A prayer or a prayer

Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision or some bad news? Have you ever needed someone to pray for you? Let me ask you a question. If you are in the midst of something difficult would you rather have a prayer or a prayer? No that is not a typo. Maybe I am making up my own vocabulary word here so let me explain. The first prayer is what someone says, they say a prayer and ask God for something, it is a single event. It may be a prayer asking for someone to be healed of an illness, it may be a prayer asking for wisdom in a certain situation, etc. The second prayer, and this is where I am taking some writer liberties is a person who prays constantly, a prayer. It is like some one who runs all the time is called a runner, someone who talks all the time is called a talker, someone who paints for a living is called a painter. I am going to call someone who prays constantly a prayer.

After explaining myself my question is the same, do you simply want a prayer or do you want a prayer. Flip the question and let me ask it this way, should you say a prayer or should you be a prayer. Should we simply react to a situation with a quick few quick prayers or should we be be prayers who are constantly praying for people and situations. I think a great example of this was the Apostle Paul. Take a look at his example of being a prayer:

Romans 1: 9, 10 - 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

I Corinthians 1: 4 - I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1: 15 - 17 - 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Philippians 1: 3 - 6 - 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1: 3 - 9 -  3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[c] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

I Thessalonians 1: 2, 3  - 2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I could go on but I think I have made my point. Paul did not just say a prayer, he was a prayer. He was constantly in prayer being a prayer. He understood the power of a prayer and the importance of a prayer. But, I think he understood that we have to be prayers as opposed to just saying prayers.

So my questions go back to what they originally were, do you want a prayer or do you want a prayer? Do you want to say a prayer for someone or do you want to be a prayer for someone. The difference between the two is huge.