By Toni Ford
As of late, it has been an extremely busy season in my life. On many mornings, my time of reading God’s Word has been cut short, but I knew I needed more of Him to get through my day. I have found myself leaning more on prayer and conversations with our Lord all throughout the day. I would not consider my prayer life to be one of my stronger spiritual disciplines, but the Lord is teaching me and developing me in the area of pray during this busy season.
I recently came across an article that shared steps or keys to improving one’s prayer life. I found these steps to be helpful for me in this season of life, so I wanted to share these with you as well. One thing I do know is that our God hears our prayers, and not only does He hear them but answers prayers as well. One of the most beautiful things I have observed this year is watching a group of believers come together and pray for each other or pray for others with great needs, especially watching so many come together to pray for Israel during this time of war. I am watching and learning that prayer truly is one of our greatest weapons and no doubt the Lord is answering many prayers! I definitely want to strengthen this discipline in my own life, because one thing is for sure – prayer works!
The principle of isolation. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” “Often” means it was His habit. Jesus did it in places where He was all by Himself. I believe this is absolutely essential. We need to spend time alone with God every day. Find that place where you can get alone with God and where you can be isolated and pray aloud and let God speak to you.
The principle of insulation. The Bible says, “Once when Jesus was praying in private, the disciples were with Him.” Notice that the disciples were with Jesus yet He still found time for personal prayer. This is an important principle, because there is not always time to get alone by yourself. There are times when you cannot be isolated. I think of this as kind of an incubator verse. Babies can be in the middle of a busy hospital but they can be incubated in a situation that protects them from the hustle and bustle around them. Prayer can help me overcome the interruptions when I place myself in an attitude of insulation.
The principle of transformation. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “We all with unveiled faces behold the glory of the Lord.” As we look on Jesus, “We are transformed from one degree to another.” The word in that passage is the word “katoptrizo.” It’s the only time that word is used in the entire Bible and means, “to seriously look at, to contemplate, to meditate, to gaze on like somebody gazing in a mirror.” As we gaze and reflect on the Word much like a mirror reflects, we become more and more like Christ. And we’re transformed. Prayer changes you.
The principle of revelation. This is the prayer that Jesus prayed on the cross. One of the seven last words of Christ was, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing.” We can really learn a lot about Christ’s character here, because He is in agony and pain, yet He is praying for other people. When you watch what other people say and do and pray when their back is up against the wall, it reveals what is really inside of them. Prayer, like nothing else, is revelation of a person. It shows what’s inside the heart.
Lord, we thank you today for the power of prayer. We ask you to help us develop and strengthen this spiritual discipline in our own lives. May our intimacy with You grow even more as a result.”
If you would like continued prayer, feel free to email me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!