Prayer. The greatest weapon of a believer and the most effective in EVERY area of our life. Throughout the bible we see many who prayed to God and saw how they formed a closer relationship with God through it and even Jesus taught us how to pray. Well today, I would like you to give few minutes of your day and read some of the things God has helped me to understand when it comes to prayer and its power.

First off, I would like to say that I am going to start with a point which I believe will help many with their prayer life. And it is the simple yet the most important fact that
1. Prayers are Heard
When it comes to pray, you can rest assured that prayers we present in the presence of God in Jesus’ name are always heard. Whether or not they will happen is determined by time, your maturity or in circumstances there are some that get denied because God looks at the bigger picture. So, when you pray, I encourage you to always submit yourself to God and pray knowing that no matter what, whether you recieve what you asked for or not, God is Good. He is more than enough! And that he heard and will answer in time. In some cases though I do have to remind you to be open to recieve any answer you might get.
2. Your Prayer Life Will Face Attacks
Not to Scare you off or anything but we have to be realistic right? You see, when it comes to your prayer life getting attacked, It is not a question of whether or not it can happen. It will happen. I mean come on, when you pray, you are literally using it as a method to come against the spirit of darkness so the enemy wouldn’t sit back and watch given the fact that there is power in prayer that can demolish any and every plan of the enemy. I know this is the most draining thing to go through for any christian because, Prayer is where we recieve instruction, confess before God of our sins and thank him for all he has done and ask him for our daily bread. So when our prayer life gets attacked it is like a GPS that has stopped tracking your movement and remains frozen. As you are driving into a new neighborhood or city, the last thing you would want is to be lost. So, in the same manner, when we are entering new seasons of our lives or just when we want to ask God for guidance, the enemy sometimes can bring distraction. These distractions can start from small things such as the excuse of being busy with other tasks to big things such as other warfares we go through (Depression, Anxiety, Hurt, Hopelessness and More). The good news is, small steps lead to bigger outcomes so when you want to get back to the prayer life you used to have, I would like to share few things that might help. With these points, by the grace of God you will be able to overcome these obstacles.
1.1 Understand what Prayer is– what does prayer mean to you? Is it using eloquent words you have heard someone use, having no meaning to you and just finishing it off as ritual? Or is it something that flows from your heart and is PERSONAL? Do you talk to God like your father? After all, he is our heavenly father right? (I want you to take time to answer these questions to yourselves) So, from today on, if you find your prayer life under attack or you seem to be struggling, I want you to understand that God is not a God that is so far away that we can’t reach him. He is closer than the air you breathe so with this understanding, draw near to him and he is sure to be found.

1.2 Have a Prayer Closet or Area– This is one of the things I have been working on lately and although it seems simple this is very important step in developing a healthy prayer habit. One of my college professors once said, “you don’t study on the dinner table because that is where you eat. While you are trying to study you will get distracted or hungry and forget what you are doing. You don’t study on your bed because that is where you sleep. While you try to read you might fall asleep.” There is a place for everything so have a designated place for prayer. It really helps! It can be any corner where you can kneel and pray, sit and hear from God, Worship, read his word and journal or say out loud what is on your heart. It can also be a space where you would quietly meditate on what you read and focus on what God is saying. So, choose a place that works for you. ( what are you waiting for? you can get it done today! Yay, You! ) One more thing. Don’t forget to make it PERSONAL. If it’s some corner you picked in your room or in any area of your house, have bible verses around you on the wall, get a throw pillow to kneel on or a scarf to cover your head with. These are few ideas I have but you can customize it to your taste. Think of it like decorating your bedroom or your house in general. That’s you little light house right there.
1.3 Have a Prayer Partner – Oh this is a good one. Do you have that one person or better yet a group that you can fight, be in the presence of God or praise God with? If not, I pray that as you read this God will provide you with the right people (person) who will help you grow spiritually in your prayer life. In Jesus’ name, Amen! Whether it is family members, Prayer Groups, or even a prayer time with a close friend, it is always a great Idea to share the load in the spiritual journey we are on. We have also recieved the promise from Our LORD, as the the bible says that
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20).

I believe these points are enough for now. This is not the end though. Very soon, I will be back with more point on how to strengthen your prayer life and remain standing in this tough time we are living in. At the end of the day brothers and sisters, it is like what Asaph said in Psalm 73:20 “It is better for me to Draw near God”. In this chaotic world where everyone does what seems to be right in their own eyes (like the time of Judges), as children of God it is a must that we continue to seek the face of God in everything and recieve the power we need for the task ahead of us. When we Draw near to him, we also have the promise he will do the same. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” -James 4:8
May God continue to strengthen us in this journey of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Grace, Love and Peace to you and yours.
Your Sister in Christ, Abenezer.