Thoughts on Prayer

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16b KJV

Be faithful to pray as intercessors who are fully alert. Colossians 4:2a TPT

“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “You need to be alert and pray for the strength to endure the great temptation.” Luke 22:46 TPT

Prayer as a believer often becomes rote. Sometimes it is something mumbled as we drift off to sleep. But what does God’s word say about prayer? Here, using these verses, I wanted to highlight the words “alert” and “fervent”. And the third verse is interesting, as it highlights a common temptation during prayer.

I know we don't need to kneel or really have a special position to pray. But Jesus was kneeling in the garden. He didn't have a soft cushy pad under his knees. Maybe we need to find a position that helps us be alert and engaged. Closing our eyes is a way we often block out distractions. But if we are feeling too sleepy, we could open them.

Fervent means with passionate intensity. It shouldn't be “ho hum,” flat, empty or vain. It should be linked to real feelings. Our prayer times are not meant to be boring. Pray that the Holy Spirit gives you ideas of how to pray during these sessions, He can surprise you!

Prayer can be exciting when we engage in passionate conversation with God, about things we really care about. We should be trying to pray with an alert mind, a passionate heart and clear focus.

At the end of the day, we know how gentle Jesus was with his followers in the garden. He forgives us if we fall short. But it wouldn’t hurt us at all to think intentionally before we begin our prayer times about what we can do to set ourselves up for success!

Remember, stay alert during prayer!

Here is a tip, think like this:
Alert can mean A= active, L= lively, E= emotional, R= receptive and T= thoughtful.

—Diane