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"...pray constantly…"
(1 Thessalonians 5:17, CSB)
"And when you pray..."
(Matthew 6:5a, CSB)
I will be honest, I struggle with this input. I know the truth of 1 Thessalonians 5:17, but I've always felt like a "bad prayer person" because I couldn't pray for long periods. I would hear people talk about a prayer closet or a prayer journal and get super discouraged because I felt like I could never match up to that in my life.
Recently, I finished a book/workbook on prayer called "The Practice of Prayer" by Robby and Kandi Gallaty. This really helped me with my input of prayer in my life! It is an amazing 30-Day guide to help you in your prayer life, and I highly recommend it. The book walks you through seven prayer practices: position yourself, pray the scripture, list needs, lament, journal, engage in silence and solitude, and remember.
Put differently, the book does a great job of analyzing your inputs of prayer in your life. I know when I started the book, I could name a couple practices of prayer, but through the book, I learned there were more practices or ways to pray that refreshed and shaped my prayer life. Because of this book, I am now implementing different types of inputs to my prayer life. Sometimes I try different practices and see how God uses those practices in my life!
What about you? How is the input of prayer in your life?
- Do you spend a lot of time in prayer?
- Are you praying throughout your day?
- What is your analysis of your input of prayer in your life?
- Do you need to get the book I referenced to shake things up or refresh your prayer life?
It is always interesting to me in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus said, "When you pray..." it wasn't a matter of "if" but "when" for Jesus. If Jesus is expecting us to pray, what does that input look like in your life?
INPUT CHALLENGE: Set a timer on your phone for five minutes and spend that time praying. If you get stuck and there is more time, begin reflecting on Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God."
Prayer is an everyday input that needs to be part of every believer's life. If at any point you feel ashamed about your prayer life, know that this feeling is not from God but from Satan. If, however, at any point you feel convicted that you need more prayer in your life, lean into that and pray a simple prayer, "God, give me the desire to pray more." Honest conviction drives improvement. Shame and self-pity do not.
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