A Lifestyle of Prayer
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How important is prayer? When people ask me how I feel about prayer, my response is, "I live to pray and pray to live." I cannot live without praying, and my life would be void if I did not pray; it is just that simple.
Prayer is essential and is a requirement for every believer in Jesus Christ. Through His life, he provided us with the perfect model for engaging in prayer. In Matthew 14:23- Jesus goes alone to pray. He sends everyone away so He could spend time with God. In Ephesians 6:18, Paul instructed the Church in Ephesus to pray always with prayer and supplication, and in 1Thessalonians 5:17, he instructed the church in Thessalonians to pray without ceasing. So, we see from scripture that prayer should be a significant part of our lives.
If I could compare prayer to a necessity in life, it would be likened to the air we breathe. We would not live without air, so why would we think we can live without praying. Prayer is the spiritual oxygen we need to live a life of wholeness and intimacy with the Lord. Prayer opens the door for us to receive God's direction, correction, instruction, wisdom, and knowledge.
I did not always like to pray. I used to think prayer was a burden, and it took too much of my time. I would get frustrated because I would get on my knees and ask God for many things and then wait for them to appear in my life. When I did not see what I prayed for, I would get furious at God. I thought, why am I praying if God is not giving me what I want.
All this changed when my life was turned upside-down and going haywire. Out of my desperation, I got on my knees, and I prayed as I had never prayed before. Every day after that moment, I began to pray with intensity and focus, and some amazing things started to happen. My attitude towards prayer began to change, and I no longer saw it as a burden but a necessity in my life.
When I made prayer a lifestyle, God began to show me my prayers were much more than just words spoken for a few minutes a day or a time where I gave him my wish list and walked away. He showed me my prayer life was a weapon, and I could use it to dismantle every lie and demonic assignment orchestrated by Satan to destroy my family and me. Three things will happen when we make prayer a lifestyle -
Our prayers will move Mountains- (Tearing-down strongholds; destroying demonic yokes).
Our prayers will move People- (Intercession for protections; salvation; ignites change)
Our prayers will move us- (Greater intimacy with God)
God would not instruct you and me to make prayer a lifestyle prayer if we were not going to receive the blessings from our prayers. Don't allow the lie that says "God is not listening, so why to pray" to hinder you from making prayer a lifestyle. God is listening, and He wants to hear your voice. I encourage you to create opportunities to pray. If you see someone in the store, begin to pray for them. While you are washing the dishes or driving your car, just start to pray. Prayer is not restricted to one place. You can pray anytime, anywhere, and without boundaries.
I encourage you to "Live to Pray, and Pray to Live." Make a decision today to live a lifestyle of prayer. Your prayers are needed and will make an impact in this world.