Since we are focusing more on prayer as a church, I have also been working on my prayer life.
You may ask, I know I should pray more, but how and how much more?
In Ephesians 6, Paul reminds the Ephesians that The Christian armor, while it is very important, is not enough. We also need to be in contact always with God, by prayer (Eph 6:18-20). We are to pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication”. Prayer in the Spirit is the outflow of your relationship with God, grounded in his word. As we read the word, the Spirit moves us to pray. Praising, thanking and asking God for what is in line with the words of Scripture, the Spirit himself inspired.
Paul continues to tell us that prayers are to be offered on all kinds of occasions. Not just in days of distress or even at regular set times in the day, but also at our most joyful moments.
I like to compare this to my relationship with my children or grandchildren. Every time I speak with them I want to hear about their day–what was good, bad or indifferent. I am interested because I am their Mom/Nana.
That is the relationship God desires to have with you and me. He wants us to pray on all kinds of occasions because this is part of having a childlike relationship with him. Children don’t store up their news and requests for a special blocked out time of communication at the end of the day; they burst into their parents’/grandparent’s presence as soon as they have something to share. So too God desires you to share your trials and joys with him moment by moment throughout the day.
Pray every kind of prayer and supplication. We need to also pray for one another.
Our prayers additionally need to be wide, ranging around the world. We too need the prayers of our brothers and sisters around the world. Some books I have read about prayer left me feeling inadequate. However, “if we think of praying as the outworking of a relationship it becomes a different story. If prayer is simply responding to the promptings of the Spirit to cry out to my heavenly Father with thanksgiving, requests, intercession and sighs of confession and repentance, it doesn’t seem so hard” (quote from Iain M. Duguid, PhD University of Cambridge).
Pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17),
Jerri Landers