An active prayer life is a crucial key to experiencing the everyday power of prayer.
Prayer is often overlooked despite being an important facet of our faith. Going to God in prayer gives us the opportunity to talk with Him, pour out hearts out to Him, praise Him, and ask for His help. In our everyday lives, we don't need to forget the power of prayer. Throughout our Christian walk, we should be growing and maturing in our faith, and a huge part of this is practicing prayer each day.
Prayer in Our Everyday Life
Some people may feel they are too busy or don't have enough time for prayers each day. Between work, school, and daily life, it can be hard to squeeze prayer into our everyday lives. This was true for me during graduate school and working simultaneously. Before grad school, I was active in my prayer life; however, my prayer life quickly dwindled once I was drowned in school and work. Maybe you have also found the same to be true. You love God and desire to be close to Him, yet the never-ending time commitments restrain you from doing what you want. I started waking up earlier in the day to have time to spend with God in prayer before the start of school or work. It was hard to wake up early every day; however, spending time with God in prayer was worth it.
Once I prayed daily, I started noticing the power of prayer in my everyday life. While my overall life didn't change much, I became more aware of how God answered my prayers and the direction He was leading me in my life. Not only this, but I also felt an inner calmness I had never felt before. Rather than mindlessly saying the same prayers every day, I actually started talking with God and pouring out my heart to Him. When we do this when we start seeing the power of prayer in our everyday life.
Going to God
When we pray to God, we acknowledge our dependence on Him. Yes, God already knows everything you need and what your heart longs for, yet He wants you to come to Him in prayer and tell Him. By failing to go to God in prayer, we mistakenly communicate we can be dependent on our own without God. This is, of course, untrue; however, this is what we are conveying when we don't pray to God.
God loves us, and He desires to talk with each of us. The everyday power of prayer helps us set priorities, trust in Him more, and not give any leeway to sin. The more we are active in prayer with God and reading the Bible, the more we will be able to draw closer to Him and deepen our relationship with Him. This is a great blessing that we should not overlook. In the same way, once we start praying to God every day and recognizing the power of prayer, we can see how God is answering our prayers. God always answers our prayers, yet He answers in one of three ways. He may answer yes, no, or wait. Once we pray daily, we can see how God answers our prayers more clearly. Maybe all our prayers won't be answered with a yes, but we will be more prone to understand why God answers with a no or a wait.
Practicing Prayer in Everyday Life
An active prayer life is a crucial key to experiencing the everyday power of prayer. As I mentioned earlier, maybe this means waking up earlier than usual. I'm not saying you have to wake up hours before the sun rises, but it is important to include God in your daily life. None of us can stretch time or "make time." Rather, we have to use our time in the day and include God in our everyday lives. If waking up earlier doesn't sound like a reasonable solution, try to walk and talk with God along the way. You don't have to speak to God out loud. He hears all your prayers, even the unspoken ones. Since God knows our hearts, He knows the deep hurts and pains. When we pray to Him, we can find relief and support for these open wounds.
In addition to God being able to help you with hurts through the everyday power of prayer, He can also give you direction and guidance. Maybe you are unsure about a new job, a new relationship, or making a big move. Talk with God about it, and He will be able to give you guidance, support, and encouragement. Life can get overwhelming and suffocating sometimes, yet God is always there with us, leading us beside quiet waters (Psalm 23). He desires to hear from you, and He wants you to experience the everyday power of prayer in your life. You might get discouraged when your prayers are unanswered with a yes, yet you can still take great comfort in knowing God hears your prayers. It might take some time to be at peace with what God decides; however, we can always trust that God knows best. God even uses the bad things for our good (Romans 8:28). When God answers no or wait, through the everyday power of prayer, we can accept and be content with His decisions. Why? Because we trust Him and we know He only wants the best for us.
Allow this truth to encourage your heart today. God hears each of your prayers, and you never need to underestimate the everyday power of prayer in your life. Actively praying daily and spending time with God will help you grow in your faith and have a deeper relationship with God. It might take some extra time to pray daily, but the effects are well worth it. You can even pray a short prayer if you don't have time to talk much or have the capacity to share all your feelings at the exact moment. God understands, and He is always there for you. Give all your worries, concerns, and burdens to God, and He will uphold you. The everyday power of prayer is for everyone, and God wants you to talk with Him often. He loves to hear from you and desires to fill your heart with great joy. The everyday power of prayer can give you a new outlook on life and richen your relationship with God.
It can help you become more peaceful, understanding, and strong. Spending time with anyone will cause their own characteristics and attitudes to rub off on us. In the same way, through spending time with God in prayer, His own characteristics and attitude will rub off on us. We will be better able to discern His will and help others. The everyday power of prayer should not be underestimated, nor should it be overlooked. Through prayer, we have the privilege of spending time with our great God. May we never overlook the everyday power of prayer ever again?
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