(Proverbs 15:8) The prayer of the upright pleases God.

We too often envision God as being so transcendent and unknowable.

As a result, we begin to see God as being static, rigid, and emotionless.

We see God as an unemotional robot.

But Proverbs 15:8 tells us that the prayers of the righteous—those who are right with God and live a Spirit-filled lifestyle—please God.

Prayer is a mystery to me.

If God knows everything, why should I pray?

Why would our prayers accomplish anything?

Not only does prayer bring joy to God, but something also happens in the unseen world when we pray.

Prayer is powerful.

Prayer is a major weapon of spiritual warfare.

When we pray, demons are bound and defeated in their strategies to destroy us and our families.

Prayer is a relational act with God.

And God does not want a cheap relationship.

When we pray, it is relational communication from our hearts to God’s heart.

If we have no relational connection with God, then our prayers are simply dead, religious words.

God does not just hear the words of our prayers, but he also sees our hearts behind the words.

Proverbs 15:8 says, we need to understand how our prayers move the emotions of God.

However, it is not simply the words of our prayers that move God with pleasure.

Prayer is the expression of our hearts to God, not just babbling religious words.

God experiences pleasure when our lifestyle matches our prayers.

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:9, “We make it our goal to please him.”

Think about your prayer life today.

Do you pray from your heart?

Do you pray out of a vibrant relationship with God?

Let’s engage in prayer, knowing that it moves God to experience pleasure and joy over us.

But prayer also affects the greater spiritual world and defeats the strategies of demons who are actively seeking to bring us down and destroy our lives and families.

Prayer is a mystery, but we must also understand that it is our weapon of spiritual warfare.

When we pray, God is pleased and works on our behalf.