Rekindle Your Prayer Life: Refocus Challenge Week 3

Today, my husband said to me, “woman, we need to go on a date. It’s been too long.”

I wholeheartedly agreed. It’s been a long couple of weeks gearing up for the school year, and Shane and I need a chance to reconnect.

When I think about how I need to rekindle my love life, I am reminded of the importance of rekindling my prayer life. Prayer is the hearth for which one’s relationship with God first takes spark. Prayer is the fuel that keeps it burning bright. Prayer is the ember that, when the fire is burning hot, floats unchecked to help kindle a new person in faith.

When we gather around a campfire of grace, we see clearly the center of our fellowship is praying to God, because of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!

Psalm 143:1

If prayer is such a crucial and beautiful act of our faith, why is it so difficult to engage in? I think the top 5 reasons are:

1. We have a worship problem (idolatry)
2. We are intimidated to approach the great throne of our King
3. God is not visibly present for the conversation
4. Boredom
5. No one has ever taught us how to pray

1. We have a worship problem (idolatry) 

Idolatry is the great enemy of a thriving prayer life. We tend to be too busy paying attention to other things and people to devote our attention to God. Not only does this decrease the amount of time we are available to pray, it cheapens our quality of time with God.

It is clear when my idols are more important to me than God: I am easily redirected from focused prayer. When I have a worship problem, I don’t put myself in an environment or position to give God my all. I keep my idols close, even when I pray. My phone rings, my mind wanders, my eyes droop with sleepiness, and my prayer time is over. These completely sabotage spiritual intimacy. I must get my heart right with God, and practice God-worship every other minute of the day, to adequately prepare my 15 minutes to pray.

2. We are intimidated to approach the great throne of our King

It is imperative that we remember our identity in Christ before we pray. It enables us first to boldly approach our King and Father, confident He sees Christ in us, rather than our imperfection. Secondly, remembering our identity administers humility in us. Proper perspective of our past and present circumstances in Christ helps us to pray with conviction, gratefulness, and urgency.

3. God is not visibly present for the conversation 

When we adopt the right perspective of God and ourselves, we stop thinking of prayer as a one-sided conversation. Our God is not an “invisible” God. When I choose to see God with my hearts-eyes, I find He is more tangible and present than anything I can fix my earthly eyes on.

4. Boredom

After existing in high-stimulus environments every hour of the day, we tend to feel lost and uncomfortable in prayer. God calls us to a sense of stillness, where hushed hearts are ready to connect with Him. To engage in the still moments of prayer, we must renew our thoughts to be focused, becalmed, and single-minded.

Father,

Thank you for hearing our prayers. You are worthy of our attention and praise. Help us to pray, teach us to pray, show us the value of connecting with you through prayer. Give my friends and sisters reading this today a burning urge to get away with you and rekindle the conversation with you, God.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Week 3 Challenge:

• Monday, Aug. 24: Take a moment to be still tonight, and connect with God, intimately, for 10 minutes.
• Tuesday, Aug 25: Practice praying simple prayers of adoration today: tell God how great He is, just because He is God. Pray Psalm 145 as a reference.
• Wednesday, Aug 26: Offer a prayer of confession. Open up your heart to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and acknowledge with God the areas in your life you have dishonored him. Feeling stuck? Pray through Psalms 32.
• Thursday, Aug 27: Set your heart on thanksgiving! Throughout the day, train your thoughts to say “Thank you” to God for each moment, person, blessing, or trial you encounter. Then check back for Rekindling Prayer Part 2: How to pray.

Check In:

How do you connect with God in prayer?