Are you struggling in your prayer life, wondering if God is listening? Wonder how prayer can improve your life? What is prayer really all about, and what are the benefits of doing it?
It can be very hard to be vulnerable and pray, especially in front of other people. It can be even harder to believe that God knows something that we don’t. We easily get caught up thinking that we know what’s best for ourselves rather than listening to what someone else, someone much greater than us, has to say. Finally, it is tough to trust God and not worry about anything.
Prayer is a powerful tool that you can use at any time! In this article, we will address all of those questions and take a look at the benefits of prayer. This way, there will be no doubt as to the many reasons that you should start praying today! If you are ready to be challenged, buckle up, and let’s get started!
What Does Prayer Mean?
In my opinion, prayer is your time to build your relationship with God. You get to tell him all about your needs, wants, and greatest desires. You also get to talk about what you are grateful for and in what areas you need help as you walk as one of His disciples here on earth. If you don’t have an active prayer life, there is no greater time than right now to get started!
You don’t have to be eloquent with words or be a world-class prayer to come before God. Just speak from the heart, and even if the words don’t come out, He’ll know what you mean! Be respectful but be yourself – at the same time.
Remember that prayer can be a time to be humble and show your softer side, but it doesn’t always have to be like that. Your prayer life can be what you make it. If you want to say bold prayers, go for it!
There are no restrictions when it comes to prayer. We are God’s children, and He wants to hear from us!
Why Prayer Is Important
Prayer can mean whatever you want it to mean, but it’s how you establish and build on your relationship with God, so take it seriously. Never take it for granted because there are plenty of people in the world who don’t have the freedom or the luxury to pray whenever they want without fear of persecution.
In fact, according to ASAP Ministries, there are more than 100 million people who are being persecuted in over 60 countries worldwide for their religion, their faith in God, and their desire to pray. This doesn’t mean you have to pray in a formal manner; just know that you are lucky that you can freely talk to God when you want to! Do it often, and do it from the heart!
How Does Prayer Affect You?
Prayer can truly make you feel better because you are releasing your worries. You know that your problems are now in God’s hands, and He will do what is best for you. Knowing that your problems, issues, concerns, or questions are in better hands can relieve stress, which can benefit your life greatly, especially your health.
So, how does this work exactly? How can we have that much faith? How can we stop worrying when stress is eating us alive? These are great questions!!
1. Turn your cares over to the Lord.
First, if you honestly surrender your cares and worries over to God, it doesn’t mean that you will get your way – the outcome YOU think is best. God will do what’s best for you, even if you do not see it that way. But go ahead and put things in His corner to deal with.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
2. Know that God’s plans are greater than ours.
Second, it’s important to realize that the Lord works in mysterious ways. What we believe to be the right solution to a problem does not make it that way.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
3. Trust the Lord.
Finally, you have to trust the process of prayer. Trust that God knows what He is doing and will do what is best for you, even if it makes no sense at all to you. We were not created as equal to Him; He understands things in ways that we cannot. Trust Him, even when you don’t agree with the way your life is going.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Prayer Can Improve Your Life
1. Connect with God.
Prayer is our way to connect with God in a real way. It’s how we release our cares, worries, troubles, and concerns, knowing that God has our back. We may not always agree with or understand His plan for our lives, but He has one, and one day, the Lord teaches us that it will be revealed. Improve your prayer life, spend more time with God, and improve your prayer life.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Romans 8:28
2. Show the Lord that you trust Him.
Prayer is also our way of showing the Lord that we trust Him and His plan. We can also demonstrate our trust in the Lord through our actions, but in all things, we must believe that He is there for us, always and forever. He sees everything that we do. When in doubt about what to say, pray scripture straight from the Bible. I recommend the Psalms. Luke 5:16 shows Jesus trusted God by often withdrawing to pray to Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6
3. Allow God to help you make the right decisions.
There are hundreds of ways and examples of how prayer can benefit your life, showing why we need it in our lives, but ultimately, the choice is yours to bring God into your life. If you let Him in your heart, the Holy Spirit will enter your heart, your path may become clearer, and the best choices for you may become more evident. If you trust in Him with your prayers, you will grow closer to God.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
Psalms 143:8
How to Have Your Dream Prayer Life
To have the prayer life of your dreams, you need to first establish what you want and expect of prayer. This may be a hard concept to wrap your head around, especially if you have a solid grasp on your purpose in life. You may have a tough time letting go of control of your life, giving it over to God in hopes that He has a better idea of what to do with it. Secret: He does!!
If you are struggling to grow your prayer life, you may need to think about your prayer goals and intentions. Take out a blank sheet of paper and brainstorm the many reasons you feel that prayer can benefit your life. Think about your goals for prayer and what you wish your prayer life was like. Ask yourself the following questions as you search for your dream prayer life:
- Why do I want to pray?
- What do I expect to get out of prayer?
- What am I giving back to the Lord in prayer?
- How am I listening to Him?
For me, I think my dream prayer life would allow me to be more natural in prayer, less stressed in life, and more confident in my decisions. That’s right; I’m not perfect, but guess what? No one is!! I do try really hard to do what I believe the Lord has called me to do, but that doesn’t mean that I am right about everything 100% of the time. Imagine what your prayer life would look and feel like. Would it be easier to make decisions in life? Would you be happier? Get a good mental picture of what you want, and strive for this image every day of your life, and you will reap great rewards!!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of praying together?
There are so many benefits of praying together that I will only name one. Praying together can greatly strengthen the bond you have with the person you are with.
Together, you are forming a new, intimate connection with God in the center. Surround yourself with people with the same desires, and He’ll be there! How great is that?
Why do we need to pray?
Prayer gives us a chance to build our relationship with the Lord. When we read and study the Bible, we can listen and hear God speak to us through His Word, but praying gives us a chance to talk to Him. Let Him know what is going on in your heart, where you hurt, and ask for help.
Why is prayer so powerful?
Daniel 4:35 says that the people of earth are nothing compared to God. No one can stop Him or question Him. James 1:5-6 explains that we need to ask our generous God for what we need, but be sure our faith is in Him alone, not in other things.
God is powerful, so prayer is very powerful. It’s our chance to talk to Him.
What are the 4 types of prayer?
In the Catholic Church, there are 4 types of prayers: (1) the prayer of blessing, (2) the prayer of repentance, (3) the prayer of thanksgiving, and (4) the prayer of supplication (request). However, don’t let this restrict you; pray about whatever is on your heart and mind. God listens!
Why does God want us to pray?
Prayer is our way to participate in our spirituality. When we listen to a sermon or read and study the Bible, we are receiving God’s words from the Bible (or preacher). When we pray, we are showing God we care about what He thinks and does in our lives. We want Him to be involved!
Conclusion
What does your dream prayer life look like? Did you know you can move mountains with God on your side? Just give it a try! Spend time writing in a daily prayer journal.
Remember that just because you didn’t get the results you wanted doesn’t mean God doesn’t answer prayers. He may have just known a better way for you to go about doing things. Remember, His ways are mysterious to us; we cannot understand them!
What is your prayer life like? Do you struggle with letting go of control to God? Do you believe prayer can improve your life? Where do you need help right now? I’d love to pray for you!
Please leave a comment, and share this post on social media! I’d love to hear your thoughts! I have all the faith in the world that God will bless your path if you let Him!
