Five Ways To Get Serious About your Prayer Life
It is clear in the scriptures that God wants and expects us to pray daily. However, most Christians have not incorporated a time of prayer into their daily schedule. Here are five ways to get serious about prayer.
The National Day of Prayer
The National Day of Prayer was last Thursday, May 5, 2021.
Established in 1952 by Congress and President Truman
President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday in May to be the annual National Day of Prayer.
The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance when people are asked: “to turn to God in prayer and meditation”.
• Each year since its inception, the President of the United States signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day
Joe Biden is the first President since 1952, to not mention “God” during his National Day of Prayer Proclamation (May 5, 2021)
Most Christians don’t have a stable prayer life. A study conducted years ago found that the average Christian who participated only prayed for 3 minutes a day. Too many believers only get serious about prayer in crisis.
Before we get into the Five ways to get serious about your prayer life, I thought it would be best to start with the first recorded prayer in the Bible and to look at the elements of that prayer.
And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 32:9-12
This is the first detailed record of prayer that is found in the Bible. Sure we have instances where Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and others have spoken to God, but this is the first recorded prayer, which makes this passage significant.
Five things to notice about Jacobs prayer
1. How he approached God
Jacob did not just approach God as the creator
a. A Personal God
Jacob approached God as his Personal God.
b. A secure relationship
Jacob approached God on the grounds of a secure relationship with him.
Do you have a secure relationship with the Lord?
According to 1 John 5:13 and Romans 5:8-9
We too can feel secure in our personal relationship with God.
• (If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior)
2. How he put his trust in Gods word
a. Pleaded a definite promise
Some definite Promises
• Grace for trials
• Don’t be deceived, as a Christian you will go through trials
• Needs supplied
• not wants but needs
• wants are never discussed
• Good results
• Not all things will be good, but they will work together for good
3. How he confesses his unworthiness
We must come to God in humility – James 4:6
• If we humble ourselves he will exalt us – 1 Peter 5:6
• If we exalt ourselves – he will humble us – Proverbs 16:5
Instead of fighting for “our rights” we need to realize that we are not worthy of any of the good that we receive – Romans 12:3
4. How he asks for deliverance
We must understand the fact that we need to confess our sins to the Lord on a daily basis – 1 John 1:8-2:2
We must admit that we cannot deliver ourselves – Titus 3:5-6.
Notice that Jacob waited until verse 9 before he decided to go the the Lord in Prayer
Unfortunately, we as Christians act the same way.
- Use prayer as a last resort
- Use prayer as a spare tire
All too often:
• Prayer is viewed as a last resort;
• instead of our first wave of defense.
Somehow we think that we should only “bother” God when everything else fails. Nothing could be farther from the truth
5. How he prayed according to Gods will
If God was to fulfill his promise of Genesis 28:12-15 and be glorified
Then Jacobs family had to survive
Therefore, it would appear that it was Gods will for them to survive
See 1 John 5:14-15
Verse 15 is often quoted without including the preceding verse
• which gives this promise its context.
• We will receive the petitions that we ask “IF” we ask according to HIS will.
Prayer is important
In the light of 1 Timothy 2:8, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17; it’s clear that God wants and expects us to pray daily.
We have to come to the realization that we are incapable of handling anything on our own (John 15:5).
Just as it was with Jacob in Genesis 32: 1-8, we need to stop trying to handle our problems, issues, and concerns on our own and turn to the one who already has all the answers.
Five ways to get serious about your prayer life
1. Be determined to pray
Prayer should be a matter of diligent character. You must pray on purpose, or you will not pray.
Do you want to be a prayer warrior, or are you content to be a prayer “whiner?” The first powerfully affects his world through effective prayer. The second only pray when times are tough, usually whining about circumstances rather than claiming victory by faith.
2. Be intentional
Don’t just have a prayer time. Determine to build a prayer life. – Psalm 55:17
Choose a time to pray
Mark 1:35 – Start your day with prayer.
That’s what Jesus did. Sometimes, He would get up long before dawn to pray.
If our sinless Lord started His day with prayer, how much more should we!
3. Pick a place to pray
Jesus had a favorite place to pray. You should have a place to pray too.
Pick a spot at home that is comfortable and quiet. Pray there often.
Pick a spot. Own it. Use it daily.
4. Use a list to pray
Utilize a prayer diary, notebook, or an app on your phone
Regardless of the method of you choose to house your list, make a prayer list and use it daily.
You can’t use a list if you don’t have a list
5. Keep a record when you pray
• Date
• Time
• Results
Prayer is an essential piece of our two-way communication with God, and since he is to be our Lord; it is only reasonable that we would look to him for the instructions that we need to navigate through this life.
If you faithfully include these five steps in your prayer life
you will begin to see the exciting results that come from getting serious about prayer.
Take a few minutes to renew your commitment to daily prayer and incorporate these steps today!
Our hope at Irvington Bible Baptist Church is that this podcast provided some encouragement and has helped you to develop a closer relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ.
