Prayer. Anyone else think of dinnertime and a mumbled version of “God is great, God is good?” No offense to anyone who still prays that little rhyme, but the prayers I want to talk about are specific and intentional.

I cannot count the number of times I have audibly talked to God—excited and amazed, frustrated and hurt. There were even moments of loud, weeping tears when I didn’t have words.

I’m not saying that I pray perfectly, but I’ve learned, the more communication with God, the more you will hear Him (Ps. 145:18).

Back when I was a college freshman, I decided to live the life that I wanted. I chose to party and live in sin, while still proclaiming His name at church. I chose to “pray less.” I just won’t talk to Him, then I won’t feel Him as much. The gift of choice is a powerful and beautiful thing. I ask you, what choices are you making in your prayer life?

A key part to spiritual growth has always been intentional prayer. Prayer is our greatest weapon to fight against spiritual warfare! Ephesians 6:17-18 says, “…take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying all times in the Spirit…”

My prayer life also needs a strategy. I found a simple way to keep my prayer life strong and to pray specifically and expectantly – I write my requests down. God created me to be a writer. Writing down my requests not only clears my head, but also is a reminder.

I am praying for you as I write this, that if you feel you’ve lost passion for prayer, the Holy Spirit revives that part of your heart. Or if you feel disconnected with God, that you avoid the words “almost” and “someday,” replacing them with “now” and “today.” If you feel like your prayer life is strong – keep it up! Wherever you are in your walk, I’m praying you never stop praying (Col. 4:2). Know our Lord is faithful, because God is great and God is good.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Henderson Harris is an ambitious woman with a deep love for teaching, learning, music, and creativity. She currently gets paid to live out one of her passions – teach elementary-aged students! Amy serves alongside her brothers and sisters in Christ at Aletheia Norfolk where she has the blessing of co-leading the Music Ministry with her husband, Jackson. By faithfully using her gifts, Amy encourages and empowers women to seek Christ, to be grounded in His truth and word, and to live a bold life obedient to His calling.