By Kate Scott
(Read Time: 3 minutes)
The truth is: prayer is a battlefield. It’s going to be a struggle!
Being faithful in prayer, as we are encouraged to be in Romans 12:12, is about overcoming that struggle, praying when we don’t feel like it, finding time to pray instead of allowing our busy lives to crowd it out, and not giving up in discouragement if our prayers aren’t answered in the time or the way we hope. This is easier said than done, though.
When we are struggling with prayer, perhaps it is helpful to recall all the positives of praying rather than focusing on the struggle itself. Here are some of the reasons I love praying:
1. Prayer connects us with God in a personal way, reinforcing the relationship we have with Him.
2. It gives us the opportunity to express what is on our hearts.
3. It helps us to hand over control of our lives to God, recognising that He is sovereign over all.
4. It increases our sense of dependency on Him.
5. It strengthens our understanding of who He is as we praise and worship Him.
6. It enables us to do something positive in the face of situations that we are powerless to change, knowing that God is able to act in ways we cannot even imagine.
7. It changes our mindset as we place our trust in Him.
8. It increases our faith in God as we see Him at work, answering our prayers – not always in the way we were expecting!
9. It allows God the space to speak to our hearts, so we often finish a time of prayer feeling encouraged and with a fresh perspective.
10. Prayer is a beautiful blessing. Why wouldn’t we pray?
Prayer is quite simply spending time with God: talking to Him, listening to Him, being with Him.
And being faithful in prayer is doing that regularly.
As with any relationship, the more time we spend with God, the more we will understand about Him, and that will ultimately shape our prayers in line with His character and His purposes. We will also find that our love for Him increases and we will look forward to the time we spend with Him.
Prayer ultimately recognises our dependence on God, remembering that God transforms situations and transforms us as we pray. In John 15: 5 Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.”
It is just worth taking the time to let those words sink in:
“apart from me, you can do nothing.”
The catchphrase of Strictly Come Dancing is “Keep Dancing!” Maybe the catchphrase of every believer should be “Keep Praying!”
Father God, I am so grateful for the privilege of coming before You in prayer, knowing that You listen, You understand and You care. You know my heart and nothing is hidden from Your sight. Increase my desire to spend time with You regularly, so that my faith may be strengthened, my vision may be aligned with Yours, and my love for You may grow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Kate Scott – April 2021