When my husband deployed to the Middle East, I prayed for his safety daily. Lord, please watch over my husband and keep him safe.
With every move we made, I prayed my way through the months of settling into new places. Lord, please bless my children in this new place. Help us all to make good friends and get used to a new community.
Problem-solving and decision-making are areas of life that prompt me to ask for God’s guidance. Lord, show me how to solve my problem. Please guide me in this decision.
Praying about our needs and concerns is an important part of thriving in our spiritual life. Over the years, God has been changing the way that I pray. So often, I approached prayer as seeking answers to questions or provision for needs. It was often an exchange—my prayers for God's answers.
God is gracious to answer our prayers, and I'm grateful for His faithfulness. But, it's important to remember that prayer isn't measured by a formula, nor it is a transaction or bargaining tool for getting God to do what we want.
When we flourish in prayer, our intimacy with God is increased.
Prayer is a vital part of our intimacy and relationship with God, a way to communicate and be present. Too often, I prayed to "get something" that I wanted or needed. To be honest, that's still a frequent mindset in my prayer. Yet, as we mature in faith, our prayer needs to include both asking for God’s help and seeking to know His heart. To flourish in prayer, we need to reach beyond request-driven prayer as we deepen in our relationship with God.
Living in communion with God, we learn to pray as a way of enjoying one another. Seeking more of God is the heart of prayer, and it is a practical aspect of abiding in Him. I am inspired by the desire for God in these words: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. . . . earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. . . . But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge. . .” (Ps. 73:23–26, 28).
Sometimes prayer is trusting that God knows what we are experiencing. He knows our hurts, understands our struggles, and loves us in the midst of it all. Because He invites us to pray, we can let go of the pressure to pray pretty prayers that sound good.
Flourishing in prayer isn’t a matter of getting a formula correct. It is living in an authentic connection with God, trusting that He listens to us.
Be honest and real with God. Pour your heart out to God in prayer. Abide in Him and trust in His Word. He already knows all the details, but prayer reminds us to rely on Christ.
God knows our hearts and is well acquainted with our needs. He even knows what we are going to say before the words form in our mouth. “You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord, know it completely” (Ps. 139:3–4).
Simple prayers often best convey our true thoughts and needs in the moment:
- Help me, Lord,
- I trust you, Father.
- You know what I need.
- I love you, Lord.
- Help me to pray.
- What do you want me to learn in this situation?
Prayer connects our hearts with God. When we believe that God is good, faithful, and present, we begin to trust Him even when we struggle to understand our circumstances.
Make the choice to live a prayer-filled life. In the operational tempo of life, we need to seek God wholeheartedly, trusting Him with our concerns.
5 WAYS TO FLOURISH IN PRAYER
1. Pray in the moment.
Keep a continuing conversation with God. Talk with Him throughout the day (Eph. 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17).
2. Pray with confidence, trusting in God's grace and mercy.
God has invited you to pray, to come confidently whenever you have a need for mercy, help, or grace. Life often requires strength beyond our reserves. Take Him at His Word by praying with the assurance that He welcomes your prayer (Heb. 4:16; Heb. 10:19–22).
3. Pray with a thankful heart.
Gratitude changes our perspective, shifting our attention from the problem to God's power and presence (Phil. 4:6–7; Ps. 100:4; Col. 4:2).
4. Ask God to help you pray when you're not sure what or how to pray.
The Holy Spirit helps us to pray in a variety of ways. Prayers don't always have words and we don't always know what to ask for. Trust the Spirit to help you pray (Rom. 8:26).
5. Watch to see what God does next.
Pray with anticipation that God will work through your prayer. Let go of the expectation of a certain answer, but trust that God will respond. Surrender your desires by trusting that God will give the best answer (Ps. 5:3; Hab. 2:1–3; Col. 4:2).
We can flourish when we make prayer a natural part of our day. Connecting with God in prayer increases our faith and empowers us to receive His life in any challenge we face.
VERSES TO CONSIDER:
- Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).
- In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans (Rom. 8:26).
- Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful (Col. 4:2).
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for the gift of prayer. Teach me how to flourish in prayer. I want to know You more, sharing my life with You in prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
*This article first appeared in Planting Roots: Strength to Thrive in Military Life. Used with permission.
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