Praying More Purposefully

Disclaimer- At the beginning of each month my post will be directed towards my focus for that month. Then, at the end of each month I will summarize what God has shown me. Any posts in between will most likely be about my traveling and the like.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4: 6-7

 

         Growing up in church, I have been surrounded by prayer. At church we pray. Before we eat a meal we pray. In Sunday school, we ask for prayer requests and we pray about them. At the age of 12, I said the infamous sinner’s prayer. I have my quiet time each day and I pray to God. As I have sought to deepen my faith more and more, I have begun to question my own prayer life. How much of what I pray is habitual rather than intentional? Am I praying because that’s the routine of how I was raised or am I truly asking the Lord to bless my food?

         Over the past year this has been something that God has been showing me. How many times does a brother or sister come to us asking for prayer, we say “I’ll pray for you,” and within the next 24 hours we forget about it? Ashamedly, I have done this more than a dozen times. What if we no longer put off prayer? What if we truly lived out 1 Thessalonians 5:17? What if we stopped whatever we were doing to pray for that brother or sister right then? This is what I am challenging myself to this month. Not to just stop January 31^st, but to change my fickle habits into what God calls me to do in the first place.

         So often I only deem certain times of the day, like waking up or going to bed, time to pray when my whole day is full of moments I could be speaking to my Savior. Recently, Coleen York, editor and founder of the blog, SheHas Worth, posted about prayer and said this:

“Prayer does not have to be an intricate, formal speech. Prayer is the unashamed, unabashed sharing of your heart with the One who loves you more than anyone else ever could. And we can do it anytime, all the time, about all things”

{read the rest of her post here}.

         So this January, I will be intentionally praying. Purposely I will be seeking out ways to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Continually, I will be in communication with my Heavenly Father because I want to be with all my heart.

Blessings,

Chelsea