Is Your Prayer Life Flourishing?
How is your prayer life? I definitely have some room to grow in mine. When I have a lot on my plate, I tend to schedule everything but God into my day. I do make attempts to read Scripture at night or pray before I go to bed, but most nights I am unsuccessful. I don’t really know why I don’t make prayer more of a priority. Sometimes, childhood teachings creep into my heart, telling me to only pray for God’s will because His will must be accomplished. Other times, my anxiety and stress level paralyze my heart and mind, causing me to stay in the here and now and not pray for the future.
A couple of years ago, I knew that my prayers (when prayed) were shallow. Even when I asked God for things, I knew that what I asked was meager and infrequent. So in order to challenge me and to stretch my concept of prayer, I selected the book The Circle Maker. Several statements and passages resonated with me, including this quote:
“The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked.” (p. 19)
Analysis of My Prayer Life
This made me analyze my prayer life. Why do I pray? Why do I ask what I ask? Do I only ask for select things because I question God’s power or interest in my life? Is it a lack of faith, or a lack of trust? Am I putting up emotional and spiritual barriers between me and God so I won’t get hurt? If that is the case, do I not trust God to carry me through whatever trials I may experience?
The follow-up passage to the quote listed above speaks to some of these questions.
“He will answer. And His answers are not limited by your requests. We pray out of our ignorance, but God answers out of His omniscience. We pray out of our impotence, but God answers out of His omnipotence. God has the ability to answer the prayers we should have prayed but lacked the knowledge or ability to even ask.” (p.19)
What prayers of yours have been unanswered because they have been unasked? Where are you holding back in your prayer life? Your family, your career, maybe your involvement in a project or an organization? God may not answer your prayer exactly the way that you want him to, but He will listen and respond. Be still and know that God is with you.
Here are some Scriptures to meditate on…
1 John 5:14-15
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Ephesians 6:18
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Jeremiah 29:12
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”
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wow this is great! It’s so important to check our motive of why we are praying and if we are giving it to God.
Yes! I finally realized that I can’t have a relationship with God if I don’t talk to him through prayer.
What a great discussion. What hit me within this, “what have you not received because you haven’t asked?” Wow – great wisdom here.
The How-to Guru
Yes! That was one of the statements that challenged me to let go of my “fears” of God not answering my prayers the way I wanted. It gave me space to focus on His response being better than my “yes.”
This is a good question I need to start asking myself:
Do I only ask for select things because I question God’s power or interest in my life?
I do. I still struggle with it. But I’m starting to realize that my own fears hinder my respect and reference to God. The more I let go of what I want out of a prayer, it pushes me to focus on my prayer than my answer.
I definitely need help in my prayer life! I feel like it’s taken a backseat in my daily rhythms and routines! Not good! Thank you for the supporting scriptures! They will help!
Hope that you receive some guidance and encouragement!
What a beautiful post! I love that you included scripture. Thanks for sharing; definitely a topic I needed to hear about today
Be blessed!! Thank you!!
I try to align my will to God’s will so that the answers will come. I also spend time in silence before the Lord, basking in His presence.
Yes I am learning that silent time is very important!