In episode 133, “Create a Lifestyle of Prayer”, we give tips on how to incorporate prayer into your life while making the most of your time talking with God. With intentionality and purpose, your prayer life will grow in positive ways. We begin our book study mini series over Autumn Miles’ Gangster Prayer in episode 131. Learn how to relentlessly pursue God with passion and great expectation.
CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN
Freedom in Repentance
If you have crossed the line of faith, you have been forgiven of your sins past, present, and future. What’s important to understand the meaning of repentance. Repentance is when you’ve recognized a sin or sin pattern, and turn from it, and then walk in a way that reflects Jesus. Autumn’s book charges us to fight the lie: repentance is just a word for old religious people. If there is a sin lifestyle or a sin that is hiding in your heart, it’s vital to shine a light on it, and talk with God about it.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
There is freedom to be experienced when we let go of our sin patterns and turn our eyes to God. He is the ultimate healer, and He alone can truly give you rest. If the weight of sin, guilt, and shame are affecting you, talk to God about it. He will listen, guide you, and love you no matter what. In addition to speaking with God, is there something that you confess to your small group, spouse, or other wise counselor? This may be an opportunity for accountability and comfort.
Ask yourself, “Is there a place or pocket of my life that needs a spiritual overhaul?” If you’re not sure, pray and ask God to show you where you can grow spiritually, or where you can stop sin habits in their tracks. This could look like perfectionism, people pleasing, letting pride drive you, etc…Think about the core motivations on why you do what you do. Is it to further the kingdom, or does there need to be a revamping in that area of life? We want you to create a lifestyle of prayer so God can reveal this wisdom to you.
Deliberate Prayer Practice
IF we want to get better at something, deliberate practice is necessary. We talk a lot on deliberate practice in our Grit mini series, so CLICK HERE to get some background on how to do that, and what that actually looks like. We’re debunking this lie: to achieve the miraculous, you need something more insightful than just basic prayer. There is no secret, over the top prayer that’s vital. Prayers can be simple too!
“Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”
Isaiah 61:7
In episode 133, “Create a Lifestyle of Prayer” we reference Biblical stories and share examples of how God came through for those believers. God wants us to follow the path He has laid out for each of us, and we honor Him when we do that. Time after time in the Bible, God blesses those who follow Him. When it comes to praying, we need to put in the honest effort, and be consistently deliberate with talking to God.
Another fun point we touch on in this episode is that general prayers get general results, and specific prayers get specific results. The Bible says to make our requests known to God. It has been so encouraging and fun to pray specifically and seeing those come to fruition. Remember, you don’t need a PhD, have gone to seminary, or be some expert in order to pray. Everyone has access to the Father!
Make Prayer a Lifestyle
At Witty & Gritty, we love practical, actionable steps that help us grow our faith. Think about how can you incorporate prayer into your life. We go over a few examples in the episode, so be sure to scroll backup and press play. If you’re feeling awkward talking to God, no worries! It get’s easier the more you deliberately practice. Just start praying.
Here are a few prayer tips that we go more in depth on in the show:
- Pray to connect to God
- Get specific
- Be patient (not your timeline, His)
- Make your requests known
- Ask to be aligned with God’s plan
- Pray your heart aligns with God’s plan
Remember that prayer is part of the process, and God is working out all the moving parts so that His plan is fulfilled. Again, we give multiple tips and strategies that will help you create a more consistent prayer life that brings about connection with God.
We hope you enjoyed episode 133, “Create a Lifestyle of Prayer” and that you have practical, actionable steps you can take. Be sure to check out this entire Gangster Prayer mini series about relentlessly pursuing God with passion and great expectation. You can do this! We’re here to help. Click the affiliate image below to get your copy of Autumn Miles’ book.
