The Art of Prayer!

Does praying come easy to you, Friend? Where does it rank on your list of priorities? Do you often find it difficult to pray? Maybe you don't know how to go about it, or maybe you feel so "out of sync" spiritually or guilt ridden that you can't find sufficient words to lay before the Lord. To be honest, I often struggle with my prayer life. Being a pregnant Mama of twin 2 year olds & the wife of a night duty police officer, in our house prayer is defined as a brief blessing on the work day, mealtimes & bedtimes. I confess, I even find it difficult to pray & intercede for people that I love & am responsible for. I used to think, in my faulty way, "If I can't give the Lord my all, then I have nothing to say." Sad...Sad way to think, because I've robbed myself and others the many joys and blessings that come from connecting to the Creator on a daily basis. I come to find that my nothing is everything to the God I serve! Even if  all I have to give at the end of a busy day are mere leftovers, He'll take it and make the moments between us beautiful!

I encourage you to ponder this passage with me & see how it applies to your life. 

The Lost Art of Prayer

"Brothers, pray for us." 1 Thessalonians 5:25

In the hustle and bustle of life today people don't take time to pray. There are laymen who will give their money, but they will not give themselves to prayer. There are plenty of preachers who will preach on the need of revival and the spread of the Kingdom of God. But there are many who will do that without prayer which makes all the preaching worthless. To many people, prayer is out of date; almost a lost art. The greatest benefactor that this age could have is the person who will bring the preachers and the church back to prayer. 

"I want to take time for You, God, because I can't go a day without You."

- The Power of Prayer

Do you agree in seeing prayer as a lost art? Isn't it sad to recognize the slow fade? We've been given a great power and have allowed it to slip away from us unnoticed. I don't know about you, but I'm ashamed of myself. How could I let a priceless treasure escape me? The Lord has given us a way to connect with Him on an intimate level, and so many of us choose to disregard it. Some would say, "I'm not deliberately choosing to disregard it, I just don't think about it." Sorry Friend, but the truth of it is, if your prayer life's not  thriving, it's dying. 

If you're hesitant to pray because you are unsure of how to go about it, let me share a couple of hints with you. Prayer seems to come easier when taking a kneeling position. Humbly bowing before the King always helps put things in proper perspective. Remember the "how to" of prayer by recalling this acronym: 

CAST 

C - Confession - before the Lord can hear your prayers & commune with you, sin must be confessed. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me." Psalm.66:18

A - Adoration - tell your Master how wonderful He is. The Psalms are full of worship & adoration. Recite them aloud to Him! "Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty," Psalm 104:1

S - Supplication - bring your requests to Your Savior. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

T - Thanksgiving - Thank & praise your Heavenly Father for the wonderful things He has done & is doing. "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign." Revelation 11:17

It also brings to mind a simple song that is dear to me; my prayers often end in humming its sweet tune. 

"I cast all my cares upon You.

I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet; 

And anytime I don't know what to do, 

I will cast all my cares upon You."

Prayer should be one of the easiest, most natural things for us as believers to do. Whether by yourself or in a group, we should be striving to lift our voices to the Lord anytime an opportunity presents itself. I encourage you to have courage enough to seize those moments! My prayer for us is that we strive to be prayer warriors and make the art of prayer as natural as breathing. I commit to praying for you, Friend and ask that you do the same for me. 

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."

2 Thessalonians 1:11

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!