Praying on Purpose

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

I’ve recently started an Intro to Human Communications class, since I am currently a Communications Major. In this class, we have discussed various forms of communication, including intrapersonal communication. I know you’re probably thinking that this is the same thing as interpersonal communication. I thought the same thing when I first heard the word. I then came to find out that intrapersonal communication is the internal dialogue we have on a day to day basis.

As an introvert, I have a lot of internal dialogue going on. I’m almost always thinking--I am quick to think, but I am not always so quick to pray. I am very consistent in thinking, but I am not always consistent in prayer. 

I was recently reading in Romans 12, and verse 12 stood out to me. It said, 

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

I love this verse because it has three commands: 1) rejoice in hope, 2) be patient in tribulation, 3) be constant in prayer. It seems that the three elements included in this verse are all connected in some way. As believers, we have the hope of Christ in our lives, and we should be rejoicing in this hope! When trials come, this hope should encourage us to be patient. Finally, if we are constantly in prayer, the Spirit will always remind us of the hope we have in Christ.

When I read Romans 12:12, I was reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

This verse shares almost the same commands as the ones found in Romans 12:12. 

Be constant in prayer. Pray without ceasing. Prayer requires dedication. When I think of what it looks like to dedicate oneself to constant prayer, the first person who comes to my mind is always David. I have heard it said that David was a man who was constantly in prayer. There is a common outline used for teaching people to pray called A.C.T.S. This acronym stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. It seems clear that David’s prayer life follows this very outline.

Adoration: Psalm 145-150 are all excellent examples of David’s prayers of praise! As a whole, the book of Psalms paints a picture of the vast array of David’s emotions displayed through prayer. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3) His greatness is unsearchable. I’m sure this speaks for itself, but this line takes my breath away. God is so great, and yet, I often make little things in life bigger than Him. When I dwell on how great God is, I realize how desperately I need Him.

Confession: Psalm 51 shows David’s confession to God and his desire to be sanctified. Like David, we should be quick to confess our sins to God, but also quick to repent and ask for a clean heart. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Not only does David ask for forgiveness, he asks that God would change him, that he might turn away from sin.

Thanksgiving: Psalm 100, Psalm 118, and Psalm 138 are all labeled as Psalms of thanksgiving. However, Psalm 100:5 specifically stands out to me. “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” His steadfast love endures forever. Knowing that God’s love is eternal, how can I not be thankful?

Supplication: Psalm 54 is just one example of David’s begging God to help him with a situation. This is one of the most common prayers, and I know it resonates with me. Generally, when I pray, I am quick to ask for help, but as I said before, it is so important that we start our prayers by recognizing the greatness of God. Nonetheless, God is our Father in Heaven. God loves when we ask for His help, when we admit that we so desperately need Him, and with joy, He provides according to His will.

Praying honestly like David and following Jesus’s model of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 is directly linked to how often we pray. Luke 18:1-8 is the parable of the persistent widow. In this parable, Jesus describes a woman who goes to court over and over in attempts of persuading the judge to listen to her case. After she returned to court many, many times, the judge granted her request. In a similar way, Jesus says that we always ought to pray because our God is for us. Jesus continues in verse 8 by saying that when He returns, He will be looking for those who are praying and watching for Him.

I desire to develop a prioritized and persistent prayer life. Prayer has such a significant impact on our perspective! In Matthew 14:22-33, after a long day of preaching and feeding thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, Jesus went to pray. The next thing we read is that Jesus returns to His disciples--walking on water! Imagine the impact prayer might have on our lives.