What caused me to realize that I was prayerless? What started my journey to becoming a prayer warrior?
It all began when I listened to a sermon about prayer, and how it was labor. I knew I had not experienced that kind of prayer before, since I didn’t feel a heaviness of heart as I interceded for people. I didn’t feel burdened to pray. I didn’t set aside time to pray. I thought prayer was something casual you did whenever you felt like it, to ask God for something.
I knew I wanted to experience a deeper prayer life, so I set myself a prayer bootcamp: the goal of praying for one hour a day for one month to see what happened. Well, the first day I prayed for everything I could think of for way longer than usual, and come to find out at the end of my prayer, it had only been five minutes.
I cried. I realized I didn’t know how to pray, and that I was a wimp. I asked God to teach me how to pray.
Prayer Video #5
I opened my heart and asked God what to pray for each person. Watch the video below to see what happened as a result. This began my journey as a mighty prayer warrior, and I have never been the same:
It’s important at the beginning of your prayer journey to actually block off a specific amount of time, like 10 minutes or whatever, because then you can settle in and relax and not be rushed. We are so rushed in our lives that we can’t hear God. A time set aside can help you to unplug from the world and recharge with God.
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Tags: Christian Living, prayer
This resonnates with me. I know there were times in my faith when I got my knees in agonizing prayer for my own interest. But when I was asked to lead a prayer list for our mom’s ministry, I learned real quick what a burden of prayer feels like when it concerns other’s lives. And wow! God showed up! I began to feel God’s presence and even discern his still small voice when I was intentional in prayer. I think the reason so few Christians know how to pray or make a habit of prayer is because it is a labor. But it is fruitful and powerful.
How wonderful that God has given you a burden to pray, and that God is moving! Yes, this kind of prayer is powerful!
Your story about praying for an hour made me chuckle a bit because “it be like that sometimes….”
It amazes me the time we can spend doing things unrelated to God, even things that are not of any importance like reading a magazine or watching tv…and do it effortlessly for hours, but praying can often times be difficult.
I think it’s because we are wrestling against our sinful nature that does not want to submit, so we must train ourselves, in a similar way that we do in consecration.
Thank you for your words. Blessings always!
Once we discipline our minds to pray, it becomes easier. It’s breaking through the initial time of prayer that can be hard.
I think that God calls each of us to pray – it’s the whole communing with God thing 🙂
Praying is communing with God, and it’s wonderful!
The idea of setting aside time in the beginning of prayer to recharge with God is something I do and find it has helped me so much in focusing on God and prayer. I wake before my family to have time with God, but I do have three children and sometimes they interrupt that time. I also begin thinking of all I have to get done. Beginning with time in God’s presence has really helped me to focus and even when the kids are up early they know to sit down and watch TV until I come in from outside. I crave my time with God and think the idea of a prayer boot camp is pretty cool!
If I hadn’t set a prayer bootcamp for myself, I would have never learned as much as I did that month. It has affected the whole rest of my life, as far as my prayer life is concerned.
I remember going through something similar. Other people really travails and so I began to seek out that anointing.
Laboring in prayer for others and seeing the results can be so beautiful!
Thank you for this. It is my hearts cry
Mine, too! We must become people of prayer!
Prayer definitely takes practice. The great thing is that God loves us to come to him in prayer that he helps us out and doesn’t ridicule us for doing it wrong when our heart is in the right place.
I like your idea of starting with 10 minutes!
Yes, 10 minutes is do-able for any person.
I like how you mentioned being deliberate about setting aside a certain amount of time to pray. We are all called to pray but I believe certain people are called to give more of themselves in prayer. It’s essential for them. Prayer warriors are often given specific prayer assignments and they need a strong prayer life and relationship with God to be able to complete those assignments.
We are all called to intercede for one another. The more we do it, the mightier we become as intercessors for others.