How To Kickstart Your Prayer Life

24 Nov How To Kickstart Your Prayer Life

When I was a young man my favourite motor bike was a Kawasaki KE175 and it went like a rocket (particularly due to the fact that the previous owner had altered the gear ratios to make it go much faster!). I loved kick-starting it and the way it literally jumped into life! It was amazing bike and took me on many adventures!

Our prayer life, once kick-started has the ability to take us on amazing adventures with God but also change the narrative of our lives completely!

I want to help you kick start the most powerful force at your disposal…

First we simply must understand this:

‘Prayer creates a personal change in your life. Nothing you can do will benefit you more than prayer! Through prayer you create an account balance in your favour is God’s spiritual bank. Through prayer you will benefit spiritually, mentally & physically!’
(David Y Cho)

Through Prayer We Receive Everything We Need For Life & Godliness!
(2 Peter 1:3)

As I look back on the journey I’ve been on…God has taught me how to pray and how to believe God for everything! During my life I’ve seen the following:

Financial provision repeatedly
Food for meals, bikes, cars and even a mini bus!
Holidays, flight tickets, spending money, camp fees
Jobs, homes,
Closed doors opened, building’s, equipment, multimedia, key people
Forgiveness, healing, restoration, reconciliation & transformation

Glory to God….HE answers prayer! We should expect it!

God has NO favourites…..but He responds to people who PRAY!

Through prayer I’ve also regularly received insight, revelation, strategy, wisdom & clear direction! (Jer. 33:3)

When I pray I re-discover my total dependence on God. Prayer brings me peace, removes stress, calming…‘He leads me beside still waters’ when I pray….my strivings stop, I get my head right and gain a fresh perspective on this crazy world. In times of prayer I find God detoxing my life and I confess, forgive, re-commit and am myself restored & refreshed.

‘Prayer is the most under-utilised source of power in our Christian lives!’

SO HOW DO I KICK START MY  PRAYER LIFE?

Get it!
Understand it that nothing will benefit you more than prayer!!
Sadly many Christians simply just don’t get it…that prayer should be the number one priority of our lives!

Do It!
Become a practitioner rather than a procrastinator!
Stop talking about it and just do it!!!

I really love this quote from Bill Hybels:

‘Prayer has not always been my strength. For many years, I knew more about prayer than I ever practiced. I have a racehorse temperament and the tugs of self-sufficiency are very real to me. I didn’t want to get off the fast-track for long enough to find out what prayer was all about, but the Holy Spirit gave me a leading so direct I couldn’t ignore it. My instructions were to explore, study and practice prayer until I finally understood it. I obeyed that leading. I read 15-20 major books on prayer. I studied almost every passage on prayer in the Bible. And then I did something absolutely radical. I prayed!!

It has been 20 years since I began to pray. My prayer life has been transformed. The greatest fulfilment hasn’t been the list of miraculous answers to prayer I’ve received, although that has been wonderful; the greatest thrill has been the qualitative difference in my relationship with God. When I started to pray I didn’t know what was going to happen. God and I used to be rather casually related to one another. We didn’t get together much and talk very much. Now, however, we get together a lot, not talking on the run, but carrying on substantial, soul-searching conversations every morning for a good chunk of time. I feel as if I’ve gotten to know God a lot better – since I started praying. Want to know God better? Try praying!!

By not praying we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to spend time with Father God and to receive all that He has for us.

Sometimes I have to talk to myself and say ‘Simon…..do it!’

Live It!
Get it! Do it! Live it!!

Make it a part of your daily routine! Fix it in your schedule.
Make it as important & regular as your daily shower or a meal!
Become a habitual pray-er.

Make it ‘daily communion’.…the old chorus went ‘he walks with me & talks with me along life’s narrow way…he lives, he lives’ …..pray at all times….on all occasions…talk to him all day long!

Tell him how you feel, what’s happening, ask for wisdom, insight, energy, strength, peace, help…

Learn to listen: train yourself to quieten your heart to listen to the still small voice. You may need some focused and extended time of prayer for this.

(NB: there are more tips available in my free PDF which is available when you sign up for email updates: details at end of post)

David Y Cho says: ‘How important it is for us to know and understand the importance of prayer. There is no way we are going to see the will of God accomplished in our lives & ministry if we don’t learn how to pray!’

Have you learnt how to pray yet?! ‘Lord, teach us to pray!’

Believe It!
That you will receive what you’ve asked for in prayer!

‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to this fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain; Go throw yourself into the sea and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’
(Matt. 21:21-22)

‘If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from The Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.’ (James 1:5-8)

We simply must start to believe God when we pray!

John Wesley: ‘God will do NOTHING on earth except in answer to believing prayer.’

The Bible is a narrative of people’s relationships with God and the rich seam running through each relationship from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Esther, prophets, kings, disciples to the early church….was PRAYER! David said: ‘But I am a man of prayer.’ (Psalm 109:4)

Those guys believed in the power of prayer and so must we! The only way we will discover this for ourselves is to….PRAY!

Final Encouragement
Today, I just sense God would say….if you KICK START prayer in your life then I can begin to re-write the narrative of your life!

If you want to change your life……PRAY!
If you want to change your circumstances…. PRAY!
If you want to discover your purpose and really live….PRAY!
If you want to experience personal renewal….PRAY!

I want you to make a commitment to make prayer a habit in your life! Become a habitual pray-er!! It has to become a habit so can I challenge you today to pray everyday for 10 days! You will be amazed at the difference this will make…

Finally
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