This week, our community study of Planted is focusing on the discipline of prayer. This can easily turn into a neglected part of our spiritual walk, a selfish wish list, or a last resort in desperate times. But we are called to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and, through the blood of Christ, we can access the throne of grace with confidence (Heb. 4:16). What does it look like to practice prayer in daily life and grow as praying women? Here are some thoughts and suggestions from the Well-Watered Team to encourage your prayer life. May His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6).

Bonnie:

Mother Theresa said, “The family that prays together stays together….” Family prayer is a beautiful, sanctifying, powerful spiritual discipline that yields a lot of spiritual fruit. When my dad was alive, we committed as a family to come together once a week on Monday nights to share our prayer needs and praises with each other. We kept a hardback journal of each request and would often return to older entries to write down how God had answered specific prayers.

As we sat and listened to each other, my sister and I discovered that our parents were, in fact, people with struggles and dreams who needed our prayers. Our parents were able to see our spiritual needs and hear what really mattered to my sister and me. We learned to be patient and listen better to each other, and bear each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). It lessened tension between the family members, as it’s hard to be frustrated with someone you’re praying for! Today my husband and I make it a goal to pray with each other, and pray with our little girls, as often as we can. And whenever I go to my parents’ house, I pull out that old prayer notebook and thumb through page after page of God’s faithfulness.

Rachael:

There is nothing too small to pray about. There is nothing outside of God’s reign and rule in our lives that we we cannot bring to His feet. That’s been my prayer approach for awhile now, and it’s opened up my prayer life in a whole new way. I love to pray throughout the day about anything and everything. I pray simple prayers of gratitude like, “Thanks, Lord!” when something sweet happens, or when I find the thing I was looking for, or when there’s a beautiful sunset. I prayer prayers of repentance when I recognize my flesh or a bad attitude and simply say, “Lord, please forgive me for that gross reaction. It was in anger and selfishness. Help me reset my heart on you.” Don’t feel that you have to say the perfect combination of words or over-think things. Come with an honest and open heart.

I also love to pray “breath prayers”—short, one-line prayers that keep my heart focused on the Lord. I say these aloud when I’m home, think them over and over when I’m out and about, and write them on my hand for reminders throughout the day. This may be, “Lord, help me choose joy,” or, “Lord, be all that I cannot be.” And when I have my journal nearby, I write out prayers that are heavy on my heart. Ongoing requests, prayers for friends and family, prayers about life circumstances. But I also make a point to write out praises. Prayer can become so inwardly focused if we aren’t intentional to stop and focus on the glory of God, and when we do that, prayer comes forth like worship as we praise Him for all He has done and all that He is!