The Prayer Life of a Christian

One of the advantages of being a Christian is the fellowship we have been called unto in Christ. When we come in union with Christ through our Faith in his blood, we come in fellowship with God our father. However, our confidence in this fellowship is seen in our praying life. Prayer is our way of engaging this fellowship and the results are numerous. I can only know how much you know about prayer when I actually see you pray, not when you talk about it often. Our knowledge about prayer does nothing compared to when we actually spend time praying.

Our constant prayers to God shows our dependence on Him. Sometimes we want to be perfectionist, doing things in our own way, but soon realize that there is a limit to what we have control over. Praying helps us build confidence in Him who controls the heart of the king. After praying, we also discover that while events might not play out the way we desire, Our father always has His way of doing things which will always bring better results than when we try with our limited abilities.  The bible tells us not to trust in our own understanding but to acknowledge God in all our ways. When all the business plan is written and all the money generating ideas are about to be worked on, we still need to pray about them. Sometimes not so much that the venture can work, but to involve God in whatever we do. We can achieve much more with God than on our own.



The mere fact that our prayers are channelled towards God puts this God consciousness in us. When we become conscious of him in our thoughts, that's how he rules in our affairs. Some of the evil we hear about are a result of a momentary absence of God in the imaginations of people. We build and increase our God consciousness when we give ourselves to prayers.

Our prayers not only changes situations, they change us also. Whatever God will do here on the earth, He does through you and I, so when our hearts are changed constantly as we pray, we are able to yield ourselves to God's purpose for our lives. There are specific plans of God for us as individuals and we can intentionally walk in them when we find time to pray inspite of our busy schedules.

We don't want to live in a physical world that is controlled by the spiritual and not be actively involved there. There are a lot of things that happen physically that are beyond what our natural eyes can perceive. We can actually become decision makers in the outcome of our lives and those around us when we engage spiritually by praying. Although praying is physically done, it is a spiritual exercise.

We cast our cares to God when we pray. When we realize we have a father who truly listens to us when we pray, we can open up all our hearts to Him. Our heavenly father should be our greatest confidant because we trust him enough to speak with him. And who says He can't speak back to us?

The prayers of a Christian are continuous and never ending because we don't pray only when there is a need. We pray when there is a need and we keep at it even when the needs are met. This is because we are not just praying for our material needs, we are also praying for our spiritual needs. We also pray for those we are responsible over. We should also put in my mind our spiritual and political leaders to pray for them. Our nation is affected positively when we choose to pray for the leaders who occupy different positions.

Praying should be a part of our daily to-do list. Despite our busy daily routines especially for those who live in cities where you spend hours commuting to and from work, praying must still be done. Prayers are the anchor of a Christian which we cannot afford to put aside because of the tedious nature of our work. We must see prayers not just as a means to an end but an end in itself. When we keep seeing prayers as a means, then we will only maintain a prayer life until we get the desired high paying job in the multi national we always dreamed of. Or when we get the promotion at work. Do we realize we have been called into union with God our father and He delights in us praying especially when we do so in the Spirit?

We must have a set time to pray. It helps you to be accountable to yourself, so you can monitor your performance. Aside a daily prayer time, knowing how long you want to pray is also important. While the length of time for your praying is important, you should prioritize consistency. Decide the length of time you can keep up with everyday. You have not sinned when your prayer time is not in the morning, or when you miss your prayer time. Your priority now should be to be consistent. Overtime when you have built a consistent prayer time, you can either choose to continue or shift the timing. For some others breaking the length of time for each day in two will work better. An example is praying 30 minutes in the morning before setting out and 30 minutes before bed.

You never know how much you can pray until you start. Whenever you  default you can makeup during the weekend for times missed during the week. You can also decide to spend more time praying during your work leave or vacation. You will find yourself always alert and ready when you maintain this lifestyle. There will be little or no need for a fire brigade approach when you are about to make important decisions because of an habitual prayer life. In the long run, our prayers will affect every other area of our lives. We will be better and suitable for God's purpose at any point in time.

If you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord and saviour, then life here is anchorless and eternity is bleak. We urge you, don’t wait another moment. Make up your mind and say this prayer:

“Dear God, I ask you to forgive me all my sins and make me anew. I believe that Jesus died for me and you raised him up on the third day, I confess that He is Lord now and forever. I accept your son, Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.”

Congratulations! Now that you are born again, look for a Bible believing church to attend that you might know what he has provided for you.