A PRAYING LIFE STILL MATTERS
Psalm 139:23-24
Prayer is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship:
Is your prayer life a struggle? Does praying seem like an exercise in eloquent speech that you don’t possess? Find biblical answers to many of your questions about prayer.
Do you ever feel like you have to pray just right, or it won’t work? Have you felt like your prayer wasn’t answered because you didn’t have enough faith or pray long enough? I’ve felt that way too. Maybe that’s because we make prayer too hard. So often, we make it all about us finding the perfect words and approach. We think we have to pray just right for God to hear and respond.
Yet Jesus reassured his disciples with these words: “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).
Prayer is not a mysterious practice reserved only for clergy and the religiously devout. Prayer is simply communicating with God— listening and talking to him. Believers can pray from the heart, freely, spontaneously, and in their own words. If prayer is a difficult area for you, learn these basics principles of prayer and apply them in your life.
The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. The first mention of prayer is in Genesis 4:26: “And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”
(NKJV)
I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ” (Zechariah 13:9, NLT)
But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! (John 15:7, NLT)
The Lord instructed us to pray. One of the simplest reasons to spend time in prayer is because the Lord taught us to pray. Obedience to God is a natural by-product of discipleship.
“Keep alert and pray. Otherwise, the temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!” (Matthew 26:41,
NLT)
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1, NIV)
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
(Ephesians 6:18, NIV)
(YOU CAN’T STAY INSIDE HIDING FROM THE PRESSURES OF
LIFE)
Prayer Isn’t a Formula You Have to Get Right
God’s hearing our prayers doesn’t depend on our praying long enough or hitting the right phrases. Prayer is an invitation to come before our Heavenly Father,[SD1], who knows our needs and longs to hear our voices. God hears and responds to us because He is faithful and has compassion for His children.
My prayer life grows deeper when I spend a few focused minutes praying each morning like Jesus did (Mark 1:35). This gets me in the right frame of mind to keep praying later in the day. I’m learning that prayer can be simple and natural as breathing.
Prayer isn’t a ritual that depends on closing our eyes and putting on holy faces. We don’t have to kneel or sit. We can pray while walking, driving, or working. God responds to a two–[SD2] word cry for help in the middle of a busy afternoon, just like He does to a focused prayer time after reading Scripture in the morning. Praying doesn’t have to be complicated. God delights in any simple words we offer Him.
As believers in Christ, we have a fantastic privilege; our Heavenly Father invites us to talk to Him! In Jeremiah 29:12, He asks his children to speak and promises to listen: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” We can read God’s Word and talk to Him in the morning to align our hearts with His at the start of the day, and we can also speak to Him as we go about our daily routines.
We may think we have to pray with fancy words, but prayer is just talking to God. Throughout the day, God longs to hear our simple prayers:
Thank you for this breakfast, Lord.
Help me stay calm in this traffic jam.
Lord, help me love this person right now.
God, will you show me what to do?
Lord, I love you. Be with me.
Goodnight, Lord.
Earlier this year, I read a devotional series based on the Lord’s Prayer, and I realized I’d let praise slip away from my prayer life. Yet when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to start with praise:
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy” (Matthew 6:9).
[SD3] I tried an experiment; I began my morning prayer time praising God for His power, greatness, majesty, and love. I saw several positive results. The first was that I knew my praise honored God and put me in the[SD4] right relationship with Him. The second was that praise built my faith. When I remembered God’s outstanding attributes and power over all creation, my confidence in Him grew.
We think of prayer as talking, but any relationship involves listening and [SD5] talking; we can even be quiet in the presence of someone we love. Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God,” and sometimes our souls need to get still in God’s presence to remember His glory, power, and love. When we quiet our hearts before Him, we put ourselves in a posture to receive what we need from Him.
When we sit quietly in God’s presence, we’re better able to listen. What if we echo the words of 1 Samuel 3:9, “Speak, LORD, your servant is listening?” Of course, listening to God is subjective, and we can never be 100 percent sure it’s His voice we’re hearing, but when I ask God to speak to me, I’m often surprised by that still, small voice I recognize:[SD6] a thought that comes to mind, a Scripture I read, or a word of wisdom a friend gives me.
