Living On A Prayer

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” – 1 Chronicles 16:11

Alfred Lord Tennyson said “more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” And  D. L. Moody said, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.”

We are embarking on 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer on January 10 because we too believe that more things are accomplished through prayer than people realize and that God is ready to work through those who seek Him through prayer. Prayer is our most powerful weapon. Jeremiah 33: 3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Prayer starts with a strategy. What is a good strategy for prayer? When you go to your war room/private room, what do you pray about? “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7). To become clear minded you have to set aside uninterrupted time to seek God. You cannot pray strategically if you’re running from one emergency to another. Or if your schedule is so tight that your mind is cluttered with an extensive to-do list, strategic praying becomes difficult. As you bring greater balance to your life and schedule, you will automatically reap the benefits in your prayer life. Your prayers will become more effective and more strategic. That is why we are posting daily devotionals to give you ideas on what to pray about. I encourage you to read 1 Timothy 2:1-8.   In this passage, the apostle Paul addresses the priority of the local church by addressing  a strategy of prayer for the church cooperatively and the Christ-follower individually.

Prayer must be a priority. Matthew 21:13 says, “… ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’…” 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “First of all, then, I urge that.” As Paul begins to tell Timothy how to conduct oneself in the local church (3:15), he puts prayer as the first priority. Once you have developed a strategic prayer plan, the hard part begins—sticking to it. We need to pray and study the Bible every single day. We need to make a commitment to God to put Him first in our lives each and every day. 

For me, it helps to think of my prayer time as an actual appointment with God. This includes having a specific time and place to meet Him. And yes, sometimes I am tempted to forego my private time because I have a million things to do. But I never do. And today, I actually look forward to my prayer time each day before tackling  the to-do’s for the day. 

Your prayer time could be at any point during the day when you have uninterrupted time. I have heard of all kinds of times and ways to pray. What is important is that you are consistently spending time in respectful communication with God.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your motivation for praying? How has your motivation changed over the years?
2. “Prayer is more for our holiness than for our happiness.” Do you agree or disagree?
3. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”(Jeremiah 29:12-13) What does it mean to seek the Lord with “all your heart?”