Today at a church meeting the facilitator talked about never giving up on prayer. There have been concerns on my mind about my Christian Walk. I have been grappling with my quest for stronger conviction. I seek deeper beliefs about faith, prayer, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I do believe but there are inconsistencies that I must resolve. It dawned on me. To answer my questions, I must go on a quest myself. This requires a deep dive and giving it full attention.
To start with, I want to think about Prayer. Understanding its power and effect requires consistent prayer, not just seeking it when in need. Prayer is a continuous conversation, and while answers come in unexpected ways, they are always available. And it is a two-way conversation.
Being of a logical and analytical frame of mind, I like to-do lists and action plans. I keep track of where I want to be and how do I get there. Talking about Prayer and thinking of my action plan, I like tracking and being accountable. My readers can be an accountability partner as well.
I use Google Sheets and I also like to write in a book. Sometimes though I misplace the book and then lose a day and then another. With Google Sheets it is on my drive and very accessible. Also since Prayer is a conversation there is a listening part required. And how does this happen; how do you listen ?? I have been busy. My mind is engaged in what I have to do. I have not taken time to sit without any noise and listen. Waiting and listening is not easy…. Sometimes my quiet time is in the morning. Other times, it’s at night. I am a creature of habit. If something is not instilled in me, it can fizzle out in due course. I want to start small and set twenty minutes a day for the next week. What time of day ? Set a time of day that suits you best. Routines are set up by doing something consistently and starting small.
But, most of all I want to invigorate this prayer conversation with Jesus/God and the Holy Spirit. Something just came to mind about prayer from a Christian perspective and a non-Christian perspective. Anyways, I do not want to delve too much into this. If prayer is not a consistent element in my life, I feel lacking in living out the Christian life. I believe it is essential. After all, becoming a Christian is about a change. It is not about having all your wishes granted. There is that element of asking and expecting. Yet, I do believe that change happens when we have a wish to know Christ. Then, He leads the way. Prayer being the key!
Stay tuned to my discovery of imbibing these spiritual disciplines into my life through a conscious and deliberate action plan. I have tried many devotionals but something did not stick. By writing about this, I want to discover and focus on this spiritual discipline. I also wish to share the impact it has made in my life. Again, to recap for myself and my readers, start with a prayer for the Holy Spirit to illumine your mind and how you will listen:
Start small and start with the Bible, reading a chapter a day!
Mediate on it and what was the takeaway message!
Have a prayer list and tracking mechanism!
Celebrate when you get your answers!