Beyond Sunday: 4 Daily Disciplines for a Vibrant Faith Exemple

First, we are going to look at one of the most fundamental spiritual disciplines, which is the

practice of prayer. Prayer is how we intimately connect by talking to God, and it opens up a

posture of dialogue between us and our creator. We must engage in daily

prayer to have an intimate and close relationship with God. Communication is key to building a strong connection with anyone. If we do not speak with someone, we will

not form a close bond. Colossians 4:2 speaks of the importance of prayer

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Devotional:

To get deeper into the value of prayer, we're going to look at Luke 18:1-8 - the parable of the persistent widow. We immediately discover that Jesus is using this parable to teach the disciples to be persistent in prayer. I love how it says to “always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). Jesus uses this unjust judge to highlight the merciful nature of God in hearing our prayers. If a crooked judge will do the right thing from being nagged enough, how much more will our heavenly father do for us if we are persistent and keep asking in His name?

Prayer can be how we can handle the hardships of life. One study shows that prayer is correlated with improved marriages between a husband and wife (May et al., 2020). Not only that but also prayer can improve heart function (May et al., 2020). Furthermore, prayer can be how we can emotionally face what is before us. Research backs up this statement. One study was conducted with two groups; one group was asked to think about their problems, and the other to pray about their issues (McCulloch & Parks-Stamm, 2020). Those who prayed about their problems rather than just think about how to solve them could better manage their emotional response and cope with the issue (McCulloch & Parks-Stamm, 2020).

Prayer is an important spiritual root. Without it, the whole relationship with God will wither. We need to constantly shower our lives in times of prayer and communication with God. We need to talk to God like He is our friend. Nothing is too little to share with God, and there is nothing too big that God cannot forgive. Let us all remember what Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Amen to that. We need to stay faithful in prayer.

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

• How is your prayer life currently?
• Are you coming to God like the persistent widow? Are you talking with God daily?
• How much time do you put into prayer?

Application:

• Introduce a new habit of prayer time. Choose a time in the day, like after lunch, for example.
• Start a journal, writing how you are progressing each day in prayer.

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Help me to devote more time to being in your presence through prayer. I thank you that I can always come to you in prayer about anything. I pray I will deepen my walk with you by talking with you more.

May I come to you in prayer with my gratitude, my fears, my sins, and everything in between. I love you.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

References:

May, R. W., Cooper, A. N., & Fincham, F. D. (2020). Prayer in marriage to improve wellness: Relationship quality and cardiovascular functioning. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(6), 2990–3003. https://doi-org.ocu.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00829-3

McCulloch, K. C., & Parks-Stamm, E. J. (2020). Reaching resolution: The effect of prayer on psychological perspective and emotional acceptance. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 12(2), 254–259. https://doi-org.ocu.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/rel0000234