Fresh and Anew

I’ve found that recently my prayer life has become a little stale. It makes me sad to think that my time with the Creator of the universe has become a little stale. My time with the God who loves me more than anyone ever has or ever will, has become somewhat dry. Wow, hurts just to read my own words.

I’ve asked myself, Why? What’s changed? What’s brought me to this place? While I’m sure it’s a variety of things, but for the sake of this post, I want to talk about one area – the power of repetition. I’ll be honest, I’m a creature of habit. It’s easy for me to do the same old same old day in and day out. I like structure. I like security. And repetitive things feed into those areas. It’s comfortable for me.

Routines are good. Structure is good. However, we should not be so bound by them that we aren’t able to experience anything fresh and new. And this is what I feel is happening in my prayer time. I find myself simply saying the same words over and over each day – almost like a digital recording. Matthew 6:7 keeps coming to mind, And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Is this what prayer is supposed to be? Is this how one builds a relationship with his Heavenly Father?

I want this year to be a year of incredible growth for me. I want my relationship with God to go deeper. I want more of Him and less of me. I want to be desperate for time with Him and His Word. And these are things I’m asking for in during my prayer times. However, I don’t want to stop there.

Another thing I’ve done is I recently purchased a book entitled, Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney. I’ve just started reading it, but so far so good. I’ve always known that praying God’s Word is a great way to bring life to your prayer time. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is, Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

One of the passages Mr. Whitney suggests you can pray is Psalm 23. Here are some suggestions of how to use it as your prayer guide.

Thank the Lord for being your Shepherd and taking care of you.
Thank Him for giving you what you need so live in this world.
Thank Him for having you to rest and relax.
Ask Him to guide your steps. Giving you wisdom to make the best decisions.
When facing difficulties/trials/dry spell, ask Him to return you to the joy of your salvation.

The Bible is a gift from God. It’s full of wisdom on how we should live our lives. It is capable of changing our hearts and minds. And it’s the perfect fuel for a fulfilling prayer life. John Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, suggests that we, Open the Bible, start reading it, and pause at every verse and turn it into a prayer.

If you’ve found your prayer life to be a little repetitive recently and want 2017 to start off fresh and anew, it’s my hope and prayer that God’s Word will begin to fill your mind and refresh your heart. May it become the perfect companion to an exciting and fulfilling prayer life!

And may 2017, truly begin fresh and anew.