Source: goodsalt.com

A Way to Grow Closer to God

There are several purposes of Prayer. Jesus prayed often, as we read in the scriptures. Mark tells us in the New Testament about a time early… “in the morning, rising up a great while before day, Jesus went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). Our Lord prayed all night on the night before He chose his 12 apostles (Matthew 6:12-13). I love that Jesus prayed over little children: for them to be well and blessed (Mark 10:13-16).

So many incredible lessons can be learned in looking at the prayers of Christ. One of the greatest for me is simply that He prayed. If the Son of God needed to pray daily to get through the day-to-day life here on earth, then I know that I need to pray. I love learning about the benefits of prayer, but my favorite thing about prayer is that God wants to hear from me! He delights in my prayers! Imagine that; I can speak to the Creator of the universe, the greatest being of all time… and He listens and cares. He also ANSWERS my prayers!

And each prayer answered is a tether which pulls me (willingly) closer to my God.

The Children’s Bible, 2017

I believe that Satan hates prayer, and even when we cannot articulate what we need, the Bible tells us that Holy Spirit will talk to God for us to convey our needs completely. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26, NKJV).

One of the sweetest things is teaching a child to pray.

God Deeply Desires our Prayers

I love knowing for certain that God enjoys my talks with him. Even my husband has to put me on hold sometimes when I call him at work, but the Father God never puts me on hold. He is available 24/7, and He DESIRES my prayers. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” ( I John 5:14-15).

I can tell my Lord anything in prayer. And sometimes, my prayers are as short as, “Lord, help.” I know he is right there with me, he understands, and he provides help. This is more comforting to me than words can ever convey.

Source: ActiveChristianityMag.com

Pass Prayer Down to your Children

All of these marvelous discoveries that I made about prayer provided enormous motivation for me to teach my child how to pray when he was very young. Did you know that children can learn how the prayers of a righteous person can drastically impact the world around them? As a momma, you can begin the process of your child connecting to the Lord, with calming and healing as benefits! Who wouldn’t want a way to help your child TRUST the Lord more?

My own mother taught me to calm myself by praying when I was 4 years old. She had a few very special scriptures that we would read right before sleep. One of them was Psalm 119:170-175, which was a powerful antidote to fear for me. “Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Let my lips burst forth with praise, for you have taught me your principles. Let my lips sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Stand ready to help me, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O Lord, I have longed for your salvation, and your law is my delight. Let me live so that I can praise you, and may your laws sustain me.” Many anxieties in my heart were calmed by reciting that prayer, directly from the Bible.

My son also received the Lord’s reassurance and his troubles seem to melt away when we recited the prayer together. I highly recommend the practice. Not only will your child learn a meaningful skill to calm down, but he/she will be taking steps toward a closer relationship with God.

Source: BlueWillowCottage.com

Getting Organized with Prayer

Have you ever thought about recording your prayers or prayer requests in a notebook? Maybe you have a fancy journal, or a special prayer diary. My youth minister’s wife gave me a small Prayer Journal when I was 17 years old. I still have that journal. I love looking through the book at my scribblings, sketches and supplications from that young lady I used to be.

Since that time, I have had many, many prayer journals. I have used some that have been very helpful, and some that were “not so much.” Last year, as I completed the final page of my daily prayer journal, I decided not to buy another one, but to design a page or two on my own that were individualized to the way I pray now. I fancied up this little prayer journal, printed it out, and now I use it weekly to help guide my prayers.

On my prayer page, I track prayer requests by writing them down, which also serves as my reminder of who and what I have promised to pray for last week! This also keeps me organized, and I can use this journal as a record of to whom, and when to send a note of encouragement when I feel so led. Individual needs are clear, and writing down my prayer requests actually reinforces the remembering process, according to research I read some time ago.

Source: MOPS, Int.

A Dessignated Time

I pray at 9:00 am every day (except Sunday). My family knows that when the alarm on my IPhone goes off every day, I will head to my little “prayer closet” that I created in my bedroom, and I won’t be available for 30 – 45 minutes. This works for me, but you can pray anywhere! You don’t even have to close your eyes, despite what my Great Grandfather said! LOL.

Oh, and I also record praises in my “Prayer Pages.” When I look through my old prayer journals, I especially am drawn to the “answers to prayer” that I scribbled in beside the original prayer request entry. On my newly created pages, I have a section to write these down in detail! Lately, I have been reflecting on how happy our Father God must be when I intentionally PRAISE him for answering my many supplications.

Open Your Heart in Prayer

Making God a part of my day is a perfect way to grow closer to him, and to show him how much I love him. Being intentional about my thanksgiving and also my prayer requests through the use of a “Prayer Journal” has also been most helpful to me in enjoying my prayer time. My understanding of the Creator God has increased since I have begun the formal practice of a daily time of prayer. Having a scheduled hour and a place to go, as well as a journal to record my thoughts and prayers has assisted me in so many ways to learn how to pray and to draw closer to God. I believe that my life has been richer and fuller by practicing daily prayer.

Bringing everything in my heart to the Lord is something I could not live without now. I hope you will consider this practice if it is not a part of your daily life yet. I truly believe that life will be filled with God’s goodness as we communicate with him and ask him to bless us and our loved ones.

If you would like to try recording your prayers on in a “Prayer Journal,” I have developed a free printable for you. Click on the printable below and print it out for a tool to help you achieve a rich, fulfilling prayer life!