PASTOR’S CORNER, Elizabeth Morgan, First Church of the Nazarene, Liberal

Have you ever prayed for something you thought wasn’t important or silly? Are you tired of praying and feeling like they are not being answered?

I pray today this article helps you with your daily prayer life with different strategies I’ve read about in a book called Fervent from Priscilla Shirer, as well as from my own personal experiences with prayer.

As a teacher and pastor, I have heard many prayers that could be seen as silly, but from what I know a child is always very serious about what they pray for. One example is from a student in the kids ministry at our church who asked me to pray for a bird that had fallen and died in front of the church. She was very concerned and serious so of course I prayed for that situation right then and there. It taught her that no matter how big or small, we can always pray to God in times of need. Oftentimes, however, we take those requests as something light or not as important because it is not something we see as serious or urgent, such as someone dying or having cancer, or a marriage needing renewed.

Famous author Priscilla Shirer quotes, “We simply don’t have the luxury of playing nice with prayer. Not if we want things to change.”

As Christ followers, we often forget how important prayer is in our daily walk with Christ. Praying without faith that God can change is like praying to a small god that won’t change anything. When we pray, we need to be specific, persistent, and intentional.

Praying specifically even when God knows our prayer.

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

What if when we prayed, we didn’t really believe God could provide what we asked of him? Could this be why our prayers aren’t being answered? In this passage in Matthew, it tells us that “if we believe.” It doesn’t say when we half believe or when we think it could happen. If prayers aren’t specific and followed with faith, then no wonder we feel discouraged when they aren’t being answered.

My grandparents and parents always reminded me that when I prayed that I had to believe with my whole heart and have faith that God would provide what I asked of him.

1 John 5 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

God’s will while we pray should be what we are seeking every single day. I am reminded of this when I was going through a time of seeking answers to if I should move schools or not. I prayed daily and very specifically if it was God’s will that I move from a school I was at since college to a totally new place, then I would be obedient to His will for my life. I am still so thankful that I listened to God’s will for my life and that I was specific with my prayers during that time of unknowns.

Praying persistently and not giving up

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray.” Ephesians 6: 18-19

Often we like to give up praying when we get discouraged when our prayer isn’t answered when we want it to. Our prayers aren’t always answered in the timeline that we want them to, but God knows exactly when we need them to be answered in His perfect timing.

I think of my grandmother's prayers that kept going up even when she was in hospice and dying. She knew that being persistent in her prayers would show that she was not willing to give up even when times seemed the hardest. Showing persistence would be something she knew would be passed down to her children and grandchildren for years to come.

Praying intentionally each day

When life gets busy it is hard to find the time to be intentional with our prayer time with God.  Priscilla Shirer says in her book Fervent, “Intentional, deliberate, strategic prayer is when you grab hold of Jesus and of everything.” In our prayer time that is when we gain our strength to be able to defend ourselves against the enemies' schemes for our lives. Daily we are to put on the full armor of God  mentioned in Ephesians 6 to fight against the enemy and everything he has against us. When we aren’t intentional that is when he likes to come in and distract, deceive, and try to destroy us.

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

Do not be discouraged today, that is what the enemy would like you to be. He wants you to be powerless, discouraged, and passionless.I do not know what you are going through today, but God does. Knowing how, what, and when to pray is so highly important to our daily walk with Christ and I pray today that you seek him specifically, persistently, and intentionally.