The one prayer you must pray
As I journey with my bible study group in prayer over the past few weeks, the one thing that drums loud in my heart is that we all struggle to pray. We have allowed the enemy to confuse us to think that prayer is only something that can be done using a certain posture, in a specific place, or at a determined time. We have been crushed by someone’s righteous praying, believing that their prayer is so much better and more pleasing to God. When praying, we struggle with the words and feelings toward prayer because we have built so much fear into our hearts when it comes time to pray.
We read Paul’s final words in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ‘pray without ceasing’, and our minds start to shut down. “Paul must be crazy,” we think quietly to ourselves. Who has time to pray 24/7? By that time, we get turned off of prayer and think it is only for a select few. The truth is that Paul isn’t asking us to be religious in our prayers. Paul, in fact, is speaking about our heart and attitude towards prayer. To develop a heart for prayer.
As I too am learning and developing a stronger heart for prayer, I was writing down my prayer tonight and felt called to also share it with you. This is the one prayer you must pray to start/ re-start your prayer life with Christ.
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father who is greater than all things, humbly I come before You pleading; teach me to pray. Isaiah 64:8 proclaims that ‘we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand’; so mold me, Lord, according to Your will and purpose. I confess that I have allowed the ‘busy-ness’ of my life to distract me from drawing closer to You. Worshipping You. Adoring You. I confess that I have been selfish in my prayers; only coming to You in crises or my own selfish needs. Forgive me. Draw me closer to You Lord. I struggle with prayer. I worry that my prayer isn’t good enough. In my anxiety, I mumble, drift off, and try to make it quick so that I can check it off my box. Forgive me. I truly don’t know what to pray, but I believe that You are omniscient and because You know all things, I can only turn to You to teach me how to pray. I don’t know where to go in Your Word to help me. Teach me to pray and to lock Your word into my heart. In James 1:5 it is encouraging to know that all I need to do is ask You for wisdom and You will give it to me generously without finding any fault. I pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. I pray for the Holy Spirit to fill within me so that my worship, my words, my meditation, will all be pleasing in Your sight. My Savior and King, teach me to be consistent and persistent in the time that I spend with You. That I will seek You first. You first; above all other things. Teach me to walk in Your steps alone. Fill my heart with the desires and delight for Your word. To meditate on it day and night. I want to be that person in Psalm 1:3 who is like a tree planted by streams of water yielding fruit in season and having leaves that do not wither, but whatever they do, they will prosper. Give me strength like David to praise and pray to You when the enemies surround me and I don’t know where to turn. Instil in me courage like Daniel to pray day and night; to turn away from the lusts and desires of this world, but to pursue You. May I be devoted like Jesus to guard my time with You as the most precious thing in this world. Change my attitude towards prayer. Renew my heart and mind so that I will have a clean and pure heart. Allow opportunities each and every day to trigger me to pray. All according to Your perfect will. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen
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