Do you find it easy to pray? I know I don’t. Prayer is unmistakably hard. Talking to God should be natural and easy because it’s the sweetest point of communion between God and His creation. No one knows our inner being so intimately like our Father, and no one comes even close to providing for our physical, emotional and spiritual needs like He does.
So why is it hard to pray? For one reason, there is fierce opposition that will keep you from drawing near to God. We have an old sinful nature, as well as dark spiritual forces that are continually working to keep us from going to the Lord, the Strength of our life. The time given to pray is, and will always be, a battle fought hard for. And because of this, it often leads to little or no prayer life.
Add to this difficulty, another opposition, we are a people who love immediate results. Unlike the daily tasks we do each day which give us a sense of accomplishment, prayer doesn’t quite work that way. While it blesses us with the immediate graces of drawing near to our Father, such as peace and strength, we are often made to wait on seeing any tangible answers to our prayers. That’s why so many of us instinctively run off, taking action, to solve problems rather than giving any thought of stopping and praying first. We want to fix the problem now.
Prayer also requires energy and strength. I’ll be the first to admit, like the disciples, I have fallen asleep while praying. Yes, fallen asleep! (head down, passed out, dreams ensuing) As embarrassing as that is to share, it’s brought to reality that tiredness is an attack on your prayer life. It has taught me, personally, the practice of standing up and walking in circles to fight the tiredness that suddenly ensues.
And prayer requires focus. Have you ever noticed that as soon as you begin to pray, a thousand other things needing your attention enters your mind? Distraction is an enemy of prayer, and one that is relentless. (A helpful tip is to keep a notepad nearby, so that as something enters your mind you can write it down, move it out of your head and get on with praying.)
So why does it matter if we pray? My daughter, Taylor, recently shared a little insight with some women in her discipleship group. Take a read…
It’s simple. God commands us to pray in His word (Romans 12:12). If we desire to be obedient to His will, then a strong prayer life is essential. Prayer is helpful and necessary for so many reasons. Here are just a few:
1. It is how we communicate with God. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
2. It keeps us humble before God. (Matthew 18:4)
3. It gives us power over evil, and strength to battle against sin. (Ephesians 6:10)
4. It strengthens relationships among believers when we come together and pray. (Acts 2:42-47)
5. And Jesus prayed. (Mark 1:35)
How is your prayer life going? Are you desiring more of God, His grace and will for your life?
Let us be women who push past the difficulties and pursue the great privilege of drawing near to God in prayer.
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