The Need for Prayer

I laid in bed with my heart beating fast. The weight of the day on my chest; my mind would not stop racing. I was thinking of all the problems brewing within my family. There are six of us, so the chances of trouble occurring are high. While I tossed and turned, my thoughts landed on prayer. How long had it been since I prayed? Sure, I say thank you to God regularly and ask for forgiveness occasionally. But, when was the last time I prayed for each precious life in my family? 

For many years I experienced seasons of grief and trauma. I learned to cry out to God when my circumstances seemed like they would never get better. I prayed on my knees for my children to love God and others. I constantly talked to Jesus about my marriage and asked for complete coverage over my husband.

Then, over the past year or so, I stopped praying. I'm not sure why I quit speaking to God. Maybe because my life wasn't as stressful as it had been in the past. My children seemed to be making all the right decisions, I was happy with my job, and my marriage was going strong. I didn't need to cry out to God as I had so many times before. I recognized the blessings being given to me, but did not continue talking to the One who was gracing me with these gifts. 

Isn't that the way of life?

We get comfortable in our situation, whether it be good or bad, and become complacent. I thought everything was going well, and I slipped out of one of the most important habits I had created. But prayer is one thing we can never afford to be without. 

Prayer helps us feel connected to the One who created us. It gives us a voice to praise, ask for forgiveness, give thanks, and offer up our requests to the God who knows us best. When we pray, even if it's not communicated well, it can calm our hearts and minds like nothing else. I want to be a prayer warrior again! 

The best way I know how to pray is to be like Jesus. 

Jesus was greatest prayer warrior of all, as prayer was absolutely crucial to his life, ministry and message. Mark 1:35 tells us that Jesus rose well before the sun every morning to find a quiet, solitary place to pray. For Him, prayer was a lifestyle. A mindset, even. In fact, Jesus considered prayer so integral to walking with God that He even taught His disciples how they should pray in Matthew 6 during the Sermon on the Mount:

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us for our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

If the Savior Himself prayed so passionately and urgently, why should you or I pray any less heartily? I know the significance of prayer in my daily walk with God and understand the best way to achieve it is to reestablish my good habit of praying on a regular basis. 

Let's make prayer a habit together! 

-Sarah