Challenge #2

​Pray to God / Talk to God
 5 Times Each Day
 
 If regular daily prayer is not your strong suit, don’t worry!  This challenge is much easier than you may think.  If you eat three meals per day, and you say a prayer of thanks before each meal, then three of your five daily prayers are covered.  If you read your bible twice a day, and you pray before you read, then that’s two more.  Now you have prayed five times in a single day.  You see, this really is an easy challenge.  Perhaps start with five prayers per day and try adding more.  If you consider talking to God in your thoughts throughout the day, then your daily total becomes irrelevant.  The point is to make the effort to talk to God and pray more and more.
 If you think God doesn’t hear your prayers, consider this:
 
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoke.”   (Matthew 12:36)
 
So, if every empty word will be accounted for, how much more will our prayers be heard?  Food for thought.
 
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”    (Romans 12:12)
 
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:5-7)
 
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
 
Aside from praying over meals, and the fact that we are commanded to pray, let me offer some other reasons to pray:

• Prayer helps to keep us close to God.
• Prayer has a calming effect and can ease stresses in our lives.
• Prayer helps us to seek God’s direction instead of our own.
• Prayer helps us to overcome temptations.
• Prayer is a great outlet to share what’s on our heart.

 
If you want to add more depth to your prayers (highly recommended), and experience more spiritual growth, consider the kinds of prayers you offer to God.  The following are some ways in which you can pray and really experience a closeness to God:

• Say a prayer that is solely focused on thanking God for your blessings.
• Confess your sins to God and as for forgiveness.
• Pray for wisdom.
• Pray for spiritual growth.
• Pray over your family, spouse, children, etc.
• Ask God for opportunities to share your faith with others and the courage to do it.
• Pray for protection from the enemy.
• Pray over the church – your brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Pray for your pastor and the elders of the church.
• Pray in simple words.  Be honest and to the point.  He already knows what you need.

 
Finally, here are some quotes regarding the importance of prayer from some of the great preachers, teachers, and men of God, of the past couple centuries.
 
“Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow.” (Benjamin Franklin)
 
“The great people of the earth today are the people who pray, not those who talk about prayer.” (S.D. Gordon)
 
“To get nations back on their feet, we must first get on our knees.”  (Billy Graham)
 
“Work, work, from morning until late at night.  In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer.”  (Martin Luther)
 
“If the church is to be what it ought to be for the purposes of God, we must train it in the holy art of prayer.” (Charles Spurgeon)
 
“The true believer can no more live without prayer, than without food day by day.” (George Whitefield)