Hebrews 11:6, NIV: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Praying for real. 

I have too often made the mistake of using prayer as a last resort.  If I couldn’t fix the problem, if my husband, or my friends, or family, or even the professionals couldn’t fix the problem, I would pray.  If I can’t do it, well, then maybe God can.  If it interests Him.  If He has the time.  The funny thing is, I never set out to believe this way.  I learned in Sunday School, just like the rest of my church going friends, that God hears all our prayers, that He listens, and that He answers every single one.  And I believed it.  But I did not prove that belief by completely and intentionally acting upon it, by putting prayer before any act of self-sufficiency on my part.  And so, my faith in prayer began to erode into short bits of prayer throughout the day, a pleading for help, a cry for safety, a blessing for my children. Yes, those are appropriate and good prayers,and I believe God answers them, but they shouldn't be my only prayers. And here is where God is working on my attitude, chipping away at those old bad habits, revealing a softer, more faithful, me – one who not just believes the Bible, but believes it enough to actually do it and use it in every area of my life.  If I truly believe that God answers my prayers, if I truly put my trust and faith and hope in Him to come through.  If I believe it, not just on the surface or in the shallowness of self-sufficiency, I will reorder my day, my week, my year, to show just how important praying to our Creator really is. If I trust Him to be in control more-so than myself,  if I trust His will, His ways, and His ability to work in my life, then my prayer life will reveal it by being the most important work that I do.

This is where God is working on me today.  To make a change in my priorities, my schedule, my day, to put Him first and foremost and to trust Him with the rest.  Will you join me in praying? Not just here or there, but will you seriously, fervently, and regularly set aside a time to be alone with the Lord?  Your life will never be the same.  This is no easy task, elsewise I wouldn’t be having this conversation.  I struggle to find time to be alone, I struggle to stay awake when I am alone with God. I struggle to pray consistently, I struggle with knowing what to pray.  But I am working towards a better prayer life, wrestling to live out with the Bible says is true about God and about prayer. 

The Prayer of Faith James 5:13-20, NIV.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Need some inspiration?  Check out Prayer:  The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders by Dave Earley.


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