Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:6

How many times have you said to someone “I will pray for you…”, and then never followed through on the promise? If you are like me, that has happened more times than you wish to admit. We all know we should pray. We also know that prayer is a good thing to do-we may even declare to others that, “God answers prayer.” But do we put any actions behind those words? This is an area that I am continually being challenged in, but looking back over the years I can see a pattern of growth and some positive changes. There are many “baby steps” that we can take to grow in this area of spiritual discipline.

give it time

The very first thing we have to do to build a pattern of prayer in our lives is to schedule time for it. If we don’t do this, we can never claim it is a priority in our lives. By scheduling time for it, I mean choosing a time in our daily lives that we will devote to prayer. Maybe your time will be on your commute to work, or while you are in the shower, or sitting in the pick-up line at school. Maybe it’s the last few minutes of your quiet time, or the first few minutes of the day. You can do it while you exercise, or the last five minutes of your lunch break. No matter when or where it is squeezed in during your day–just make a place for prayer. As you grow to practice it, rely on it, and enjoy it more, the time slot will grow. You will find yourself doing it as second nature as you utilize and understand it more.

write it down

Maybe you don’t enjoy journaling or writing out your thoughts. Well, for prayer purposes, you need to “just do it” anyway! Buy yourself a small notebook and begin recording your prayer requests in it. Remember to date the requests, and then leave space to write how God answers your prayers. If you do this consistently, you will have an excellent written legacy to show you how God does hear you and answers your prayers. It will be a memorial to his faithfulness and will show you a record of your spiritual discipline. Your faith will grow (Hebrews 11:6). Your relationship with God will grow (Philippians 4:6,7). And your relationship with those you pray for will improve (Matthew 5:44, James 5:16).

watch it grow

I have asked God for things my whole Christian life. And I suppose he has answered many of my requests. But about four years ago the circumstances in my life drew me into a pattern of fervent prayer. And an amazing thing happened-God began to give me “in your face” answers! I prayed for certain tings constantly throughout my day. I fasted and prayed even more. And God’s answers came pouring into my life! Big, bold answers that truly were beyond what I had imagined possible (Ephesians 3:20). When this began to happen, I began to see God in a new way. I felt so connected with him. He was personally involved in my life. He obviously loved me enough to specifically answer my prayers. And as he answered those prayers, I was able to trust him for even more. My relationship with him blossomed. My faith grew leaps and bounds. And my prayer life was brought to a new level of understanding. Prayer really does change things.

So, as we all endeavor to walk with Jesus, as we all attempt to grow in spiritual maturity; don’t over look the importance of prayer in the equation. Start with a small step and definite commitments. Buy a notebook. Find a time. Choose specific requests to trust him for. And place one foot in front of the other as you continue your walk in becoming more like Christ. The blessings will be real. The rewards will be evident.

action points

  1. Choose a time and place you will devote to daily prayer.
  2. Buy a small notebook to record prayer requests and answers.
  3. Choose a specific area of need to concentrate your prayers in, as well as general requests.

prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you desire for me to spend time talking with you. I thank you that you do hear my requests and you desire to answer me. Help me to discipline myself in this area. Help me to trust you for your answers. Grow my faith and broaden my vision as I entrusts my requests to you. Reveal your power to me. Amen.