The word “repentance” was[SD7] used to make me cringe because, honestly, I didn’t want to remember my sin. But I’m learning that calling my sin to mind, confessing it to God, and asking Him to change me, ushers, [SD8] in spiritual renewal. Acts 3:19 holds a promise for us: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” When we acknowledge our sins, God moves in to restore and renew us.
Lately, in my morning quiet time, I pray along with the words of Psalm 139:23, 24.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (NASB).
I often jot down a simple list of sins that come to mind and ask God to change my heart.
When I confess,[SD10] worry, God’s Spirit brings peace.
Where I repent from irritability, God renews my patience.
When I confess anxiety due to an overwhelmed schedule, God points out my next steps.
Although prayer is so much more than asking God to help and provide for us, our Heavenly Father does indeed care deeply about our needs and longs to supply them. Philippians 4:6 entreats us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (NLT).
When we come to God in faith, asking Him to supply our physical and spiritual needs, we can trust He hears us and will provide. Try a 30–[SD11] day experiment; keep a list of needs you pray for and look back over it from time to time. Add notes in the margins as you see God’s answers. Your faith will grow as you remember His faithful provision.
As Christians, we have the extraordinary privilege of participating in God’s work by praying for other people. Although we often neglect it, our most potent and effective ministry as Christians is prayer. We can impact our children, friends, family, and loved ones as we pray for them.
I have a tendency to worry about the people I love, and when I don’t worry, I try to control situations and make them better through my efforts. Yet all my worry won’t change a thing, and my tired efforts will always fall short. When I turn those worries into prayers, I’m calling on an all-powerful, always-loving God to intervene and to work His will in situations and people I’m powerless to change.
As we pray, let’s not forget to thank God for what He’s already done in our lives. When was the last time you thanked God for sending Jesus to die for you? Have you thanked Him recently for the gift of His Holy Spirit? When we thank God for the many spiritual blessings we receive, it honors Him and opens our eyes to the abundant life He’s giving us.
Thank him for everyday blessings like your dog’s faithful friendship or your child’s smile. Thank him for answering your prayers. What if we make it a point to thank God for what He’s already done before we ask Him for something new? If you’re having trouble seeing things to give thanks for today, ask God to open your eyes to abundance and gratitude.
Do you ever feel confused about what to do next? Ever find yourself in a situation that looks impossible? Prayer provides an opportunity to ask God to guide us.
Whether you face an important life decision, need God’s wisdom for a challenging situation at work, or need to know how to respond in a difficult conversation, God’s Holy Spirit will show you your next step when you ask Him for guidance.
We can pray along with these reassuring words:
“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust… Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, my
Savior And my hope are in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:1,4-5)
When I feel exhausted, it’s usually because I’m running on my strength, but I’m learning to stop and ask God for help. My own reserves of power will only get me so far, and exhaustion serves as a warning signal that I’m running on empty. God promises to empower us by the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.
Maybe God has called you to do something that looks way too big. Perhaps you’re facing a challenging situation that leaves you feeling weak. Perhaps you’ve been walking through a time of trial,[SD12], and you’re wondering how you can take one more step. Ask the Lord to fill you with His power despite your weakness. Ask Him to give you the strength you need to take one more action; call on Him to provide you[SD13] with the ability to live for Him today.
Finally, and most of all, prayer is an opportunity to turn our hearts toward God. We have the incredible privilege of coming before the Lord of the universe. “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). When we call on God and turn our hearts to Him, He sees and hears us; He is with us.
What If I Don’t Know How to Pray?
The Holy Spirit will help you in prayer when you don’t know how to pray:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints following.
God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27, NIV)
A Humble Heart
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles
7:14, NIV)
Wholeheartedness
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
(Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)
Faith
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, NIV)
Righteousness
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
(James 5:16, NIV)
Obedience
And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him. (1 John 3:22, NLT)
So whatever your need today, family & friend, look to God. Don’t wait for the perfect time to sit down and pray. Don’t wait until you have the ideal words. Let’s lift our voices to God in the morning quiet, on the way to work, and while we walk the dog, make dinner, or go shopping. All it takes is a few words. Let’s turn our hearts towards God in prayer today. He longs to hear us.
LEAVE WITH A PRAYER
