Our Prayer Life
- Kara Stephens
- May 23, 2024
- 3 min read
“Our big prayers need to turn into big faith. We need to always be reaching out and seeking the Lord. He will always answer!”
“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
Prayer can be hard. I know for me, it is sometimes hard to focus and there are times when those little blessings come and interrupt you (usually just to get them their 5,293rd snack of the day). But prayer is so important and needed in our life and in our walk with God.
Let’s break down parts of our verse and look at the lives of people from the Bible who emulated those traits in their lives.
First, pray in the Spirit. Romans 8:26 describes what can happen when we are praying in the Spirit. This reminds me of Hannah, who had the deepest desire to have a child. She cried out so deeply and intensely that the priest in the temple she was praying in thought she was drunk! But Hannah had a need and a desire, and she let the Spirit speak on her behalf. When situations you are in are so tough that you’re not even sure what to pray, still come with your heart and hands open to God and allow the Spirit to help you when you are at your weakest.
Pray at all times, on every occasion. This reminds me of Nehemiah. He was always going to God when every hard situation arose. In every situation that comes up, start making it a habit to talk with God first.
Next, it says our prayers should be persistent and that we need to stay alert. This reminds me of Daniel being put in multiple circumstances where his faith was challenged. In those moments of being challenged, he always went to God. We need to stay persistent and consistent in our prayer life so that when the difficult times come (and they will come), it will be our second nature to keep pressing on, praying, and listening to what God is saying.
Pray for all believers everywhere. Paul prayed constantly for the churches he was in contact with, thanking God for the people, and praying for obedience and encouragement for them. He prayed for wisdom, knowledge and hope among the churches. He prayed that they would love others and overflow with praise and thanksgiving.
So how is your prayer life? I urge us to all try and be like Nehemiah, Paul, Daniel and Hannah. Pray with boldness, consistency, in the Spirit, and for others. Our big prayers need to turn into big faith. We need to always be reaching out and seeking the Lord. He will always answer!
Action Steps:
Dive deeper into the stories of Nehemiah, Daniel, Hannah, by clicking their names in the devotion above, and Paul (in Acts 9). Read more about how prayer impacted their life.
If you want more verses to read regarding prayer, a great website is Bible Study Tools.
Prayer: Lord, I thank You and love You. I pray that You help me to become more consistent in my prayer life. I want to talk with You all day, persistently and steadfastly. I want to be bold in my prayers and know that You hear each and every word. I want to know that in those toughest moments when I don’t know what to pray, You know exactly what I need. I love You, Lord. Amen.
Written by Kara, a praying mom