Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
If I am being honest, prayer is an area I feel very insecure about. Prayer is one of the most basic and foundational aspects of our faith yet can feel so vast and at times distant. I’m a talker, so I worry I talk too much during prayer and don’t give God space to speak. To me, it can often feel like a one-sided conversation or a monologue, and then I just walk away. I imagine God is left standing there shaking His head and rolling His eyes at my self-centered, narrow-minded perspective. Am I alone in this?
For years, I felt prayer was an obligation. Something that must be done before I venture too far into my day. I would go through a mental check list of asking for blanketed forgiveness, showing generic gratitude, and praying for people in my life (usually ones that needed to change to make my life easier). But then life got hard, really hard, and complicated. I needed to hear from God desperately. I would cry out and plead but felt like I would receive nothing but silence on the other end.
This year, prayer is an area I want to specifically grow in and deepen in my life. There are so many resources and books about prayer, but I don’t want to educate myself on prayer, I want to fold it into my everyday life. I want prayer to be a normal part of my daily rhythms and not an obligatory event each day. I want to speak and hear from God as one does a friend. I don’t have the answers as to how I will achieve this but there are a few things I have done recently that seem to really help.
As we talked about last week, Scripture is God’s Word to us. Scripture is how we get to know who God is and how He moves and works in our lives and in those around us. As I have deepened my time in Scripture, it has deepened my understanding of prayer. It can be anywhere and anytime.
There isn’t a formula I must use, rather, I can whisper my heart’s desires to God in the moment. It can be thoughts of praise and gratitude, “Thank you God for this beautiful sunrise!” Or thoughts of intercession on someone’s behalf, “Father, be with my friend as she goes to the doctor today. Speak wisdom and fill her with Your peace.” It can even be immediate repentance, “Please forgive my terrible attitude and please help me respond in love today at work.” This mindset echoes the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
When I need to be more intentional about prayer, I have found journaling my prayers works best for me. I literally hand write God a letter in my journal. This helps me organize my thoughts and emotions. I was also taught several years ago that as I journaled my fears, worries, and emotions, to then write Scripture along side the words. It is a tangible way to fight what is going on in your heart with Truth.
The most challenging practice I have tried to implement has been contemplative or centering prayer. This is the practice of clearing your mind and completely fixing your focus on God which allows you to be still before Him and open your heart to hear from Him. This is a huge challenge for me! I am not still and quiet unless I am asleep. My mind continuously has about twelve different things tumbling around including the grocery list, a past interaction with someone, and what I plan to eat for lunch. Getting my mind still is hard but in doing so, it opens the opportunity to hear from God.
Prayer is a gift. Because of Jesus and the righteousness we have through Him, we can go directly to the throne of the King of Kings and lay our supplications at His feet. Jesus modeled this so well while He was on earth with His own prayer life. He often withdrew to be alone with the Father. It was part of His normal routine to be alone with God. We have this gift and privilege allowing us to bring every anxious thought, moment of gratitude, and times of regret and repentance directly to our God. God longs to hear from us but He also longs to speak to us. He is the God of peace, and it is His peace that has the power to change our hearts and perspectives.
Below are some resources that have encouraged and helped me in my prayer life:
- Before Amen by Max Lucado
- Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer
- Prayer Journal by The Daily Grace Co
- Centering Prayer App
Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Psalm 37-5-7
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Lamentations 3:22-26 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Prayer: “Father, thank you for Jesus and his sacrifice so that I can come before You completely righteous. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and caring for every detail of my life. Teach me to talk to You as one speaks to a friend. Remind me of your glory and majesty, trusting that Your ways are better than my ways. Even when things are difficult, I can trust that You are moving and working because You are faithful. When I need wisdom from You, remind me that you promise to reveal Yourself to me. Open my heart to Your voice.”