Daily Devotional:
HAVE A PERSONAL PRAYER CULTURE

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (Jeremiah 29:12).

The Lord called us to pray because He planned to answer. It’s therefore important that you have a plan for prayer. If you don’t have a plan for prayer, you’re most unlikely to pray. There’re lots of activities that could occupy your time and prevent you from praying. You have to make deliberate efforts to have a prayer culture and discipline; you could set an alarm system for reminders. Never be too busy to pray.

Prayer isn’t only when you want something from God. Prayer is that fellowship with the Lord where you talk to and with Him, and you give attention to Him in your spirit, to hear what He has to say to you. Every Christian must have such times.

If you’ve had challenges doing this consistently, you can ask the Lord to guide you in planning your personal prayer schedule. Don’t neglect it. There’re corporate prayer times where you participate in prayer programs and services, maybe in your church or cell group, but that’s different from having your personal prayer schedule.

Someone may say, “Well, I pray once a week, not every day.” No, that’s not good enough. Have a prayer schedule for every day, because it helps you have a spiritual consciousness every day. You may then wonder, “How long should I pray?”

It’s not for anyone to determine for you how long you should pray, but you’ll know if or when you’re not praying enough, because it’s a relationship between you and the Lord. If you think you’re not praying enough, then add more time. The truth is, the more time you spend in prayer, the more helpful it is to you, because apart from the fact that you’re talking to the Lord, there’s the edification of your spirit that you get from praying. Not only that; there’s also the education of your spirit. No one educates you like the Holy Spirit. In that atmosphere of prayer, He teaches you; He brings you information that enlightens and guides you. Glory to God!

PRAYER

Dear Father, I’m grateful for the opportunity of continuous fellowship with you through prayer. I have the discipline of prayer, and even now, I pray for lost souls around the world, that their hearts be open to accept the Gospel of Christ and be saved. Also, I pray for Christians who are sick in their bodies, that great grace be directed toward them for healing, restoration and feeling of wellness, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Luke 18:1; Jude 1:20; Ephesians 6:18