06 Mar I am prayerful and I am joyful!
“I am prayerful and I am joyful!”
What a wonderful statement to make and ponder but in reality, some of us may be struggling to pray or perhaps you have questions:
- To whom do I pray to?
- How do I pray?
- Why should I pray?
- Do prayers even work?
One evening during Bible study a fellow believer asked a very simple yet intriguing question, it might sound trivial to some but to others, it’s an important question that they may have in their walk with Christ. When I pray, who is it that I am addressing? I tell you this got me thinking long and hard –I know the answer, do you?
According to the Scriptures, the disciples directly addressed Christ in their prayers and today we do too but always remember it is the Holy Spirit that enables us to pray and draw us closer to God.
Let us read the following scriptures together about how the Holy Spirit aids us:
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” John 14:26 (ESV) and
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)
Simply put there is no right or wrong way to pray but Jesus does give us a guideline on how to, let us reflect on Matthew 6:7-15 where Jesus said “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Our prayers not only acknowledge Him as our Lord and how sovereign He is but that we also wish to follow His statutes in everything we do daily. Prayer is essentially first to honor God and to give Him glory, He comes first and we come second.
How you conduct your prayer life is entirely up to you but it should always remain not only biblical but also respectful. I know some people who talk to God out loud as they go about their day or people like myself who have an internal dialog with the Lord in addition to our quiet time during devotions. It does not matter how you do it as long as you are doing it respectfully. We should be constantly praying and rejoicing in the Lord (See Romans 12:12).
Pray and pray some more
Prayer is of such great importance in our lives as it forms a deeper more personal relationship with God and perpetual prayer emphasizes our true faith. (See Luke 18:1-8.) He should be the first person you seek counsel from. Remember “the war room” or a prayer strategy I spoke about in my previous blog post? That’s exactly what I mean when I say pray and pray some more! The reason behind prayer immediately takes me to Jeremiah 29:12 where God tells us that if we genuinely call out to Him, He will always listen and help us through the troubles and calamities we face and prayer ultimately gives us peace (see Philippians 4:6-7).
This does not mean “lip service” for the sake of keeping appearances and relying on your own understanding and others to make or see a difference- this is superficial prayer; God wants genuineness and He wants the raw naked you with full dependence upon Him.
By genuinely praying (see James 4:3), calling out to God and seeking His will through His word you begin to grasp that everything lies in His powerful hands and everything in His time will be rectified. Leave it to Him and obey His commands and you will surely see Him working in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine!
Prayers do work
I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve encountered God answering my prayers, not in ways I thought foolishly but I realized it was in His time once again. I will give you an example: when I became saved, the biggest battle I faced was my patience– or rather lack thereof! I had a very short temper and one of many prayers I prayed was that the Lord grant me patience…
It’s funny when I think back because it wasn’t something that happened by the snap of a finger – trust me it would have been very convenient if it did, but then there would be no lesson learned and zero accountability. I would have simply moved on without a second thought. Fostering patience was continuous – it is spiritual growth that leads to wisdom. God presented me with opportunities to become patient: from getting my sleeve caught on a doorknob to more complex situations where losing my temper would have created devastation. So I’ll pose you with another reflective question that applies to many if not all aspects of our lives: How can we say we reflect or are ambassadors for Christ when we act contrary to His commands?
I urge you to think about all the prayers you prayed for, have they been answered or not? If your answer is yes, then did you remember to take the time in your devotion to write them down and thank the Lord for answering them – and with the same breath, thanking Him for never forsaking you? If your answer is no, not yet I’m still waiting: please do not lose hope or faith but trust in God and He will make straight your paths (see Proverbs 3:5-6). Be reminded that He knows what we need, when we need it and how much of it is needed in our lives. He knows what is good for us and what will bring Him glory. Our Divine Shepherd will provide and protect us in all situations. God is lavish in His love for His sheep! (see Psalm 23)
Prayer
My prayer for you, my wonderfully and fearfully made sister, is the following:
Dear Lord, today I surrender myself wholeheartedly to your hands. I’ve spent too much time in my own understanding. I’ve been leaning on others where I should have come to you first, I should have sought your counsel first rather than following the counsel of the world.
Lord, may my plans always be in line with yours and if they are not please help guide me with wisdom, steadfastness, and endurance as I navigate how to follow your commands to become more Christ-like and that I never forget to be prayerful and joyful in you!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m a volunteer blogger. Welcome to my blog posts! May my writings be an inspiration to you and an aid to get you into a biblical mindset: “It’s never me but God!”
Let us grow together!
~Col 2:6-8
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