Teach Us How To Pray

The disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to preach, lead or disciple. They asked Him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” Luke 11:1

Over the past 8 weeks I have gone through Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson, a 40 Day Prayer Challenge, twice. The first time was because a dear friend was reading live on IG with her family everyday, it so encouraged me and I decided to go through it on my own, take notes and journal my prayers.

Because of being at home, I was able to read and journal a few chapters a day, it has created a habit of communing with God and studying His word throughout my day. Abiding in His presence.

During this time, I tried to be really honest with God, I would read an example of great faith and God’s amazing works in the Bible or of a more recent modern day miracle and feel encouraged. These testimonies are to bring God glory, to build our faith and to remind us that we serve a God of the big and the small details. I have learned that I can cry out to God in heartbreak while simultaneously praising Him for who He is and all He has done.

As Mark Batterson says, “Prayer is the difference between the best we can do and the best that God can do.” I don’t know about you but there is a big gap in between. I need His leading, discernment, divine appointments, God-ideas, open doors and the impossible that only He can do.

The Impossible

Sometimes the impossible is as small as calming my soul.

This was my prayer yesterday morning, I had fallen into a period of heartbreak and was finding it hard to pull myself out.

“Lord I come to you today, broken, discouraged and hurting, not the prayer I want to be praying today but I can’t hide from you. I can’t do this on my own, I don’t want to. I need you Lord, fill me with your joy. Give me your strength and renew my mind. Amen”

Did I feel an immediate sense of joy and excitement about life, no. But in my weakness, I was able to find the strength to keep going. I held onto my faith that I may be feeling a certain way but I know that my God is bigger than that.

Prayer is the Key

We often think about prayer as a time to make a list of what we want and present it to God, but I have been challenged lately to use prayer as a conversation with the Holy Spirit. Reminding me who God says he is, bringing all I am without a filter and asking him to reveal His will in every area of my life, family, career, friendships and do what only He can do, the impossible.

Throughout this prayer journey I have learned how important it is to go to God in every situation, not as a genie in a bottle, not in a name it and claim it way, but inviting Him in to open my spiritual eyes to see beyond my reality.

Prayer is the key to perception. 

I have been challenged to pray bold prayers, believing that if it is God’s will then it will come to pass, I have seen the importance to have a circle of prayer warriors around you and to listen when/who the Holy Spirit is leading you to pray for.

I have learned that it is important to write down our prayers as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and hand in our lives but not to wait to worship God in the promised land, you’ve got to worship and pray along the way.

The victory is won with knees bent in prayer and hands raised in worship to God. 

*A lot in this post was paraphrased from the book and is not my original thoughts. There is so much more to learn in this book and ultimately from Scripture about prayer, I encourage you to read for yourself.