The many blessings God gifts to us is never for our sole benefit, but for the benefit of others. One of the blessings God gifts us is grace. (The word “gift” is used intentionally because a gift is received without a payment or price. It is completely free.) The means of grace or media gratia are “any activities within the fellowship of the church that God uses to give more grace to Christians (Carter).”
Grace is synonymous with the word favor. It is an "inexhaustible supply of goodness, which is called grace. We cannot earn it, we do not deserve it, and we can never repay it, but He has made it abundantly available for free.” (Evans) James 4: 6 says, “But he giveth more grace.
Prayer is a specific means of grace and my personal favorite because it gives us access to power that we should not be authorized to use. But because God’s desire for salvation for His people, He allows us to have access to the Heavenly realm, here on earth. Acts 2:21 says, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.”
His Word becomes true as Jesus teaches us “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” This is not by chance, coincidence or hope. This is accomplished with prayer. By communicating with God His will, His plan, and His purpose. The more you read the Bible—God’s living Word, the more you will get to know His character and recognize His presence. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you what God wants. And your heart’s desire will be towards God—thus your prayers will be in alignment with God’s will, and He will answer your prayers.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to serve in the Youth and Young Adults ministry. It was the first time I witnessed prayer and sincere worship before going out to pray with people. We wanted to be use by God mightily by God and see Hin work through use to serve and tell the Good News. We were in groups of 4 or 5 and we approached people to pray for them. There was a woman walking by. She agreed for prayer and shortly after was in tears because everything said in the prayer was true and relevant to her life. God used us to share His love and grace to this woman. Prayer was the vehicle to go into God’s presence and it gave her reassurance that God is with her, and she will be victorious.
James 5:15-16 says, “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
“Prayer becomes a means of grace only as it is shaped by the truth of Scripture. The Holy Spirit takes the Word and enables believers to pray in accord with God’s will.” (Batzig)
Works Cited
Batzig, Nick. “What Is a Means of Grace?” Tabletalk, 1 June 2020, tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2020/06/what-is-a-means-of-grace/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2022.
Carter, Josh. Ecclesiology. CalvaryU Systematic Theology 2.
Evans, Tony. “Grace Will Get You There - the Urban Alternative.” Tony Evans the Urban Alternative, 18 Mar. 2021, tonyevans.org/grace-will-get-you-there/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.