PRAYER: Prayer will be the starting point and ongoing part of every aspect of the ministry of WBC. The above sentence was taken from the list of the core values of Waxahachie Bible Church. Prayer is also listed in one of the 16 vision statements of WBC. Here is what that statement says: We envision becoming a church where God’s people are committed to coming together for regular prayer gatherings. (James 5:16; II Chron. 7:14; Matt. 21:22; Acts 1:14; Acts 2:42; Romans 12:10-13. We are hoping to cast the vision of prayer to our church family beginning this February. There are many thoughts about prayer and many approaches that we could take to discuss it here. Some of these avenues involve engaging in huge discussions like why does God not answer my prayer or does prayer actually change anything? Over the next month we hope to make it clear that prayer may best be explained or defined by seeing it as closeness to God. Prayer is the way we stay near to God and what His will is for us. Seeing prayer as drawing near to God can help us answer many of the deeper questions this topic brings. Does God answer prayers? Yes, we are the answer to prayer. God is concerned about bringing us closer to Him. He answers every prayer in accordance to His will and what we need to make us closer to Him and His will for us. Does prayer change things? Yes, prayer changes how close we are to the will of God. God continues to bring us closer to His will by changing us through prayer. Sometime God may even change His will for us. (Exodus 32:14) Prayer is a practice of worship that we are commanded to do on an ongoing basis to be close to God, but prayer is also more necessary when we are need of basic health things or lost in sin and need to confess and repent from our selfish ways in order to be closer to God. James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.