In episode 136, “Wrestling in Prayer”, we talk about what it’s like when God is working on us through prayer. Sometimes we’re in certain circumstances because we need refinement. 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.
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Fight for It
Prayers are worth fighting for. If you feel led to pray about it, do it! We want you to fight the lie: “God’s not giving me a yes because I’m praying wrong.” There are so many right ways to pray. God wants to hear what’s on your heart, and He can handle the big feelings you have. God can handle it when you’re angry, He can handle it when you’re sad. Sometimes wrestling in prayer is how we grow and learn.
Gut check: there are no shortcuts when it comes to praying. God doesn’t operate on your timeline, and it is likely God is working on your when waiting happens. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- What does the Bible say about prayer?
- How does Jesus model praying?
- Is God trying to grow you in some way?
“Your spiritual growth is much more of a priority to God than your level of comfort.”
Autumn Miles, “Gangster Prayer”
When we find ourselves wrestling in prayer, we may need to ask God to point out where we need to work. If you find yourself in a circumstance, maybe it’s because god needs you to work on that aspect of life. Keep moving forward in faith, and use the power of reflection to look back at how God’s plan is better and more timely. Friendly reminder that your character is more important than your request, so God is going to work things out of you that need to be worked on. Try pivoting your mindset.
“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
Prayer and Fasting
This is a great Biblical topic we haven’t touched on yet in this mini series, so we were excited to discuss it in episode 136 (scroll back up to listen). We want you to fight the lie: “I’m doomed already, so there’s no point in praying.” Say what? God is a God of hope, and He would never want you to feel doomed or to the point you want to just roll over and call it quits. He wants you to live a life of hope, joy, and peace. If you haven’t coupled fasting with prayer, we strongly encourage you to do so. We give a couple of anecdotes from past experiences in episode 136, “Wrestling in Prayer”.
Fasting is to restrain yourself from something, and use that to draw you closer to God. Some people choose a particular food, social media, or a bad habit (again, many right ways to do this). As you fast, pray that whatever steps you need to take are obvious and you have peace over it. Fasting and prayer go hand in hand in certain situations as you feel led.
Prayer ca remind you of who God is. Find those Biblical truths about God and keep them on repeat in your mind and heart. You can even make notecards or write them on your mirror. Look back and reflect on what God has done, and what He says He will do. Keep a foundation of faith in your prayers.
Suit Up
We talk a lot about the armor of God on the show (we even have a free mini journal about it, scroll all the way down and grab it!). When we’re wrestling in prayer, haven’t gotten the next step yet, or are just plain stuck in a situation, suit up in the armor of God. Align your choices with God’s plan (this means talk to Him about it). When crisis comes your way, think about how you respond. Do you have a knee jerk reaction of panic, or do you stop and pray? It takes practice to make this shift, but once you start turning fears into prayers, it’s a game changer.
Let’s turn prayer into our first step when trials come our way. This brings peace beyond understanding, faith to lean on, and confidence to move forward in positive action. We know you can do it, because we are here today living that life. God wants that for you too!
We hope you enjoyed episode 136, “Wrestling in 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.
