Bible Verse: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18
Scripture Reading: Daniel 6:10, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12, Acts 3:1
This will be a one-week devotional about building your personal “prayer life.” A “prayer life” is built when the practice of prayer gets time and focus as a vital part of our lives. We label the essential parts of life this way: “home life,” “work life,” “financial life,” “love life,” etc. We expect our overall lives to get better as we develop and grow in these areas. Prayer should be that way. For the Christian man, prayer should not be an occasional event. It should not be something we leave in the hands of others. Each of us is responsible for having our own prayer life.
Men often like to build things. We like the challenge, we like the work, and we love the satisfaction of a job well done. Think of your prayer time with God the same way. You build it over a lifetime. You start with one prayer, then keep building until it’s a lifestyle that benefits every other aspect of your life.
Here are three biblical examples of people who built their own prayer lives:
- The prophet Daniel had a prayer life. He was known for his daily times of prayer and thanksgiving to God. When political persecution threatened his life, he kept up his prayer life, and God delivered him in spectacular fashion (see Daniel 6:1-28).
- Jesus had a prayer life. As you read the Gospels, you will find Jesus praying before significant decisions and moments in His ministry (e.g., Luke 6:12-16). You will see Jesus regularly going off to pray alone to His Father (Luke 5:16).
- The Apostles had prayer lives. In the Book of Acts, you will find Peter and John in the habit of going to pray with others (Acts 3:1). Paul recorded several prayers he prayed for the churches in his epistles (e.g. Ephesians 1:15-23; Philippians 1:3-11; Colossians 1:3-14; etc.), he taught about prayer (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; etc.), and he asked for prayer from others (e.g. Romans 15:30-33; Ephesians 6:18-20; etc.). James and John also teach us much about prayer (e.g., James 5:13-18; 1 John 5:16; etc.).
Begin building your own prayer life right now. Learn to pray on all occasions with all types of prayers. Over time, you will develop a great confidence and trust in your Heavenly Father that you never knew was possible before.
Prayer: Father, I ask you to help me start praying with the long view in mind. Help me see the vital role prayer should have in my daily life. Help me build my own prayer life daily, weekly, and over a lifetime in a way that glorifies you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: A lifestyle of prayer allows God access to every part of your life. We all need His strength, wisdom, resources, and direction. Are you engaging in regular prayer times? If not, what hinders you from praying regularly? What steps can be taken to remove these hindrances?
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