“Prayer is the way you walk by the spirit and by faith, it is the breath of the Christian life all day long.” – John Piper
Have you ever considered that simple earnest prayer in the life of a Christian may be just as breath is to the human body? Breathing in and out is not something we have to think about doing because it is natural and kind of an imperative. Without breath moving in and out of our lungs, in good time, we will be unable to live! And when it comes to our prayer life, or the breath of our faith, it should be an endless conversation with our infinite and eternal Father.
This doesn’t mean that we need to overcomplicate things with God by using lofty words to express our heart. He is our Father and can already see what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8). So why don’t we take a leaf out of Paul’s book as he writes in 1 Corinthians 2:2-5, “Dear brothers, even when I first came to you I didn’t use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God’s message. For I decided that I would speak only of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.” Our continuous prayers may just be a quick prayer for someone we see walking on the side of the road, or when you think of someone you love, just lift them up in a prayer to God.
A basis for simple prayer
If you are praying into a specific situation John Piper suggests these four simple elements to remember and then use as a basis for prayer. We encourage you to try them out and let us know how it worked out for you.
- Confess your need for God’s help. Let Him know that you cannot do anything apart from Him. (John 15:5)
- Turn your confession into petition. Ask God to help you, for example, maybe you would ask Him to renew your mind and give you a fresh perspective.
- Praise God for the awesome promises He has given us in the Word. And that He is who He says He is, even in your life and even before you see any outcome.
- Thank Him even before you feel better, before things change because even when we don’t feel it, God is always true to us and He will always show up for us.
