Call to Prayer: Over and Over and Over Again

I ran. I jumped. I skipped. I shouted. I was celebrating. My parents had taken my little sister to another doctor's appointment earlier that day, and now that I was out of school for the day, they were sharing the news with me. She only had to get one shot every day! God was answering our prayers to heal her from diabetes.

Fast forward 13 years. She has continued to receive four or more shots a day almost every day since then.

I still believe God can heal her. I still believe He promised to do so. But in the years since she was diagnosed, I've spent very few of them praying. In fact, by the time I started college, I had all but quit praying for my sister's healing. Not because I didn't think she would be, but because it was a far-off "eventually-this-will-happen" kind of faith. She had learned to live with diabetes and so had I.

When a problem arises, it's easy to ask God to fix it. When a problem stays, it gets harder to ask. We lose faith. Or think it's a lack of faith to ask over and over and over again. If God heard us the first time, He'll answer when He wants to right?

But praying every day is exactly what we're supposed to do. It allows us to show God, and ourselves, that even though He didn't act yesterday, we still think He will today. It encourages us to keep expecting.

In Luke 18, Jesus told the story of a widow facing injustice. Every day she went before the judge and pleaded her case. Every day, the judge refused her request. But she continued. Eventually, the judge was so annoyed that he gave in. After telling the story, Jesus said, "And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?" God wants us to continue bringing those requests to Him even when they seem unanswered.

When I challenged myself to pray for at least half an hour every day this month, I knew God wanted me to pray for my sister's healing every day during that. It's been hard. Some days, it's not at the forefront of my mind, and I forget about it. Most days, I just don't want to have to ask AGAIN. I want God to answer that prayer, well, 13 years ago.

But by asking even when I'm tired of asking, I'm learning that trusting God means not giving up on Him. It means asking for the change again today, even when the answer has been no for so long. Today might be the day that the miracle happens. But if I don't ask, the answer will definitely be no.

Join the conversation: What dreams and promises do you need to start praying for again? What will help you trust God enough to start asking again?

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)

Call to Prayer

"Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples'." - Luke 11:1

Prayer. It's so simple, yet it's probably the hardest part of the Christian life. At least for me. It's easy to say a quick thank you or make a small request throughout the day. But I still struggle to set aside a place and time each day to really enter into God's presence.

To be completely honest, I actually dread it.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that I have the ability to talk to God anytime, anywhere. I like knowing that He wants me to talk to Him and that He'll speak to me. That is why those random moments throughout the day are so easy for me. But something in me resists going in my room, ignoring every distraction, and just praying.

A few times in the last two weeks or so, I've pushed past that resistance. Now that I have, I finally understand why it's so hard for me to do regularly.

I don't think I'm good at it. And I hate doing things I'm not good at.

I've read the Bible verses. I've read the stories of biblical heroes and other great men and women of God who prayed. I've seen prayer work in my own life and in the lives of others. I've seen my prayers answered. I've read multiple Christian books about prayer. I've even written and led small group lessons about prayer. Somehow, I still manage to feel like I don't have a clue what I'm doing when I try to have my own prayer time.

I don't think I'm the only one. (At least I hope I'm not alone in this.)

Today, I have started a journey. I challenge you to join me. I am asking God to teach me to pray. I'm making the commitment to set time aside specifically for prayer -- a minimum of half an hour every day in May. I have two main goals for this. The first is to finally form a habit of daily prayer time. The second is to really understand persistence in prayer.

Are you taking the challenge? What commitment are you making for this month? What do you hope to learn or understand better by the end of this challenge?

My prayer wall where I keep reminders of people, promises, dreams, and
ministries I want to pray for