Prayer is exceptionally powerful! I find it incredibly fascinating and have recently been discovering new depths to it that I haven’t realized before!
Prayer is a curious thing, really. You can use it as a tool to help others and to draw you closer to God, or you can not utilize it and miss out on a vastly incredible dimension of life. You can constantly have a prayer on your lips or just sit back and watch how life happens. The decision is yours. The depth of the meaning of your life is up to you.
Let me encourage you to realize what a gift you’ve been blessed with. No matter what your circumstances, God is capable of doing miraculous things, and if you will turn to Him your relationship with Him can be something special and remarkable!
Better Understanding Prayer
Do you know how to pray the perfect prayer? What, no? Well, neither do I. The truth of the matter is, like in all of life, there is no one right way or one right answer. God made each of us uniquely of each other and each of our individual relationships is unique also. So to find that our method of prayer is unique really is no surprise!
Prayer isn’t difficult or complex. It is a conversation with Someone Who is always with us! An ongoing request for guidance and help and courage and direction. Our focus shouldn’t be on developing the perfect prayer but rather on developing our relationship with God.
I was reading a book recently that gave an outline on how to prayer. It simply encouraged you to talk to God.
And to read that surprised me. I know I’ve grown up in a remarkable home, but it never dawned on me that some people wouldn’t know how to pray. That some people wouldn’t know how to talk to God – to ask Him for guidance and to look to Him for courage and direction.
Praying for Others
Prayer isn’t just for you. It’s not just for praying for your direction or for yourself. It is also, and just as importantly, used to pray for others. Interestingly, in life we cannot prayer for ourselves as effectively as others can pray for us. And I have found that to be even more true recently.
It is so important to ask those close to you to pray for you. To share with them what is on your heart and what you would appreciate prayer for. I love the verse in James that says “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
When requesting this prayer for yourself it can be very humbling. For some it is easier than for others. You have to expose that you know you need the help. But also when you agree to pray for another, realize that you have been given an enormous opportunity and you must carry through on it and be faithful in it! And I recommend you ask God to help you keep things in the forefront of your mind and on your heart as He would have you pray for them.
How / What / When
One lady I know keeps a running list and she faithfully prays down that list everyday. I find that remarkable! And I’ve tried that – but I don’t believe that is how God has for me to pray. There isn’t one right way to pray. There’s not one right method, one right prayer, or one right plan for how you pray for a person. You simply have to be faithful in the way God impresses on you. Ask Him how He would have you pray! Ask Him what He would have you pray! Be sure to remember to pray for His will, because His will is perfect and wonderful.
I’ve heard that you can frustrate God’s plans through improper prayer, but I don’t agree. God’s ways are so much higher than our ways, and I believe that if we will keep our focus on Him, He will steer us and our prayers where He wants us! So don’t allow the fear of frustrating God’s plans intimidate you from praying what He has placed on your heart. He doesn’t place something on our hearts to trick us or distract us from Him. He’s not like that. He protects us from ourselves and shows us incredible mercy and kindness!
Why do we pray Thy will be done? Because we know that God sees the big picture. He knows what His plans for us are. He isn’t surprised by one instance or comment or event. In the history of the world nothing has ever surprised Him! God’s got this! He is larger than enormous. He knows everything, sees everything, hears everything – even our thoughts! God knows the big picture. To pray and ask “His will be done” based on His infinite wisdom and knowledge – that will take us so much further than we can imagine!
The Power of Prayer
Have you seen the power of prayer in action? It is incredible! I have seen it so many times in life. In life threatening situations and in seemingly small and insignificant things and in everything in between.
As you pray, pay attention for an answer so that you can thank Him for the answers that He sends. God’s answers won’t always be yes or no, but you can know for certain that they will be for your best!
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Let me just encourage you to always be joyful, never stop praying and have a grateful heart! That’s what God wants from us! He wants our thoughts, our attention and our hearts! And when you never stop praying, it’s like you never stop sharing your heart with God!
Until Next Time!
Hope.