Have you ever felt like God was targeting a certain area of your life? Like everything you read, every sermon, every conversation leads to the same topic? That's where I am right now with prayer.
It started when I got a gift card for Christmas to Barnes & Noble. I was looking up books on my wish list and decided that one of my purchases would be Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. It had been on my list for a long time, and I thought it would be a good one to start the year reading.
For the month of January, my church has been focusing on a series called "Habits" about different things we should make a habit of in the coming year. One of the topics being prayer, of course.
Then our new Bible study started up. The study that was chosen is called When You Pray. Our leader has us paired randomly with a new prayer partner every week. We exchange numbers and text one another with prayers, requests, and encouragement throughout the week.
My principal started something new for our staff this year, too. She had all of us pick a verse for the year, then printed them out so that we could pray those verses for each other. In staff meeting, we take a some time to do it all together as well.
This past Sunday, when I was looking up a verse to share on social media as I do every week, what verse should just happen to pop up? Luke 18:1, "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart."
I don't believe in coincidence. I believe that when things like this line up over and over and over again, that God is at work, guiding and directing my life. Obviously something that is weak in my life right now is prayer, and it's something that God wants me to grow in.
Here are some things that I have become aware of:
- I often jump straight to my requests and don't take time to praise God.
- When I make an effort to praise God first, my heart settles and becomes less anxious as I'm reminded of the God who is listening to my prayer.
- It's easy to say that I will pray for others, and harder to follow through.
- Having a specific focus (a prayer partner for the week, a verse to pray for someone) helps me to take the time to pray for others.
- It can be convicting when I pray, and God uses that time to align my heart to His, and to make me aware of the sins and wrong attitudes that I have so that I can confess them and repent.
I know that God is faithful to finish the good work He began, and that He will continue to grow me in this area. It will be interesting to see where He leads this year.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-sweater-and-blue-denim-jeans-sitting-on-bed-5199759/
