Praying Women By Sheila WalshSample

  Day 1

Keep It Simple

If you’ve been tempted to give up on prayer, you’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you don’t love Jesus. It may simply mean that you think there’s a right way to pray and a wrong way. Or perhaps you’re tired of saying the same things over and over again. Maybe you prayed and God didn’t answer you, so you think, Why keep praying? 

I’ve made commitments to get up early and pray for an hour and fallen asleep on the floor halfway through. I’ve prayed to lose weight and gained five pounds. I’ve prayed in great faith for someone to be healed and wept bitter tears at their funeral. I’ve prayed “according to Your will” and been reprimanded by others who said I was praying with a lack of faith.

We have made prayer far too complicated. I don’t know what you’re facing right now. You might be in a very difficult place and praying feels too hard, but do you know that one of the most powerful prayers you can pray is just one word, the name of Jesus?

“Jesus!”

Anywhere.

Any time.

Any place.

Any situation.

Some people use that name casually or even as a curse word, but for me, it is the name I call on in the best of times and the worst of times, when life is falling apart and when it’s falling into place. God is not looking for perfect words or perfect people. He just wants our hearts. If you are in a hard place at the moment, remember that when you don’t have the words to say, when you’re struggling to communicate what’s on your heart, there is power in the name of Jesus. 

A PRAYER WHEN YOU WANT TO GIVE UP

Father,

I want to be relentless in prayer. I don’t want to give up. I want to ask and keep asking. I want to seek and keep seeking. I want to knock and keep knocking. Sometimes I lose heart. Sometimes I lose hope. But I want to be the kind of person who prays through to an answer. Holy Spirit, keep me standing strong. For Jesus’ sake, amen.