Purposeful praying
“The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love.” ~ Corrie ten Boom1
The practice of prayer
There are many things in Jesus’s life that impressed His disciples. One of them was prayer. Jesus, God’s Son, prayed. He prayed in many places and at many different times. His example caused them to ask Jesus, “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1 NASB). Not how to pray but the practice of actually doing it.
Why is prayer so essential? Because if we don’t pray, we’ll lose heart and become discouraged, and anxiety will fill our heart and we won’t feel God’s peace. Here are some aspects of the practice of praying.
Be devote: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving“ (Col. 4:2). The Greek word for “devoted” means to be strong toward, to endure in, to persevere in, to be continually steadfast with. It’s a commitment. I must, by an act of my will, choose to pray fervently and continuously. I must make a conscious effort to relate all that happens to God. It must become my lifestyle.
Stay alert: This is the hard part of prayer. We should try not to go off on tangents or fall asleep while praying. Prayer is like talking to a good friend. Would you fall asleep when talking with your best friend? Of course not!
Satan will try to distract us from praying. That’s why we must be committed to praying intently. Here are some suggestions to help us focus:
- When distracted, write it down so you can deal with it later.
- If you get sleepy, walk around as you pray.
- If you don’t mean it, don’t say it. Saying copy prayers is a trap. Be real in your prayer life.
Thankfulness: Though it might sound strange, we also keep alert in our prayers by thanking God. Thankfulness must permeate our prayer life. It’s the underlying attitude of prayer. We have so much to be thankful for: I can come boldly before His throne, I don’t have to carry my burdens and anxieties, God has promised to hear and answer my prayers (though it might be yes, no, or wait), He cares for me and will work in my life.
The content of prayer
“Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way that I ought to proclaim it” (Col. 4:3–4 NASB).
Once we are committed to praying, how do we do so purposefully? Paul gives many examples of specific intercessory prayers we can offer for Christians and those who hear their message.
Open doors: We need to pray that God will open doors for others to share Jesus Christ. At times, a silent witness is fine, for example, with those we know well (1 Peter 3:1). But we need to pray for openings for all Christians to truly share the gospel.
Focus: Once an opportunity comes, we should pray that the focus will be on Jesus, the mystery of God, and how to have a relationship with Him. It’s not a complicated message—it’s simply that Jesus can come and fill us and empower us (Colossians 1:25–29).
Clarity: Pray that the message will not only be simple but clear—with no religious or cultural restraints.
Boldness: We should pray that Christians will not be afraid but boldly preach Jesus Christ. Paul’s boldness landed him in prison, but even then he prayed that he would continue to be bold.
Conviction: We also pray for non-Christians (who hear the gospel from Christians). We should pray that the Holy Spirit will clearly illuminate the truth of their sin and of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. We pray that they will accept Jesus as Savior and be truly free and that they will understand the message—conviction of sin, accepting the cross as God’s answer to sin, and believing in Jesus as Savior.
In conclusion, real prayer is hard work (Colossians 2:1, 4:12). It’s a spiritual battle. Are you committed to prayer? How much time did you spend in prayer last week? May God teach us to pray. Let’s be specific about what we want God to do in our lives and the lives of others. We need God to do great things in our lives, in our churches, and in our communities. He will do it in answer to our prayers (Jeremiah 33:3).
1. Corrie ten Boom, “30 Faith-Inspired Corrie Ten Boom Quotes,” Think About Such Things, https://thinkaboutsuchthings.com/corrie-ten-boom-quotes/ (accessed October 17, 2024).