Keep On... Praying

What kind of prayer character are you? This might seem a strange question, and it may well be that you are several rolled into one. Here are some suggested prayer characters - maybe they describe you, or maybe they trigger recognition about the reality of how you pray.

The personal shopper - effectively you pray prayers along the lines of ‘this is how much I’m willing to spend, can you sort me out.’ It is an approach to prayer akin to having some kind of spiritualised Amazon wishlist. God’s design is to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20), hopefully it occurs to you that you are likely to be short-changing yourself if this is your approach God has more and better.

The negotiator - Are you often found to be in the place of prayer saying ‘if you do this then I will…’ In effect you are bargaining with God as if He has some need from you which matches your need from Him. Your relationship with God is not to be of the ‘you scratch mine, I’ll scratch yours.’ Prayer that seeks to impose our will on God is seeking to work God over rather than worship Him as supreme and sovereign creator.

The Recluse - ‘I have no idea what is going on in the world- so I’ll just pray about me.’ The names of the lost, the lonely, the needy, in fact anyone other than your own seldom feature. Do you ask others how you can pray for them, do you give imaginative consideration to what a persons needs might be?

The Pagan - Your prayer is along the lines of ‘I know that I don’t normally do this thing but I’m in trouble right now so here goes… ‘ It is the in case of emergency break glass approach and is the mark of someone who lives their lives as though God doesn’t exist- until crisis hits.

The Texter - ‘I don’t have time to talk so I’ll send a text so I don’t feel guilty.’ Time for a perspective shift. It’s not that you’ve GOT to pray, it’s that you GET to pray. Until you see what an awesome privilege it is to come before God in prayer the merest sentence will remain burden not bounty, duty, not delight.

The kid - ‘God bless Mummy, God bless Daddy, and if there is anything that I haven’t thought of God bless that too.’ This is the mark of thoughtless, costless prayer. There is no intention, fervour, joy nor urgency in such prayer. If we believe that prayer changes things as we spend time there in obedience to God, would we pray in such fashion.

Colossians 4: 2 encourages us to do four things in order to be steadfast here: 'Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.'

Set your course - Persistence in prayer is a clear call, busyness is a given but not a get-out clause.

Set your mind - Prioritising prayer is a clear instruction. Deciding and devoting to it as a staple part of your life is key to growing fruitfulness.

Set your heart - What we desire springs from the thing that inspires. If we desire God then we will be inspired to draw close to Him.

Set a place - Preparation for prayer is a clear need, it is by aim not accident that we grow in prayer.