5 Simple Tips To Transform Your Prayer Life.
Prayer is the lifewire of a Christian. It’s the channel through which we receive God’s divine resources. The depth of our relationship with God rises and falls on the depth of our prayer life.
I can personally testify that when I am consistent in prayer, I become more productive, more at peace, wiser, more thoughtful of others, and more loving. I am also more in step with the Holy Spirit
Through prayer, God heals me, strengthens my faith, purifies my heart, empowers me, comforts me, and grants me wisdom & guidance to handle difficult or humanely impossible challenges.
How does prayer provide these benefits?
It's simple: when you consistently and sincerely speak with Your Father, who is the God of the universe, you become more like Him, just like children learn to become like their earthly fathers when they spend time with them, and they receive all they need from them when they ask.
I like how R.A.Torrey says it: "Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God's infinite grace and mercy."
When we don’t pray often, we lose out on the incredible godly transformation that can happen in our lives, on the many blessings God is delighted to give us, and on the joy, peace, and clarity that comes from spending time with God.
You may be wondering, “I see that prayer is important, but how often should I pray?”
Pray every single day; make prayer your lifestyle. Pray for others, yourself, God’s church, those unsaved, those in pain, etc.
Are you unsure of how to pray, what to pray for, how often to pray, or would you like tips to improve at this life-changing practice of prayer? Here are 5 keys to help:
1. Read God’s word: Reading the Bible and prayer is like breathing in and out. In reading the Bible, we breathe in God’s word. In prayer we breathe out— we speak God’s word. This does not mean our prayers must always involve reciting a scripture, instead it means our prayers should always be in line with God’s word. The more we know God’s word, the more aligned our prayers will be with our Father’s will.
An excellent scripture to start with in learning how to pray according to God's will is Matthew 6:7-15. Here, Jesus provides an excellent template for our conversations with God.
2. Pray Daily and Continually: Set a time every day to pray, and ensure you are free of distractions during this time (our phones often being the Number One distraction!😊)
In the words of Corie Ten Boom, "Don't pray when you feel like it. Have a (regular) appointment with the Lord and keep it." (word in bracket mine)
If your mind easily wanders off when you pray, try this: for a few hours before your daily prayer time, stay away from your phone, movies, novels, or other entertaining media. Instead, spend that time studying your Bible. You may find that your mind is less distracted when you start praying.
In addition to your daily prayer time, look for free moments throughout your day when you can pray, e.g., on a bus, during lunch breaks, in the toilet, while waiting for a meeting to start, etc.
Also, plan for periods where you can spend extended hours in prayer. For this, I aim for minimum of once a week. This gives you more time to pray and for God to share His thoughts with you.
3. Pray with faith: Believe that God hears your prayers, believe He will speak to you, and that you will receive what you ask if you ask according to His will. James 1:6-7 NIV says:
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
If you find yourself doubting if your prayers will be heard or answered, ask God to help you believe Him and study God’s word more, because faith comes by continuous hearing of God’s word — the more you study or hear God’s word, the more you believe it.
You may be thinking, “how about times I prayed with faith but didn’t get answers to my prayers?”
There are various reasons that happens. Sometimes, God says it’s not yet the right time, or He may have different plans for the situation. Or maybe there was an instruction God gave you about what you prayed about that you didn’t obey. Consider seeking counsel from a mature believer who may be able to give more clarity concerning the matter.
Ultimately, when we get to heaven, we will gain clarity on why some of our prayers went unanswered.
In the meantime, we must not allow instances where it seems our prayers weren’t answered to stop us from praying in faith. Regardless of the outcomes, we must go on obeying God’s command to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
I don’t want to arrive in heaven only to discover that I missed blessings, opportunities, or miracles simply because I did not pray due to a lack of faith. (James 4:2–3. Matthew 7:7–8)
4. Listen for God’s Voice: As you pray, listen for God’s voice in your heart and trust that He will speak to you. He may speak to you through:
I. The Bible: By giving you more insight on His word, or revealing how a scripture applies to you, or giving you instructions that address the issues you’re praying for, or using His word to draw your attention to an issue or someone He wants you to pray about, etc.
II. Your thoughts: giving you wisdom, insight, strategy, or ideas concerning various issues, that you know you ordinarily wouldn’t have thought of.
III. Your intuition: when you have a strong nudge on what to do or what not to do in a situation, or perhaps you sense something good or bad about a person, place or situation, though you can’t explain it, etc.
IV. Dreams and Visions: God may speak through dreams or visions. Visions happen while you are awake and are usually more vivid and leave a lasting impression than dreams.
It’s crucial to discern whether a dream or vision is truly from God, not just personal thoughts, desires, or anxieties. A dream or vision from God should align with the teachings and principles found in Scripture.
If a dream seems more like a puzzle piece than a clear message, take time to pray about the dream and trust God to give you understanding on it. Also consider asking people who are spiritually mature to hear their thoughts about the dream or vision — but let this come after you have prayed about the dream.
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Believe that God will speak to you. He has said, "the sheep (you and me) listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3-4
5. Pray with others and Pray for others: Join a prayer group in church or perhaps an online prayer community. You can also start periodic virtual or physical meet-ups with your friends to pray.
Also, pray for others. This is one of the key things that greatly improved my prayer life. Pray often for those struggling, those in pain, broken homes, prodigal children, those who have strayed from God, etc.
Most importantly, pray that more people believe in Jesus and receive Him as Lord and Saviour and that God uses you and other believers to actively participate in sharing the gospel with others.
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Would you like more insights to improve your prayer life, your Bible study, and generally your relationship with your heavenly Father? Read these:
1. 12 Simple Tips To Understand & Enjoy The Bible Better.
2. The Power of Intercessory Prayers. (How a Timely Prayer Saved a Life).
3. The Book That Changed My Life.
Do you have a question or comment on Prayer, Bible study, or generally on your faith and spiritual life? Let me know in the comments or send an email to: dipo.oasis@gmail.com
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