The Secret Place

In His renowned Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorted His followers to find a secret place to pray knowing that God sees them and hears them (Matthew 6:6). This practice of hidden prayer is important for a few reasons. Among them is that He knows we all have some sort of secret life hidden to others. Praying in secret is one the most redemptive and holy ways we can spend our alone time. When we’re engaged in spiritual practices when nobody but God is looking, it proves that our faith in authentic. It shows that we truly believe God sees us. So, friend, frequent that secret place. Develop a hidden life in prayer. God promises to reward those who do. Now that’s something to pray about!

Billy Graham on Prayer

The late evangelist Billy Graham once said that “Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask.” Though Billy is now with the Lord, his voice of wisdom and insight lives on, particularly in this quote. How many things is God waiting to do for us, and through us, if we would but pray? How many mercies and miracles are in His divine storehouse just waiting to be poured out when He hears His people praying. Questions like these are important to ponder. I don’t want to get to Heaven one day and realize I missed out on so much because I asked for so little. Friend, let’s bother to ask, and not miss out on any of the answers God has for us. Now that’s something to pray about!

Discerning God’s Will Through Prayer

Did you know that the Bible provides a prayer that helps us discern God’s will? If you’re like me, you want God’s best in every way. You don’t want to be outside of God’s will ever—not only in the larger sense of our life calling, but even in the smaller sense of our routine decisions. This is why I love Paul’s prayer in Colossians chapter 1. The apostle prays that the church in Colosse would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, wisdom and spiritual understanding. Consider taking a moment today to make this prayer your own. God is a good Father, and faithful to answer our prayers. He wants the best for us, and will reveal some of His plans and purposes as we talk to Him. Now that’s something to pray about!

Praying Through Anger

We all encounter situations that make us angry, and tempt up to become offended, bitter, unforgiving and even vengeful. These emotions are common to virtually everyone, but what we do with them is one of the most important decisions of our lives. What I’ve found when anger comes knocking at the door of my heart, and wanting to take up permanent residence, is to pray for the person or people until I can feel love for them once again. The next time you feel your heart moving in the wrong direction, head for the prayer closet and ask God to turn it into love. Keep visiting that place until you notice those hard places softening. What a great victory we win when we go into the presence of God, and come out more like Jesus. Now that’s something to pray about!

Praying For Health

With winter in full swing, sicknesses such as colds, flus, RSV, COVID and more are making their seasonal rounds. As Christians, I believe we are to pray in faith for health, healing and even protection against sickness. The words of the apostle John come to mind. In 3 John 1:2 (NIV), he writes: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” What if we chose to be a praying friend just like the beloved disciple was? Let’s lift up not only ourselves, but our families, church communities, classmates, coworkers and others the Holy Spirit places on your heart. Prayer always makes a difference, and it just might keep you and others healthy this winter. Now that’s something to pray about!