DAY 4 – DEEPEN MY PRAYER LIFE
By: Melissa Diep
[/nectar_highlighted_text][nectar_single_testimonial testimonial_style=”basic” quote=”“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35, ESV”]
Jesus taught, preached, healed, spent time with his disciples, traveled, cast out demons and so much more! Jesus did so much but we also see in this verse that Jesus was very intentional about making time with God. Jesus would wake up early in the morning, while it was still dark, he went to a quiet place to pray.
Personally, waking up early is not convenient. On days when I wake up early, it is often times to prepare or get a head start on my to do list. As a first time mom, my to do list is never ending. I am wired to be on work mode. From the minute I wake up my flesh desires to run through my to do list. It takes so much discipline to quiet my mind and heart to seek the Lord first and start my day with him. In my hunger to grow in my prayer life I’ve created a prayer journal where I can pour out my praise, my prayer requests to the Lord. Some prayers are short while other entries may be a couple pages longer. I’ve prayed for myself, for others, prayed big bold prayers and prayed some smaller prayers. As I flip through the prayers in my prayer journal I have gone back to highlight all the answered prayers and seen how God has worked through my life and the lives of others. When I am intentional about committing time and space to pray and converse with the Lord I find that my personal relationship with Him grows deeper. In being busy I can accomplish a few things but when I am still and pray I see God doing more than I ever can in a lifetime!
ACTION STEP: Sacrifice time to wake up early this week to intentionally pray and seek the Lord. If you are up for it, I challenge you to create a prayer journal and take the time to write out your praise and prayer requests daily. Every now and then, flip through your prayer journal and interact with God. Be sure to give Him thanks as he answers prayers and praise him for prayers that He hasn’t answered.
PRAYER: Father, I am so grateful that you want to have a personal relationship with me. Father, I am so grateful that we can communicate with you through prayer. Forgive me Father, for those times that I have been lukewarm in my prayers. Help me, Father that I may grow in my conversations with you through prayer.
