When I first gave my life to Jesus, it wasn't long until I picked up a real passion for prayer.
I've always viewed God as this great big, strong amazing God that was ready and able to answer prayer. This is true about God and as I've gotten older, taking care of myself, my children, my job, a home, my husband, friendships, being a concerned member of society, seemed to make prayer unmanageable. For the longest time it seemed all I could muster was to throw out a "bless it Jesus" or "God please help me". Although I found time in the mornings to journal, read my bible or devotional, when I would close my eyes to pray, the overwhelm would set in.
I had to find a way
I felt the urgency to pray for the macro view of our world and it's needs, and our immediate needs for our family, our church and then what about me and my personal feelings, my life, my purpose? What did I do? I prayed about how I was feeling, all of my questions and confusion, I brought before the Lord and he answered my prayer by sending me an answer in a message and by comforting me!
Cast seed in seasons
The enemy would have loved nothing more than to keep me from sowing good seed into our lives and the lives of others, so one of the traps he had laid for me was to cause me to overthink my prayer life. The clarity God gave me was in the way I was feeling the need to bring everything, all the time, always in every prayer that I prayed - impossible right?! The enemy had me wrapped up in guilt that If I couldn't pray for all of them, I just wouldn't pray at all! I hope this brings freedom to someone else today: It is not selfish to strategically plan your prayers based on what's going on in your life and your world for a season. Think about it in the way a farmer sows the seed, expecting that the seed will produce the harvest in it's time! The great news is the word of God is incorruptible, every single verse that is written produces life - when it's sown!
I closed my eyes and searched my heart for 5 areas of importance or concern in my life right now and wrote down a few details. Each day I focus on one of the 5. By the end of the week I've covered them all in prayer! God has shown me the importance of standing in faith for these things and how they can change as seasons change, and of course when certain needs arise bring them in to pray! This method is not meant to be rigid or restricting but to be a framework that supports what's top of mind for you in your personal life. Remember, God knows the desires of your heart.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” - Philippians 4:6-7
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