I believe God may expect less from you and have more for you when it comes to many things…but especially prayer. Priscilla Shirer wrote a book called Fervent that completely changed how I approached prayer. I had watched her in the movie “War Room,” and for the first time I got a picture of what prayer could look like. So with my lack of creativity, I started to do just what I saw her do. I cleared out a corner of my storage room, got a folding chair, and wrote on Post-it’s what I was asking God. It was simple, but as I would go there each day, I saw breakthrough.
God used her words to teach me to fight for the people I love with prayer, to fight for freedom from the traps all around me, to fight for my passion, focus, identity, to fight for my husband and kids, my friends…and for you. It changed the temperature of my prayers from a cool ask to hot pursuit.
In His graciousness to me, I have seen the power of my God. I have seen prayer become a pathway where He not only listens to me but I see Him answer my prayers. Our God has infinite power. I am convinced of that. In that power, He wants come beside you, His child that He loves.
When my kids make paper airplanes they sloppily fold them and toss them into the air, not even paying attention to where they went. They end up underneath couches and on the floorboard of the car…lost forever. Is that how you are praying? It’s how I was. Tossing requests into the air at random, not expecting an answer, prayer was more like a wish thrown into nothingness. God may have been answering, but I wasn’t looking to see what He might have been saying in return. I wasn’t looking to be lead. I was approaching Him like a genie, not as the God who would guide my life if I simply asked.
When I read Fervent, my first ask was for passion. I wasn’t “feeling it” when it came to prayer. It had never occurred to me that I could ask God to ignite passion in me. I lost decades in nonchalant prayer. My problem with prayer was I didn’t understand the power of my God. As I asked for that passion, God answered and continued to show up one ask after another. As I watched Him, I became compelled to pray.
If you had access to the most powerful being in the universe, if He heard you, considered your plea, and then answered how He knew best, would this change how you ask? Would you often forget about Him and throw requests at Him only on occasion?
You have access, and not only does He hear you, but He also knows you. I do not believe that you have to say the perfect words, or approach God with a big formal production. God only expects you to come to Him. He will do the rest. Grab some little pieces of paper, start taping them to your walls inside a place where only you might go. For me it was the cold storage room tucked next to the furnace. In that tiny, dusty corner, God listened to me, spoke truth to my heart, and changed my life.
I wonder what He has for you? I am confident that there is more if you ask. Don’t worry about approaching Him perfectly. If He wants you to approach Him in a different way, I am confident He will lead you to that..so look and listen. Just like my kids will never know me if we don’t sit together, if you want to know our God, showing up is the first essential step.
There is more than what you are currently experiencing. There is more than what I am currently experiencing. Let’s show up. This is the free life. This is the life I never knew I always wanted.
