SIDE BY SIDE
21 Prayer Insights for 2021 Susan Zimmerman Prayer is talking to “the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 2:4) Prayer is a privilege: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Prayer is a command: “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1) Prayer can be difficult: “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26) Prayer can fill us with awe: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalms 27:4) Prayer is effective: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16b) In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and Christ responded with the Lord’s prayer, followed with a parable encouraging them that “for everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Scripture is our best guide to prayer, indeed, the only fully reliable one. But there is great value, as this new year arrives, following on the heels of a year more difficult than any in recent memory, to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13) Connections invited pastors, directors and elected church leaders to share a tip or two that helps them in their personal prayer. We asked not for perfection or foolproof methods but simply advice from one Christ follower to another. Here’s what we heard:
“I often struggle with the words to pray even when I lead in the Sunday morning congregational prayer. So, I use Scripture as a guide to help train my thoughts and prayers on the truth of God’s Word. Try using the same passage you read in your morning devotional time as a pattern to pray throughout the day.” ( Josh Stringer)
“A plan and a place help me.” –Carole O’Hare
1. Be a morning person (and use evenings for reflection). “‘Throne before phone’ in the morning has proven to be a blessing to me.” (Karen Bagge) “My plan is first thing in the morning.” (Carole O’Hare) “Pray immediately upon waking. Give thanks, ask for grace to live in a way that brings him glory and for open doors to share the gospel that day.” (Curt Miller) “Think back on your day in the evening, and pray about all your interactions.” (Michael Walker)
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2. Pray Scripture.
“I have been really struck with how Josh Stringer prays through Scripture in the congregational prayers on Sunday morning. So, I began to do that with the psalms as they are so rich in praise and petition. Most psalms are about the right length to use one a day, and when I have used all of them, I just start over.”
(Nancy Singer) “I write out a verse or more of Scripture in my prayer journal that I read that morning and pray through that.” (Cheryce Berg) “Pray through portions of Scripture and use the prayers in the Bible as a guide.” (Ann Lawrenz) 3. Use Scripture as a springboard to prayer. “After you finish your Bible reading, think about promises to believe, commands to obey, an example to follow, something directly about God, and pray about it with others in mind.” (Michael Walker)
