As a natural communicator and lover of words, I love to pray. There are certain things that I truly believe only prayer can accomplish (Mark 9:29). I think God is constantly inviting us to pray for more, and to pray bigger prayers. As our prayers get bigger, our perception of God grows too. He becomes more real to us, and we see His powerful hand closely at work in our lives.
If you want to pray bigger and better prayers, here are some places you can start...
Ask God for His vision
It's difficult to pray when you don't know what you're praying for. Asking God for His vision is one of the best places to start. Instead of praying vague and general prayers for your family, ask God for His vision for your family. Is it to spread the gospel? Is it to bring transformation? Is it to take part in revival in your neighborhood or community?
Invite the Holy Spirit to give you His vision over the situations, circumstances, and people you are praying over and for. This will give you guidance and direction as you pray.
Pray God's promises from scripture
If you are struggling with what words to say or where to start, scripture is always the best place to root your prayers in. If you feel like you can't see God's vision for a situation or circumstance, or if you just need guidance, go to the Word of God!
Not only are there countless prayers modeled for us to use throughout scripture, but any passage can be used to pray. Check out the post on how to pray scripture here.
Invite people to pray with you
There is power in prayers when we are praying together (Matthew 18:20). Think of a few people in your life who would be able to partner with you in prayer. Not only is it a powerful experience to pray together, but it's helpful to provide accountability and to feel strengthened by the community of believers.
If you want me to pray with you, submit your prayer request here.
Be specific
Mark Batterson wrote in his book The Circle Maker, "God does not answer vague prayers. The more specific your prayers are, the more glory God receives."
When we pray specific prayers, we invite God to show up and receive glory when He does. A vague prayer is difficult for God to answer, but when we are specific and ask for something that is clear and direct, God's answer is clear and direct to us and to everyone watching. He gets so much glory from this!
Don't give up
This can be one of the most difficult things about prayer. Often, we want quick results and we want to see God move the first time we pray. But, it doesn't always work that way. Instead, we have to be persistent in our prayers, sometimes praying for the same things every day for years.
As we pray consistently, God gives us the strength to endure and the patience to persist in prayer. He often strengthens our faith as we continue to pray and believe. Don't give up, keep praying and asking for your miracle, and seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:11)