Prayer is a familiar word that we hear every day and is usually associated with something being wrong and needing to be fixed. I receive emails and texts on a regular basis from those who are having a crisis and call on me to pray for them, and I certainly do. For Christians, being in agreement with the prayers of others is a blessing and responsibility as the power of God is increased and multiplied. For those who are not familiar with talking to God, it’s common for them to call others who they believe can plead with the Lord on their behalf.
It’s an honor for people to ask someone to pray as they trust this person knows God, but the truth is that everyone has the opportunity to be as close to God as they desire. This is not the most popular statement but nonetheless true. Prayer was never intended to be a last-resort option that is used in an emergency like calling the fire department. The miracle of Christ being crucified and resurrecting from the dead restored the broken relationship between God and mankind that happened when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. God gave his Son so that we could be saved and communicate with him.
– Pray to pray. To begin, we must pray for a desire to pray, for if we are not interested in praying it will not happen. Prayer will never become a habit until we become determined to make it a lifestyle. Designate a time and a place. When we become serious about spending quiet time talking and listening to God, our life becomes more focused, filled with meaning, peace, purpose and confidence.
We do not arrange our prayer time around our life; we must be determined to arrange our life around our time with him. Learn all you can about self-discipline. When you make a decision about the best time and place to pray, stick to it! This will be much more of a personal challenge than you ever dreamed. Remember, the enemy will do all that he can to discourage, distract and prevent you from advancing in your relationship with God.
– Open your Bible and ask him to reveal his word. Prayer is not always closing our eyes and just asking for things. It’s a time of sharing our deepest thoughts with God, and this includes giving him an opportunity to respond. Listen intently, and write it down. Silence is golden in his presence. Prayer has no substitute.