Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Prayer ~ Part 4
Prayer is a staple in a life of faith. Or perhaps we assume it is. But the truth is that many of us struggle with prayer. Why is that? There are numerous reasons why we might not make prayer a priority in our lives.
For one thing, we might feel like we are not seeing the results we expected. Sometimes our prayers take awhile before they are answered. Often times this means that God is working behind the scenes to make things happen. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus teaches us to keep praying and never give up. And the Bible assures us countless times that God hears our prayers. We have to keep faith alive and stay anchored to Him.
Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Also, sometimes we feel discouraged if things go differently than we wanted. It is true that not all of our prayers will be answered in the way we hoped. We have to trust that the Lord knows what is best in our lives. If things go differently than we hoped, it is important to remember that God can see the big picture and we cannot.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. – Proverbs 3:5
Another reason why we might struggle with prayer is because we don’t always have the right words. That is okay. We don’t have to be eloquent when talking to God. We can just speak to Him like we are speaking to a friend. Open up to Him, share your thoughts and feelings, and remember that He is on your side. If you keep in mind the love and devotion that the Lord has for you, this will help you to speak more freely to Him.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. – John 15:15
Some of us shy away from prayer because we are used to handling everything ourselves. Perhaps over your life circumstances have taught you that you have to be strong, you have to stay in control, and if you want something done you have to do it yourself. There is nothing wrong with being proactive, accomplishing things, and working hard. But we cannot try to take over for God. We have to remember that He is the ruler of our lives. And when we also keep in mind that He is eager to help us, it takes a heavy weight off of our shoulders.
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. – Exodus 14:14
Some might also struggle to speak to God due to feelings of guilt. The first step in having a relationship with the Lord is to confess our sins and repent from them. This is customary when we first accept Jesus into our lives. But after that initial prayer, we might have to confess and repent on other occasions if we are holding onto sin in our lives. If there is something in your life that you know needs to go, take it to the Lord today. Tell Him you are sorry for whatever it is, and ask for His help in walking away from it. Then remember that you are forgiven and you do not need to feel guilty any longer. You might have to keep reminding yourself of the last point. Remember that God loves you and no longer sees your past mistakes. This will help you to approach His throne with confidence.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
These are just a few reasons why we might struggle with prayer. If prayer is something you have a hard time with, please take time today to give this some thought to see where your roadblocks might be. Once you define where your struggles are, you will have the ability to take action and overcome whatever is holding you back. And then you will have a new sense of freedom as you meet with God daily in prayer.
© 2021 Bridget A. Thomas
Bridget A. Thomas 
All the points you mentioned here are so true. About waiting on prayer being answered – it might not put us away from praying but it does eat away at our faith. And we have to remind ourselves that even if we cannot see, God is working on our behalf.
And about trying to control things- I can relate to that. I like that you specify that there is a difference between being proactive and not controlling the course and timing of it all.
Prayer is and should be a staple in our life. May we be a people who unleash the power and plans of God through prayer.
Blessings to you dear friend 🌺🤗💙
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It can be so difficult to wait for our prayers to be answered, because often times we are praying about something that is close to our heart. You are right. We do need to remember that God is never idle. He is always working, even if we can’t see it.
I can relate to controlling things too. I think many of us have this tendency in different areas. We think doing something is better than sitting back. We have to find the right balance between being proactive and trusting God, as we lean into Him and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Blessings to you too my friend! 🌺💕🌸
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Great verses to pair up with those concerns!!!
Prayer takes commitment, patience, and faith but it makes such a difference in our lives!❤️❤️❤️
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You are absolutely right: “Prayer takes commitment, patience, and faith but it makes such a difference in our lives!” Once we take the time to pray and make it a commitment, the rewards will be immeasurable! Thank you for taking the time to read and to share your thoughts! ❤️
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Great points and things to remember! I admit I’m not always the best at this. I do let circumstances, life, disappointment, etc. interfere sometimes. Thank you for reminding me to keep going! And my apologies on missing the other posts in this series! I’m going back and reading them now! ❤️
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It can be easy to let circumstances keep us from prayer. I am glad this encouraged you to keep going. It makes me feel better to know I prayed, even when I don’t see results right away. I still know God will work things out. ❤️ And please don’t be sorry about the posts. Don’t feel obligated to read and respond to all of you don’t want to or don’t have time. 😊 But of course I am so glad you are here! 😁
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I’ve went through all of these at some point in my life. The ones I struggle with most now is not knowing what to say and needed to just do things myself. Sometimes when I can’t find the right words to pray I just throw up my hands and say, “God, You know what I’m trying to say and you know what I need!” 🙂
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LOL, I know what you mean! I have been there too! And you are absolutely right, God knows what we are trying to say and knows what we need. He knows even better than we do! That is a great comfort during times when we are at a loss. How amazing our Heavenly Father is! 🌸💕🌺
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Another wonderful look at prayer Bridget. I think sometimes I struggle with prayer because my priorities get out of order. Usually because I’m distracted and impatient. I’m prone to running ahead of God and wanting things to happen much more quickly. Instead of praying and bring patient I might end up having to pray when I’ve already taken things into my own hands and goofed something up. Yeah, that’s not a good thing. It’s better to get those priorities straight.
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Such a good point. I know exactly what you mean. I do those same things and then I wonder when I will ever learn! I am so glad God is merciful and faithful to see us through, even when we goof up. I pray we can learn to seek Him first and be patient when things don’t happen as quickly as we want. ❤️✝️🙏
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Amen. 🙂❤
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Trusting the Lord is like a thank you prayer to the Lord. He loves to teach us our frailness so we will turn to Him and His Word for our walk in this world.
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I love the way you put that. Beautifully said. I am so thankful that we can trust Him and turn to Him! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. ❤️
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Again you boil the topic down to simple terms—Five reasons why a person struggles with prayer. I’ve faced all five, but I keep trying.
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I too have struggled with these things. That is one reason why I started this series – I needed to walk through it all myself to get to a better prayer life. And there are many others who have said they feel the same way. One wonderful outcome is that I have been praying more; and the more I pray, the more peace I have. Even if things don’t work out the way I want, I trust that God is working all things for good. God bless you, friend!
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Excellent points on prayer. As you mentioned, it is important to remember God is always at work and hears our prayers even if we don’t understand all that is going on at the time. Thank you Bridget.
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Yes! When we are able to fully grasp that truth, it brings such comfort to our lives. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts 😊
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