  It is my understanding that the reason one meditates is to either think more clearly or clear one's head completely.  This may enhance focus, concentration, and a whole bunch of other positive effects. 

The difference between prayer and meditation is that meditation focuses on oneself while prayer focuses on God.  You can pray selfishly, for sure.  You can just ask God for things that will make your life easier.  There are things He's just sitting up there, waiting for you to ask Him for. Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will open.  But the focus is what God can do, not what you can do.

I have also been told to 'meditate' on scripture.  I have no idea what this means.  I think it means 'contemplation' of the scripture, thinking about it, turning it over in your head, and letting the Holy Spirit guide you to the correct meaning of the scripture.  I've never done this, so how should I know?

As for prayer, I find it difficult to believe it.  That doesn't mean I should disbelieve it, or that I don't believe it... it just means it's hard for me to give prayer the importance that God quite obviously gives it repeatedly in the Bible.  Apparently, in Revelations, the prayers of the Saints are kept in bowls.  That's how precious our prayers are to God, He keeps them.  So, since God created everything, including us, he has pretty much everything.  The only thing we have left to give Him is ourselves, and we do that only through prayer.

There are spiritual disciplines, but God does NOT call his Temple the House of Preaching, the House of Music, the House of Bible Reading, etc. etc.  Jesus said that the Temple would be called a House of Prayer.  So, logically, what would you say is the purpose of Bible reading, preaching, music, and all that?  It's to lead everyone into prayer!  That's all it's about.

Why does God want everyone to be saved?  So we will all pray to Him.  Converse with Him.  Fellowship with Him.

Don't get me wrong here.  I'm not saying he NEEDS are prayers.  He WANTS our prayers.  He is willing to limit himself based upon what we pray for.  It does say 'ask and you shall receive' not 'don't ask and you'll get it anyway.'  So ask.  Because God has everything you need, and He wants to give it to you.

So, some people might say that prayer is just a tool.  You pray, which makes you go out and get whatever it is you prayed for under your own power, and if you don't, you just say it was God's will.  Well, yeah, that happens sometimes I'm sure.  But if you're constantly praying to God for something he doesn't want you to have, you're going to know about it.

But the real proof against prayer being just a tool, is this:  People can tell when they're being prayer for, especially when they're being prayer for by a large group.  People pray, God responds.

One of the things to remember is that the most effective prayers are when 2 or more Christians (or is it 3?  Well, just fill a room, that'll do the trick) are in agreement over a prayer.  Why isn't a single prayer as effective?  Is it because there's more people involved?

I don't think that.  I think it's because, in order for two people to agree about a prayer, it can't be a selfish prayer.  It has to be a prayer that is really modeled after God's heart, and that is why you need more than one person.  A kind of test.

Quiet, alone time prayer is good for reflection and for contemplation, and for increasing your relationship with God.  But what really separates it from non-prayer is when people do it corporately.  That's where the real power is.  That's where the proof is.  That's where the world is changed.

Revival starts when the people pray.  People don't pray now.  I mean, some people do, but I'd put a lot of money down right now that the majority of people who call themselves Christians did not pray today, at all.  The majority of people who are truly saved probably didn't fare much better. 

Saul was a terrible persecutor of Christians, but he changed.  God sent someone to meet him, and when the guy was scared to go, God said that he could go, because Saul prays.  That was it for God.  He prays, he's all right, go meet him.

Why do we neglect such an important part of our Christianity?  That's easy.  Because you feel silly when you pray.  You're talking out loud to a being you've never seen.  At least when you do it in your head you can pretend on the outside you're not praying.  But if you're speaking aloud, everyone is going to hear you... and what you're saying... and think you're crazy... crazy!

You're not crazy.  Satan wants you to think you're crazy, and he absolutely DOES NOT want you to pray, because it mobilizes armies against him.  So pray anyway.  Cast out demons.  Interceed.  Pray for other's salvations.  Pray with other believers, and the Bible guarantees that God will respond.  And He will be very happy, and keep your prayers in bowls.  Seriously.