A few months ago, as I was talking with one of our pastors about getting baptized, I shared with him a struggle I was having teaching my daughter to pray.
As we talked about that topic and other challenges I faced as a parent, he said sometimes the hardest part about parenting is seeing the reflection of ourselves in our kids.
It challenged me to reflect on my prayer life.
He was right. My daughter’s prayers mirrored my own.
The reality was, I didn’t really know how to pray. I gave her the same formula I had used forever as I closed my eyes at night. Tell God thank you for something today and ask him to watch over something or someone on your heart.
The problem was, I was always leaving my prayer thoughts to the last minute. So my only focused time with God each night (2 minutes or less usually) wasn’t a real conversation about how He could help me grow in my true challenges. Instead, it was just an afterthought of whatever came to my mind in the moment, as I ticked off the last thing on my to do list.
And like many people, when I started back to church, I was pretty good at praying, “God, please don’t ask him to pick me to pray at the end of class.”
Why?
Pride for one. I didn’t want to not have the right words to say.
This past Sunday, our pastor said, “God doesn’t need fancy words to share the gospel. He just needs you to share your testimony with others so the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to do His work in their hearts.”
The same is true in prayer. God doesn’t need fancy words to help us navigate this world. He just needs us to talk to Him, so he can help us.
I’m currently working through a women’s Bible study at church. There is a daily lesson to work on, and it always ends in a reflection of something you can ask God for help on. It literally asks you to write prayers around what you just learned.
My words aren’t fancy, but I recognize now the power of taking the time to do self-reflection and truly put thought into your prayers. God can only help change your heart when you recognize the need for change and ask Him for help.
Below are three of the prayers I am praying this week. They aren’t fancy, but they are focused.
A PRAYER FOR GROWTH
Thank you God for giving me a spirit of obedience, love, and trust in you and for helping develop humility inside of me. Help me to grow in these virtues and guide me quickly when I stumble.
A PRAYER FOR TRUST IN HIM
Lord, help me find peace, happiness, and purpose in you alone. When I start each day, remind me to be steadfast and secure in Your grace, Your love, and Your plan for my life.
A PRAYER TO SEE THE LESSONS IN LIFE
Thank you Lord for always being beside me. Teach me to give thanks for the problems and challenges in my life and allow me to see the lessons you’re teaching me as I navigate through them.
A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS & DEVELOPMENT
Lord, forgive me for trying to control things on my own when I forget to take my struggles to You. Remind me that the struggles of my heart, not the actions of others, dictate my responses. Please rid my heart of anger and arrogance and replace it with love and compassion. Please give me the patience I need to overcome the burdens of life so that others see you in everything I do. Please help me take all thoughts captive and lay them at Your feet for guidance.
A FINAL NOTE
My favorite takeaway from the study this week reads, “God this hurt, but thank you for it.”
I have always been good at seeing God in the beautiful parts of my life. But it has only been recently that I have been able to reflect on how every challenge I face God has used to draw me closer to Him, to grow my faith, or to develop the virtues I need to let go of the strongholds that have prevented me from living a life that truly glorifies Him.