Reclaimed DisciplinesSample

Prayer: Father, help me see the value in communicating with you. I want to come to you not only when I want things but because I desperately want to know you. I ask that you would reveal to me my need for a devoted prayer life through this study. Amen. 

A Devoted Prayer Life

In Genesis, we learn that all human beings are made in the image of God. This means we were created to reflect God, to relate to Him, to know Him. This is why at some level, all people feel a need for someone or something who is greater than they are. According to God's word, we are made in God's image, and as followers of Jesus Christ, we are adopted children of God! The moment we receive the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, we have access to our Father on a deep and personal level, unrivaled by any other belief system! Unfortunately, we often forget the significance of this, only turning to prayer in specific moments when we want God to come through for us. Maybe it’s a crisis we are facing, or right before a test, or in the parking lot as we search for a parking spot. These aren’t bad things to pray for, but it isn’t the fullness of what the Bible calls us toward as prayerful Christians. 

Prayer is more than just asking for our circumstances to change. It is more than checking it off a list as a Christian. Prayer changes our hearts. It is not our way to get things from God, but a way to get God Himself, to know Him and His ways on a deep and intimate level. When we change our views and expectations of prayer, we will be changed as a result. Over time, we will come to realize that the needs of life, the church, and the world are greater than our abilities. Thankfully, we will also discover that our God is mighty and powerful. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the devotion the early church had to prayer. They believed God heard their prayers and believed He had the ability to act and respond and therefore devoted themselves to prayer. As ambassadors for Christ, we need prayer, and we should also desperately desire it.

Look in the Word:

1. All three verses in Acts say the phrase “devoted to prayer.” What does this mean? What does this look like?
2. Would you say you live a life devoted to prayer? Why or Why not? 

What’s Next?

1. Think about your top five priorities. Does regular silence and prayer with God make the list? If not, how could you shift your priorities? 
2. During your time in prayer this week, ask God to change your view of prayer. Pray for a daily desire to spend uninterrupted time with Him.