Daily Scripture
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Mathew 6:6
daily Devotion
How often would you say that you pray? I’m not talking about routine prayers before meals or real quick before you go to sleep. I mean a genuine conversation with our creator. Maybe not too often, right? A lot of us, even as Christians, find ourselves claiming we are “too busy” to have a prayer life. We definitely need to change this culture!
In our Student Ministry right now, we are going through a series called “Seeking the Kingdom in the Middle of Anxiety.” This past week, we focused on how prayer changes our lives when we are in the midst of worry. There are so many uncertainties that we face, but God already knows what we are going through and He is ready to provide comfort and wisdom. He is just waiting for us to ask.
Over the past year, I have faced probably the most struggles I ever have in my life. These challenges 100% have allowed me to be consumed with worry, anxiousness, and discouragement. Although I am not done facing this struggle yet, I have reached a turning point. For the past few months, I have been intentional with my prayer life. Every day, I take my time to be alone with God, both talking to Him and listening to Him. I bring His word into my prayer life, reading out His promises over and over. Please listen to me when I say that this has changed my life. Although I have not overcome this challenge yet, it has given me hope and has changed my attitude. I like how Macon put it this way for our Students: “Genuine prayer leads to reward.” Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers!
Both with our Students and Young Adults, we are challenging each other to keep up with a prayer journal. This just allows us to be more intentional about what we pray. Also, we are able to go back through our journal and see all the ways that God has worked through our prayers, either answering them or changing our hearts to align with His will and way. I challenge you to start a prayer journal and spend authentic time with God. Even when you don’t know what to pray, it can be as simple as just thanking God for who He is.
Elise Williams