Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].   Philippians 4:6-7 (AMP)

If there’s one thing that 2018 taught me, it’s that prayer works. And, when your world seems to be crumbling apart, sometimes prayer is the only thing you have. I’m sort of embarrassed to say that it took an awful and painful season to get me to build up my prayer life to where it is now. Prayer has literally kept me – from falling into depression, from giving up, and from leaving my faith. Prayer continues to give me peace and reassurance; it helps me manage my illness and get through painful days. And, in my humble opinion, in order to get through, enjoy, and live a full life with a chronic illness, prayer is mandatory.

Now, when I say prayer, I don’t mean “Now I lay me” or the Lord’s Prayer (although, those prayers are important). Prayer, at least to me, is a personal, honest conversation with God; it’s the act of worshiping, requesting, and listening to God using your own words and authentic emotions.

The thing about prayer is that you won’t believe and understand its power until you actually engage in it. It’s amazing how much better life is when prayer is consistently present. I can see a noticeable difference when I fall off in praying- I become more irritable, my ability to discern lessens, and I can no longer clearly hear from God. On the flip side, I have seen my prayers result in the divine activation of incredible wonders. Prayer will change your vision and perception of the world around you. The things that give you anxiety will become much less worrisome. You’ll see situations and people change before your eyes. It’s a wonder why so many of us fail to make it an integral part of our daily lives.

In 2019, I have my eyes set on going deeper in my prayer life, being more strategic, and becoming an effective intercessor for others. Prayer is extremely powerful, and can be complex. So, I’ll be discussing different areas of prayer for the next 3 days. My prayer is that we all have a stronger prayer life this year, regardless of where we are today.

Food for Thought: What is your prayer life like, honestly? It’s okay if you don’t have one, we have all started there. Do you need to be more consistent? Are you only praying when you are in need? Is it time to take your prayer life deeper? Wherever you are, commit to growing in this area in 2019. Stay tuned in for the next 3 days for tools and tips I will be utilizing to take myself to the next level of prayer.