Are You Praying… At All?

I’ve noticed many people have opened up about having issues with prayer. You do not have to pray a specific way. However, I understand this is not always easy for others. What I want to do is have a series on specifics to help you pray for others and certain things to focus on. 

How do you pray?

No, please, you do not have to go into details in the comments about how you pray or how often you pray. In fact, that kind of defeats the purpose of prayer, being intimate with God.

Related Post | Intimate Meaning In, “I Do Not Know You.”

But those things should be considered when we reflect on our prayer life.

• Who are we praying for?
• How often are we talking to God?
• What are we praying? 
• How are we praying? 
• Where and with whom are we praying?

Then today’s title, are we praying at all?

Prayer is honestly one of the easiest things we can do. We do not have to have a Bible beside us. We don’t have to have people around us either. Truthfully, it takes no effort on our part. We know what we struggle with. We know what others struggle with. But can we talk to God about these things?

Can we talk to Him at all?

People make prayer a lot more complicated than it needs to be. Some people pride themselves on their skill, but these people only tend to pray out loud near others. Unfortunately, where others have fallen in prayer, many are pulled in as well.

If people feel unskilled in talking to God, then they may be pulled in when others complain about how He is not answering. We can easily be a stumbling block to others unintentionally. Having a bad day, maybe we say something out of feelings regarding Jesus and His response time in our lives. It’s okay to vent but how are others interpreting our words?

People often complain about the silence of God. It’s easy to do, and a temptation I deal with too. But truthfully, just how silent are we? It’s important to put ourselves on the spot because making God out to be the “bad guy” when we aren’t being consistent in what we proclaim to believe in, it’s false advertising, to say the least.

(NIV) Luke 18:01, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

I understand why it is hard for people to pray. Many times in seasons of hardship and storms we feel overwhelmed. We don’t understand. Some seasons may last years depending on what we are dealing with. Maybe we will have a thorn at our side. Our timing is not God’s timing. The outcome we expect out of a situation may not be what God desires for us, and those answers are hard to receive.

But at the same time, these are all the more reason to pray.

No one in the Bible turned away from prayer. Psalm is full of honesty and depression. Job cried out in pain and despair when no one understood him. Jeremiah cried over a fallen people and the constant death in the streets. Jesus, before His death, prayed so greatly His sweat dropped like blood.

(NIV)  Luke 22:44, “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Prayer is not meant to always be a time of renewal, happiness, or showers in blessings. Prayer does not mean we instantly get the answers we want either. Again, if we need to look at anyone, we need to look at Christ. God’s ways are bigger than us. Through darkness, His light is still there. Through pain, eventually, be it on this earth or Heaven there will be healing.

We do not have that kind of control.

I struggle with this realization. But then again, who am I to try to cling to an unknown future? Who am I to trust my own worry and doubt? 

I’m nothing without God.

And He reminds me that…not that I’m nothing (that’s the darkness’ specialty), but He shows me why I have a purpose, why He wanted to create me, and how I can give Him glory. Most often this happens through prayer and worship.

Prayer is not about knowing the answers. It’s simply talking to Him. Being honest. Holding nothing back. In a way, it’s like a form of communion. Taking in and being part of His presence. And through prayer and actively seeking Him in all things, He will give us answers. He will give us glimpses of His plan and purpose.

Because to give it all to us at once…it’s too much.

I hope you join me in this series. And I hope it encourages you to go to God.

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Monthly Scripture – (NIV) Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

*** Community Prayers | October ’18 – Join Me In Praying For Each Other And If You Have A Request To Add Let Me Know. 

Second Blog: Peeking Beneath

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