Colossians 4:2 NIV “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Matthew 6:7 NIV “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
Matthew 26:36-39 NIV “Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
What comes to mind when you think of prayer? When I think of my prayer life I realize that it has been quite a journey, that’s for sure. I have spent so many years feeling like I was not really doing it right. When other people prayed, I focused on comparing my prayers to theirs and I felt as if maybe God preferred their prayers over mine. I have even experimented with using words that I thought might make me sound more “prayerful.” Sometimes, when I was frustrated about something, I would clean up my prayer a bit, so that God wouldn’t think I was angry or resentful about whatever I was praying for. My prayer life has evolved along this journey. I now fully realize that God wants me to come to Him just as I am. He wants me to devote myself to prayer and share all of my life with Him in prayer. I don’t need to be anyone but myself as I bring my concerns and my requests to God. In Matthew 26, even Jesus was sorrowful and troubled. Jesus chose to spend time alone with God in prayer. He was overwhelmed with sorrow. And He chose to bring all of that to God. We too can bring our honest, real-life prayers to God. Ask God to take you on a prayer journey that begins today. Allow a revival to take place in your personal prayer life. Allow God to meet you there! May your prayer life be transformed beginning today.
