Being A Woman Of The WordSample

Our Attitude Towards Prayer

Before becoming Reformed, there was always something lacking in my prayer life. In my prayers (if I decided to even pray at all) I would almost bargain with God…I would say, “God if you do this for me, I’ll do this for you.” I noticed a pattern whenever I spoke to God; I prayed my will and hoped He would make it happen. Consequently, when things didn’t go my way I angrily blamed God. Why wasn’t He listening to me?  

By grace He has renewed this sinful, immature, flawed way of thinking. When I look back at this selfishness, I can see His goodness, love, and faithfulness waiting patiently for me to repent.  Learning about Reformed theology helped expose my depravity and showed me how I am nothing apart from Christ. It also explained to me that God lavishes His grace upon His children of which He loves and delights in. Prayer is life altering as a believer, and once God overcame my stubborn resistance, His grace showed me that my attitude towards prayer desperately needed to change.  

Christians, before the foundations of the world God chose you, and because of Jesus, we now have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). The God of the universe wants a close, active relationship with us! We pray the will of God and not our own because it increases our dependency on Him. Having faith, we trust that God hears and answers us…and it is all because of our mediator, Jesus (1 John 5:13-14).  

Our attitude in regards to praying to the Father should be that of humility—prayer is for the weak. Praying God’s will over our own desires may be difficult at first, but because of the Gospel, we have been graciously given communication with God whom we are completely and utterly dependent upon.  

Are you in constant communication with the Father? Do you tend to pray for your will to be done, or God’s? Read 1 John 5:14-15 and be encouraged to pray continually. Forsake the tireless efforts of reliance upon yourself and rest in God’s sovereign will.