I’ve been having several conversations with friends lately about the word discipline. It is most often associated with physical training. If you want to be physically healthy, you have to exercise. And to see results, you have to be disciplined and do it daily.
In regards to prayer, if you want to see results, you have to pray daily. Fervently. Just as there is daily discipline required in physical training, there is daily discipline in praying.
It’s never about how you feel, but rather about knowing. You might not feel like exercising, but you know you need to. Same with prayer. You might not feel like it in the moment, but you know you need to. And with both exercising and prayer, you ALWAYS feel better afterwards. No one regrets a workout and no one regrets a prayer.
For me, I have made sure to pray every day and several times a day. I pray through song… I pray in the Spirit…I pray into whatever God puts on my heart. At least once a week I go to the church to pray ahead of the services. It’s easy for me to pray for others, I love it and it gives me joy, but I find it hard to pray for myself.
Can anyone else relate?
I have a hard time praying for my needs. Specifically, praying for my business, Alamo 180. God revealed today that I am not disciplined in praying for my business. I almost feel wrong praying for financial blessing. It feels weird to ask God to bless my business and to be able to serve more people.
Do you ever have something you feel wrong praying to God about, yet, when you really think about it, there isn’t anything wrong about it?
In regards to praying for my business, there is nothing wrong with asking God to bring more people through my doors. I love serving people. And if people are seeking coaching for triathlon, swimming and CrossFit, my business can serve them…and will do so with love. Additionally, if God called me to start this business, wouldn’t it make sense that I pray for it?
Today God revealed something new to me. I was out walking the dog and it was so profound that I literally stopped walking.
The thought that came to my mind was this: don’t work harder, pray harder.
As I pondered on it more, He revealed to me that I am working in my own strength. I keep trying to work harder, and He’s asking me to pray harder. So counter-cultural. This is so opposite of what every business coach and thought leader out there would suggest.
So, today I will approach my prayer life in a fresh way. I will try harder not to get distracted. I will pray believing I am worthy to ask for my needs. I will approach my prayer time with focus on my inner circle first – myself, my family, my marriage, and my business. Then I will move out and focus on others in my church, my community, my country and beyond.
What about you? What is your prayer life like? Are you daily disciplined? Are you working harder or praying harder?
A great place to start is to clear a time in your schedule like you would a meeting and/or a workout. I suggest this because I have found this approach to be most helpful.
God is always revealing new things to me. New layers, new levels. I’m ready to see how this pray harder approach will work. I’m ready. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure how much harder I can work 😉
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