encouragement in prayer

I thought I'd hop on here really quick and share about prayer, and how important it is in my life and how to keep going on praying, even when you don't feel like anything is happening.

Lately, God has been showing me that I need to be more quiet.  Not necessarily in the way you think, but in my talking to others.  I love having friends in life that I can pour my heart out to, and I thank God for the ones He has given me.  But sometimes I pour out too much of my heart, and I don't take it to God in prayer.  I've been trying to continually be in communion with Him over every area of my life.  If something bothers me, I go to Him.  If I'm frustrated with something, I go to Him.

You get the idea. I do this throughout the day, often retreating somewhere to be alone for a few minutes so I can pray.  (The laundry room, my bedroom with the door closed, the kitchen while I'm cleaning up from a meal or while I'm preparing a meal.)

In doing this more, He is expanding my trust in Him and His timing.  I love the song "Good, Good Father", and the line that says, "You are perfect in all of Your ways."  He really is perfect in all of His ways, His timing being one of them.  There have been so many things I've prayed for, and I never stop going to Him with those things.  Sometimes I see answers.  Sometimes I don't.  When I don't, I ask Him to show me my heart, that if it's selfish to ask what I'm asking, to change my heart, to forgive me.

I recently had a conversation with someone about how often we pray for the same thing.  That person said that they only go to God once for something, and they don't pray for that again.  I kind of see that view point, and how they could think that it's a lack of faith if you keep praying the same thing.  But from my point of view, I know that God knows what is in my heart.  If something is bothering me, I need to just lay it before Him.  He wants us to cast our cares upon Him, and I don't think it's wrong to keep praying the same thing.  I don't think it means that I don't trust Him, either, just that it's on my heart and I need to give it to Him.

I don't want to condemn that person for that way of thinking; that is between them and the Lord.  I just know that for me, I have to confess all that is in my heart.  Often times, it's the same things.  Some days it's different.  One thing I do know: God knows what's in our heart and He hears every prayer that we utter.  I love that Jesus is interceding on our behalf (Romans 8:34).

If you're praying for something that you've been praying for forever~keep it up.  Don't stop!  What if the prayers we pray are holding off battles in the spiritual realm that we don't see, according to Ephesians six?  I love that picture that someone shared with me.

I love this image that I saw on social media a few days ago.

That kind of wraps up what I'm saying in this post.  I am always desperate for God, for more of Him.  Even when things are going great in life, I would be lost without Him.  I pray for my family, myself, that we will never forget our need for a Savior.  If you need encouragement in your prayer life, just don't give up.  If you're going through a rut in your prayer life, mix it up a little, and try praying using the ACTS method.  (Adoration, which is praise; Confession; Thanksgiving; Supplication, which is praying for others.)  I've been doing that lately, actually, thanks to the youth pastor at our church.  He shared on this very thing a week or two ago, and I was so thankful for him saying it, because I'd been in a rut in my prayer life.

Just keep praying and know that God hears.

Love to all.