Prayer

“I’m just so busy.” “There never seem to be enough hours in the day.” We can probably all relate to those statements at some point in our lives. Do you know who else was busy? Jesus. He was very busy during His earthly ministry. He traveled to different regions sharing the good news, ministered to crowds of people, healed the sick, and spent time shepherding and fellowshipping with His disciples and other believers. Even though Jesus was busy, He was intentional about spending time alone with God, the Father, in prayer. One example is found in Mark 1:35. It says, “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” 

Not only did Jesus model spending time with God in prayer, but He showed us the importance of spending time alone with God. One-on-one time with God allows us to eliminate distractions and hear His voice more clearly. Matthew 6:6a says, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” 

<If Jesus felt that prayer was necessary, then so should we. Prayer is one way that we can stay connected to Christ and abide in Him. The Bible says that Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine (John 15:1-8). We cannot bear good fruit in our lives unless we abide in Christ through prayer.  

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He didn’t stop praying. Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

How comforting to know that the Spirit is interceding for us. Let us continue to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence in prayer, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). 

Jesus, thank you for showing us what it means to be PRAYERFUL. Help us to prioritize spending time alone with You in prayer. Enable us to abide in You as You have called us to, so that we may bear good fruit. 

Learn to seek God in prayer through Debbie’s book, Pray With Purpose, Live With Passion. Purchase your copy HERE.

Who do you call on when you’re anxious or scared and it seems there is no one who can help you? Who do you call on when you’re powerless to change a situation? Those times have a way of humbling us. Whereas we may have been too busy to pray, we suddenly find we’re continually praying. We’re crying out to God. Such was the case with King Hezekiah when Sennacherib, King of Assyria, threatened to overtake Jerusalem. Hezekiah prayed and prayed hard. Listen to his prayer: 

“O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. … Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.” Isaiah 37:16-17, 20 

You can hear the plea in Hezekiah’s heart. He didn’t want to be defeated. He didn’t want Jerusalem to be overtaken by an enemy. But there is more to his prayer. There is a higher reason to pray for God to deliver you, a loved one, or our nation – so people will know that the Lord is God of all the kingdoms of the earth. When we pray, do we pray only for ourselves? Or, are we praying so God is glorified in and through us and our struggle or situation? 

LORD OF HOSTS who is enthroned above the cherubim, we worship You and recognize You as God alone over all the kingdoms of the earth. Your will be done in our hearts and lives so You are glorified. 

Using the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal is a great way to organize and record your prayers for yourself and others. You can also use it to look back at answered prayers and give God the glory. Purchase your journal HERE.

Would you like to develop a deeper prayer life? Get a copy of Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, to learn how.

Does the news ever shock or alarm you?  It increasingly shocks me.  “I can’t believe this is happening in our nation,” I’ve said to Keith increasingly through the years. The disregard for other’s lives, blatant deception, and what sometimes seems irrational decisions is concerning. What can we do in the midst of rising tensions?  We must do our part to cover relationships in prayer. We must take the high road of Christ’s example. We must pray for our leaders and pray for our enemies rather than speak or plan evil against them. We must believe that God’s is sovereign. So, no, I’m not going to live in fear or anger. I’m going to take my cues from a great example – Daniel. We find his story in Daniel 2. King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and demanded that it be interpreted or he would kill all the wise men. Daniel’s name was on the list of those to be executed. However when Daniel learned of the situation, he didn’t go into hiding. Rather, he gathered his friends and prayed. Daniel 2:18 says they requested, “compassion from the God of heavens” concerning the interpretation of the King’s dream. That night, God revealed the interpretation to Daniel. In Daniel 2:20, he praises the LORD. “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.” He continues in verse 23, “To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You.”  Do you believe God is powerful and that He can give you wisdom and power to know what to do in these troubling days? He can.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making Yourself available to us. Thank You that Your eyes are on our nation. Thank You that in the midst of evil days, You are holy and exalted and always there for us. We look to You for wisdom and power. Guide our thoughts and steps so we are instruments of peace. 

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Did you know there are health perks to having a pet? But what if your idea of a pet is a pet rock? Are there other ways to become healthier? Yes! Studies show that people who keep a journal of their prayers experience health benefits such as less anxiety and more positive moods. They also tolerated pain better. And, for those who are married, findings show that when people pray for the well-being of their spouse when they feel a negative emotion, both spouses—the one praying and the one being prayed for—report greater relationship satisfaction. Journaling our prayers increase our awareness of God’s faithfulness and therefore increases our peace. So, sure, take your pet for a walk, but also walk prayerfully with God. Prayers of My Heart journal will get you started.

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Have you ever felt like a deer in the headlights when you realized you forgot to pray for someone?  That happened to me several years ago. A person thanked me for praying for them. I was ashamed that I’d forgotten to and resolved to never again let that happen. The next morning, I asked God to show me a way to record prayer requests for those who asked me to pray for them and also go back and thank Him for His answers. In the quiet of the early morning hours, the word “spreadsheet” came to mind. Put the names of the people you pray for regularly across the top of the paper each week and designate a friend column for additional requests. Do you wish you had a better way to keep up with your prayers? If so, visit debbietaylorwilliams and click Prayers of My Heart. You’ll find prayer and journaling tips to rejuvenate your prayer life so you don’t forget to pray for someone.

Do you make New Year resolutions?  Or, have you stopped making them; knowing that you won’t keep them? Are resolutions a good thing or a bad thing? They’re a good thing if coupled with a plan and a tool. For instance, in the Old Testament, God told Moses to build a tabernacle. Then, God gave him the plan. Perhaps you’ve resolved to develop a more consistent and meaningful prayer time with God rather than drop the ball or say the same prayers. If so, Prayers of My Heart journal is your tool to carry out your resolve. Three writing sections offer you inspiration and direction. Begin each day by recording 3 things for which you’re thankful. Then, move to the next section and pray for the people whose names you’ve recorded at the top of each column.  Lastly, turn to the final section and write out the verse provided at top of the page to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. Resolve with a plan. You’re on your way to a deeper prayer life and relationship with Jesus. 

Heavenly Father, thank You that You make all things new, including us. Help us follow through with our resolve to deepen our prayer life and walk with You. Thank You for new beginnings and the opportunity to grow.