There have been moments in my life where my prayers were more like demands. God – do this, and if I was feeling generous…God PLEASE do that! Other times I have found myself speechless, unsure of what words are even appropriate for a certain situation. I have questioned if I am doing it right because my prayers didn’t seem to be answered.
It is easy to get caught up in the “how to pray the right way” mentality. And for someone like me that can be taken to an extreme. I get over focused on doing it perfectly that I forget that this is my opportunity to commune with a Father who loves me.
So I share this model that Priscilla introduces as just another way you can approach prayer. You don’t have to do it this way to do it “right.” But if you are anything like me, there are times that my mind can wander and I get off track. Praying one minute, thinking about the items I need to add to my grocery list the next.
This model helps me stay focused and also keeps me from sending up only demanding prayers.
Throughout the book Fervent, Priscilla uses this model to encourage us to be more specific in our prayer life, it helps ready us for the daily battle.
P.R.A.Y.
P – Praise
This is our opportunity to spend some time thanking and praising God for who He is. I often thank God for the beautiful creation we get to experience every day. The sunrise and the rains that nourish our ground. I see God so much in nature, so it is one of the easiest ways for me to thank Him for who He is.
R – Repentance
Boy do I need to spend some time with God each day asking for forgiveness! Ha! 🙂 But really, come at this time in prayer being willing to recognize your part in things. If you have Christ in your life you are already forgiven. The debt has been paid. But understanding that sacrifice leads us to having hearts of repentance. I know when I have messed up, been hurtful with my words or had a short temper with one of my children. God already knows it too.
We aren’t confessing something that God doesn’t already know, but it is those times we are convicted by the Holy Spirit that we come and repent of those sins and thank God for His grace. In these times of real honesty with God I am sharing the lesson I learned and am often overwhelmed once again by how much He loves me, even though I am a constant hot mess!
A – Asking
When we ask in prayer we are submitting our specific needs to God. Who are we praying for, what is their specific need? As I said before I used to spend my asking time demanding MY will in the situation. I have found that it is better for me to be praying in God’s will instead of my own. This is where walking out my faith is put to the test. Will I trust God even if the answer isn’t what I had hoped?
In so many instances I have found that God does answer my prayers…and not always as I had hoped, but always for my best interest. We are just not equipped to see like He is. How often I need to remind myself of that!
Y – Yes
Here is where Priscilla recommends that we end our prayers with agreement in God’s word. Praying scripture is yet another way that we can add power to our prayer time! One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…”
How often in a time of crisis am I worried about the what-ifs? When fear starts to creep in I will pray this verse in my prayers. Remembering that God can do far more than we had ever hoped or imagined. Some days that is all I can cling to. But I would rather hold onto hope from His word than anything this world tries to offer me!
Prayer doesn’t have to be hard. And maybe there is a method of praying that has worked better for you? I’d love to hear about it! Just remember that this is a place to start if a fervent prayer life is something new to you. God will reward our faithfulness and the more we spend time with God the closer our relationship will be with Him. And that is the ultimate goal!
Lord, we thank you for the gift of prayer! That You created prayer as a way to commune with You. Thank you for loving us that much. You are never out of reach, we can always access You! What a gift! So often I take this time with You for granted. I rush through my prayers demanding MY will and MY wants instead of taking into consideration that You know what is best for me. Thank you Lord that You are so abundant with Your grace. Lord there are women here today that may be struggling with this topic of fervent prayer. Pour out your presence on them today. May they feel strengthened in their relationship with you by beginning to be obedient in prayer. You do give us more than we could hope or imagine Lord, and while I don’t always remember that during times of difficulty, have seen it play out in my life time and time again. Thank you for your faithfulness Lord. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen!