PraySample

Try It Out

In healthy relationships, people communicate, right? Well, prayer is the communication that nurtures our relationship with God.

Will you consider starting and ending your day with 5 minutes of prayer? This is important. Simply set aside the distractions of the day, and talk with your Heavenly Father.

James—he was the brother of Jesus, and he said this:

...the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16 NLT

You have nothing to lose, my friend, and you have so much to gain in this!

And there’s no pressure to fill up your prayer time with words. Just get comfortable with Jesus, in His presence. Comfortable with silence, and learn to speak to God, but also to listen to God’s response.

Here are some ideas to start the conversation:

• You can thank Him for the good things in life, and celebrate His faithfulness.
• Or you can tell Him honestly, “I’m upset.”
• Why not ask Him to guide you and direct you in your life?
• Ask for what you need.
• You can also repent. Do it! You need to! Ask for His forgiveness where it’s needed.
• Ask Him to protect you. Ask Him to protect your loved ones.

Don’t complicate it, just talk to God.

1 Thessalonians 5 encourages us to…

Always be joyful and never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

It might sound impossible, but over time, you can develop an ongoing dialogue with God throughout the day. For now, though, 5 minutes—morning and night. It’s a great place to start, and it will become contagious throughout the rest of your life. Give it a shot! Go for it! I’ll be praying for you.

What stops you from praying? Busyness, or not knowing what to say? Remember, God is with you all the time. You don’t need a special place, special words, or a lot of time. Talk with Him wherever you are.

Is there something you’re not ready to talk with God about?

God sees every part of us. Nothing is hidden from Him. But, it can feel intimidating to turn to Him in prayer. If there’s a painful subject from your past, or a sin you know you’ll need to deal with—be encouraged that God will deal gently with you.

When we first come to Jesus, we have a mountain of sin left behind us. God won’t confront you with all your sin at once. He’s kind and patient—that’s why our transformation is a day-to-day, life-long process.

Ask God to help you pray through one thing at a time. See where He will lovingly lead you.

You’re about to listen to a passage from Psalm 103. This passage encourages me to come boldly to God in prayer. I hope it will encourage you, too.

Remember, my friend, God desires a vibrant relationship with you. Persist in prayer.