Praying more is a small step, but you could argue that it results in a big improvement in one’s life, and it has eternal significance. So why aren’t I doing it already? I am, but I need to do it more and to not allow myself to get distracted by the pleasures or trials of this life.
When you read wellness literature nowadays, you can see how helpful it is to take a little time to show gratitude and compassion. And you can weave this into prayer. Prayer isn’t just a thing that you do for your psychological wellbeing. God hears and answers prayer.
John 14:13
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
But clearly, we don’t always have prayer answered in the way we expect.
Three main reasons for this are that:
- God has other priorities. If God doesn’t answer, we are still expressing our love and obedience in prayer, so we’ll be rewarded in heaven, if not on earth. We are building up treasure in heaven. When Jesus was facing the crucifixion, he prayed that he wouldn’t need to face it, but he was willing to go through with it if it was the will of the Father. See Matthew 26:39. In doing this, he was setting an example for us. Likewise, God said no to Paul in 2 Cor 12:8-10.
- Perhaps God asks us to wait to encourage us to pray more or to pray for each other. One would have thought that someone as Godly as Paul would have had all his prayers answered, but he often asked others to pray for him; for example, in Col 4:2-4.
- We might be approaching God in the wrong way or with the wrong attitude (See James 1:5-8). We shouldn’t pray in a mindless ritualistic way (See Matt 6:5-7). And we should pray with faith. This doesn’t mean that we believe that we’ll get what we want. It means that we believe that God loves us and will answer in a way that meets our real interests and that aligns with his plans.
Someone said you should remember the word ACTS when you approach prayer:
- A for Adoration. You begin by worshiping God, not as a means to an end, but an end in itself. I often find a psalm or a hymn is helpful in directing my thoughts to God.
- C for Confession. Again, this must be genuine. It might not be specific sins, but we acknowledge that we are unworthy. Nowadays, people might think that this lowers your self-esteem, but no-one is truly good except God alone. And when we surrender our lives to him, we become his children in the fullest sense (John 1:11-13), and we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Phil 4:11-13).
- S for Supplication: This is the actual prayer. At times, we might jump directly into supplication, but preparing our minds and hearts helps prevent prayer becoming an empty ritual.
- T for Thanksgiving: We thank God for all his goodness to us. And we thank him for hearing our prayer. Regardless of whether it’s answered in the way we desire, prayer is rewarding. To use an earthly illustration, you might apply for a job and get rejected. But somehow, maybe it opens the door for other opportunities. Ultimately God has our best interests at heart. If Jesus tells me prayer is worthwhile, I take him at his word.
One thing I like to do is reflect on my whole life. I made a PowerPoint deck of each year of my life. I devote a slide to each month. On it, I have the songs and movies that were released and the newsworthy events, and any personal events that I can remember. As I do this, lots of people pop into my head. And it feels very natural to pray for them.
One of my favourite hymns is What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Click the link to read the story), which was written by an Irishman who encountered several major tragedies in his life.
So by praying more, I am bringing everything to God in prayer, I am building treasure in heaven, and I am addressing my mental health needs by showing gratitude and compassion, which are helpful in themselves.
Hibernia Gospel 