Perseverance in Prayer

I know we all have super busy schedules nowadays. We have to care for our families, chores to complete, overdue work, calendars are filled, and so much more! There are so many things that demand our time, and it seems that there is not enough time in the day to get it all done! With all of this going on, where can we possibly find the time to pray without ceasing?

Prayer is not as complicated as one would think. Prayer is talking to God with a sincere heart. We can talk to God about everything! He wants to hear from His children. He loves us! He wants to know about our joys as well as concerns. He wants us to ask Him for guidance on a situation that seemed to have us stumped. He wants to provide us with answers to our questions. He loves when we engage with Him.

Here are a few things to keep in mind that will help us be consistent in our prayers.

1. The first thing to remember is, we must always give thanks! This is nothing more than having a grateful heart. I tend to start my prayers just thanking God for the small things that I sometimes take for granted, such as waking up in the morning. I thank him for choosing to allow me to see another day! This is just a small example, and I know we all have plenty to be thankful for. Although some of us are facing difficult circumstances right now, there has to be something in life that causes us to be grateful. You can be sitting at work trying to find a solution to a problem, and all of a sudden, a thought enters your mind, and just like that, you have the solution! That is a perfect time to whisper a small prayer simply saying, Thank you, God! When we pray with thanksgiving, we are letting God know that we appreciate Him. This can be done at various moments throughout your day.

2. Talk to God about your concerns. He wants to know what is bothering us. He wants to hear about our stresses. When we hit a tough spot, we usually think about ways to resolve our issues. We spend much time pondering, asking friends for advice, researching, and putting much effort into finding resolutions to our problems. These are the times where God is sitting and waiting for us to bring those issues to Him. He loves to show up for us during these times. So as each issue arises throughout your day, whether small or large, remember that you can talk to God.

3. Remember that you do not have to have a proper place to pray. You can talk to God while folding clothes, sitting in traffic, sitting at your desk, or walking down the street. God created you, and He knows all about you. You can be REAL with God and dismiss the idea that you have to go into the formal position of kneeling and putting your hands together. When you feel the need to go into a formal way of praying, this takes away time from God. This idea forces you to think that you can only pray when you get up in the morning, before a meal, and before going to bed at night. You can talk to God anywhere!

4. Pray for others. Sometimes we may feel that we do not have much to talk with God about, so we say a few prayers for ourselves and our loved ones, and then we are done. Many people need Prayer. We run across different people who have different circumstances every day. Whether in person, social media, television, or listening to someone's story on the radio. There are plenty of opportunities to pray for others. When we keep this in mind, it will be much easier to talk to God on behalf of someone else.

5. Listen or sing a song of praise. When we think about communication with God, this can be done in a lot of different ways. One of my favorites is to listen to worship music throughout my day. I listen in my car, sitting at my desk working or washing dishes. This is a great way to communicate with God! This is another way of praying (Talking to God) by way of a song.

So, no matter which way you choose to communicate with God. It is possible to pray without ceasing! The scriptures tell us that this is the will of God! In other words, it pleases God when we take out the time to talk with him consistently. You will find that this will strengthen your relationship with Him, and the more you pray, the closer you are to God's heart. A very dear friend always tells me that Prayer is the key that unlocks God's Heart!

You can begin praying now, just by telling Him, Thank you for this day!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18