HOW DO I KEEP FROM GETTING TIRED OR PRAYER?
QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER
CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINE
Romans 8:34 “It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.”
Hebrews 7:25 “Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”.
Hebrews 7:25 “Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”.
Prayer fatigue is a very real thing in the life of Christians. Even mature Christians can come to a place where they start to see prayer incorrectly or as a religious obligation. That perspective begins to impact how we pray, affecting the frequency and passion of our prayers. Here are four simple reminders that can help you to keep prayer fresh and full of passion.
1. Remember that Christ prays for you:
One way we can keep our own prayers fresh is by acknowledging Christ is also praying for you. Jesus’ love is reinforced when we remember that he prays for us. Think about the people in your world who you pray for the most; most likely it would be your kids, parents, siblings, spouse...etc. It’s the people you love and value most. While we are told to pray for our enemies, we tend to focus on the people closest and most important to us. In the same way, scripture tells us that Jesus is at the right hand of God and he intercedes for us. The word intercede means to intervene on behalf of another person. Think about how awesome that is! Jesus is intervening and speaking up on our behalf. He is continually praying that God would show grace, mercy, and compassion on us, even though we are sinners who mess up all the time. The famous Scottish minister Robert McCheyne put it like this: “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.” The fact that Jesus is in our corner should give each of us a boost of faith. It should also serve as a call to action and for us to step out and take a risk for the kingdom.
2. Remember all the ways God has been faithful in the past:
Another way to keep prayer fresh is by remembering how God has answered prayers in the past. If God has been faithful in the past, won’t he still be faithful in the present and future? So, if we stop to consider all the miraculous ways he has answered our prayers, we will find new courage and hope for what’s to come. Our faith will grow to a place where passion can return to our prayers.
3. Remember to be quiet:
When praying, you don’t have to fill up each moment with talking. You can just be silent. You can listen. You can worship and be thankful without having to always put it into words. Often, people become intimidated by prayer and fatigued because they feel like they need to prepare and polish their words in a certain way. It can be exhausting. But prayer is communicating with a father who loves you, not a father who will only listen if you get the words exactly right. Communication can happen through words or in silent thought.
4. Be comfortable not knowing what to pray for:
One of our greatest frustrations, when we pray, is that while we can identify the problem or request, we have no idea how to fix it. So, we become uncertain about how to pray and because of that uncertainty, we become paralyzed and end up just skipping out on the whole thing. A new approach to these situations is found in Romans 8:26 which says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”. God doesn’t need our words to know our hearts, and he is faithful to answer even our unspoken requests when they align with his will.
1. Remember that Christ prays for you:
One way we can keep our own prayers fresh is by acknowledging Christ is also praying for you. Jesus’ love is reinforced when we remember that he prays for us. Think about the people in your world who you pray for the most; most likely it would be your kids, parents, siblings, spouse...etc. It’s the people you love and value most. While we are told to pray for our enemies, we tend to focus on the people closest and most important to us. In the same way, scripture tells us that Jesus is at the right hand of God and he intercedes for us. The word intercede means to intervene on behalf of another person. Think about how awesome that is! Jesus is intervening and speaking up on our behalf. He is continually praying that God would show grace, mercy, and compassion on us, even though we are sinners who mess up all the time. The famous Scottish minister Robert McCheyne put it like this: “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.” The fact that Jesus is in our corner should give each of us a boost of faith. It should also serve as a call to action and for us to step out and take a risk for the kingdom.
2. Remember all the ways God has been faithful in the past:
Another way to keep prayer fresh is by remembering how God has answered prayers in the past. If God has been faithful in the past, won’t he still be faithful in the present and future? So, if we stop to consider all the miraculous ways he has answered our prayers, we will find new courage and hope for what’s to come. Our faith will grow to a place where passion can return to our prayers.
3. Remember to be quiet:
When praying, you don’t have to fill up each moment with talking. You can just be silent. You can listen. You can worship and be thankful without having to always put it into words. Often, people become intimidated by prayer and fatigued because they feel like they need to prepare and polish their words in a certain way. It can be exhausting. But prayer is communicating with a father who loves you, not a father who will only listen if you get the words exactly right. Communication can happen through words or in silent thought.
4. Be comfortable not knowing what to pray for:
One of our greatest frustrations, when we pray, is that while we can identify the problem or request, we have no idea how to fix it. So, we become uncertain about how to pray and because of that uncertainty, we become paralyzed and end up just skipping out on the whole thing. A new approach to these situations is found in Romans 8:26 which says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”. God doesn’t need our words to know our hearts, and he is faithful to answer even our unspoken requests when they align with his will.