The blog post with no answers

The blog post with no answers


I have a sign on my office wall that I change each season. It has a different photo each time - flowers, leaves, snow, whatever is appropriate. It also has one word: PRAY. I change it up so I don’t stop “seeing” it, you know? So I don’t get so used to it that I forget it’s there.

Trouble is, I may see it…but that doesn’t force me to do it. To pray. 

That takes action and not just a visual reminder.

I have good seasons and bad seasons for prayer. I can be really great about it for months at a time and then suddenly whatever it is that I’m doing seems rote and dull and I falter. I struggle with good prayer time for a while again before finding a new routine to settle into. 

Just like with the visual reminder, I need to change things up!

I think what works best for me when I’m talking to God - and that’s what prayer is, just talking to our Father - is when it comes naturally, spontaneously:

“Thanks for that, God!” 

“Oh, Lord, I give you so-and-so, who I just heard about…”

“Please, help, Lord! I just don’t know what to do!”

As opposed to the repeated prayer concerns that get to feeling formulaic:

“Lord Jesus, I pray for such-and-such again…”

“Jesus, please help my friend…nothing is changing for her…”

“Thank you, God, for being so great…”

Not only do I get in a rut when praying, I also get distracted. I want to pray dynamically but sometimes I just don’t have the brain space for anything other than the same requests. My family. My friends. Church. The nation. Those who are grieving. Those who are ill. 

I try to start my bedtime prayers with thanking God for something about him. Some aspect of his character. Some trait of God for which I am grateful. But even this can feel repeated and old if I do it over and over and over.

I know I’ve heard pastors say that a good way to pray is to thank God for something that happened that day. Then look ahead at what’s coming tomorrow and give that to him. I’ve done this sometimes and then I forget again.

I try to be good about asking the Holy Spirit to reveal things in me that I need to deal with and then - after actually listening and praying about what I’ve heard - asking Him to fill me and empower me. 

This is a slightly scary prayer! But I think it’s important.

It’s also important not to treat prayer lightly. When I tell someone I’m praying for them, I need to do it! And keep doing it! And follow up with them later to see how they’re doing. That shows them that I am, truly, praying.

I have been frightened to ask specific things of God. I think because if he says no, I don’t want to be disappointed. But a few months ago I did dare to pray, “God, please take care of this thing so that it’s over and done with.”

And you know what? Literally within three days it started to improve.

That was exciting!

I guess what I’m saying is that I have no answers about the best way to pray or the right things to ask or the best time of day or the right formula to use when talking to God.

I just know that I need to do it.

I encourage you to not get hung up on formulas or time of day when you pray. 

Just pray.