Firestarters: Ignite the Faith WithinSample

Prayer Ignition

I want to use the story of a paralyzed man to talk about prayer because it makes for a great picture of what it feels like when we are praying into a specific situation, and there is no way through. In the book of Mark, we hear about the paralyzed man who was carried to Jesus on a mat by his friends:

Sometimes it can feel like others are in the line ahead of us, the way to Jesus is blocked, and the door is shut. These four friends had different mindsets. They weren’t going to wait nicely at the back, hoping someone would let them through. They were going to find a way, even if it took tearing the roof open. What if we prayed like that instead of nicely waiting our turn?

It won’t be a priority if we don’t treat something with value. It’s amazing how many people say they don’t have time to pray, but it’s because they don’t value it as they should. Those same people can keep up with social media or their favorite sports team. They don’t have to ‘try to get into a good habit’ because they value it.

I think one of the questions we will ask ourselves in eternity is, ‘Why didn’t I pray more?’ When we see from heaven’s perspective the impact our prayers had, we will be challenged to do more. But here on Earth, seeing few of the immediate responses we ask for, we don’t value or prioritize it enough.

There is an urgency in these four friends we need to have ourselves when praying. Our prayer life needs rhythm and consistency, which can only come from prioritizing prayer.

• Is prayer your go-to solution in seasons of crisis or the small everyday challenges of life, or do you try to solve things in your own strength first?
• How can you prioritize the importance of prayer daily? What habits need to change to take things to God more quickly and confidently?
• What are the issues, obstructions, requests, and even people you stopped praying about because you felt that nothing was changing? What do you need to pick up again today and contend for once again?

If you enjoyed this devotional, you can download three chapters of the Firestarters book here.