“A Christian can no more live without prayer than I can live without breathing.” ~Charles Spurgeon
Before I kissed my son goodnight tonight, I shared with him that I was working on writing a post about prayer. His answer to me was, “mom, how can you do just one post? You have so much to say about prayer.” It hit me that I didn’t even know that my son noticed how much I pray—prayer warrior mom? Hmm, I wouldn’t mind going to my grave with that kind of legacy.
The fact is, I sincerely do love to pray.
Wake Up Call
If I were to rewind ten years ago, my prayers were perhaps classified as ‘shallow’ or ‘sporadic.’ My wake up call moment came when I found out in 2012 that Glen was going to deploy to Afghanistan for 9 months (leaving behind myself and three small children). Where could I go? Who could I turn to in the trenches of motherhood? How was I going to make it without my best friend? God was so faithful to draw me closer to Him during this season of unknowns. All I had was to lean completely on Him.
“…but I give myself to prayer.” Psalm 109:4b
I believe one of the ways God draws us to Himself in deeper prayer is through trials. And why wouldn’t He? The depth of His love for His own has no bounds. He is our Father who waits to hear from us. The Bible shares that He knows every hair on our head (about 100,000 of them!) and when we sit and rise. He knows our thoughts from afar before we even speak a word on our tongue (Psalm 139). In the book of Romans 8:26, it states,
“Now, in the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.”
Isn’t that astounding?! Let that sink in for a bit. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. This means that even when you feel your prayers are weak, your groans are heard and being interceded for by Him.
Private Window
In his recent book, Pray Big, Alistair Begg shared that you can tell a lot about a person by what they talk about. He states,
“Our conversation with others declares what is on our minds. But our conversation with God in private reveals what is in our hearts. Listen to someone pray-and you gain a window into the very center of their being.”
As others look into our private window, what would they see? More importantly, what would God see? The way we spend our time reveals a great deal about what our priorities are as women. If we want to have a deeper walk with Jesus Christ, we must cultivate a living and active prayer life.
So…the question remains, do you pray? I mean, do you really pray? I’m talking about the on-bended knee, ever-clinging, expectantly seeking, desperate kind of prayer. Do you give the King of Kings your praises, sins, struggles, questions, and fears? Do you cry out to Him in the mundane details of the day? On behalf of your husband, your children, or unsaved family members? If you find that you don’t know where to start or are in a slump, here are some tips you can start this week to fuel the fire from a place of shallow, boring prayer to a deep, vibrant one.
1. Take away un-needed distractions. Put away your phone, turn off the TV, or whatever distracts you from talking to Him. You must ask yourself the question, “could this 10 minutes of scrolling my phone be better spent praying?” Only you know how you spend your time. Use it wisely. “So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16
2. Ask Him to give you a heart of prayer. Be real and sincere. Do you think God is shocked to learn when we don’t feel like praying? He knows our frame and the secret intents of our hearts. So come boldly and with confidence. “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
3. Find a quiet place, your own “prayer closet.” This may not be as easy if you have wee ones, so be realistic. However, I firmly believe 10 minutes of heartfelt prayer as a young mother is much more beneficial than giving up and not praying at all.
4. Pray God’s Word. Open up to the book of Psalms, and you will find a vast treasure trove of prayers that you can pray within your own heart to God (especially when you don’t know what to say). Sometimes I will land and meditate on one verse as I’m reading/listening to the Scriptures, which will lead me in my own prayers.
5. Seek accountability. There is great power in gathering with a friend or others to pray. The people you pray with can be the very means God uses to grow in you a richer life of prayer. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20
I hope these simple tips can be a helpful stepping stone as you think about your prayer life. What would it look like if more women were praying—what changes would take place in our personal lives, families, communities, nation, and the world! The Scriptures are all the proof we need that God is working through our prayers to glorify Himself and accomplish His purposes. Let us not underestimate the power of prayer, but strive to be sincere, praying women. And watch God do mighty things in our midst.
