Do you get discouraged about praying? We all do. It seems like empty babble at times. And other times, you fervently worship, lifting every need to Him. If you type “prayer” in the search box of this website, you will find helpful articles about it. But just for today, maybe you wonder, “Am I wasting my time with my prayers? Maybe I don’t pray right about the situation or person.” If you are in that space, here’s a little encouragement.

5 Ways to Be Confident in Prayer:

1. Do you have a pure heart? Are your eyes focused on God, or is sin blocking fellowship with His Spirit? He wants your heart. Keep praying. Praying purifies.
2. In addition to your needs, do you ask for someone or yourself to grow in Christ-likeness? Do you pray for the advance of Kingdom work? Is prayer for the salvation of another in your heart?
3. Do you pray for unity within your church or for a person to return in fellowship with believers?
4. Do you ask God to give you the faith you need to please Him? Are you dependent on God to answer your most urgent needs?
5. Do you desire to pray? And if you don’t, do you go to Him even with that need? He loves an honest heart before Him.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    He delivers them from all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17

The verse does not mean the troubles go away. Praying draws you near (James 4:8). Ultimately, in the end, your deliverance is from eternal Hell. Hallelujah! But on earth, His deliverance as you draw near looks like peace, strength, knowledge, power, hope, and more!

Plus, you have an Advocate, the promised Holy Spirit, who brings your prayers before God (Romans 8:26). Praying increases your faith. But know that the situation often does not improve. It can get worse, but His near presence will sustain your spirit through it all. No matter what, you will desire to please Him and wait on Him.

God owes me nothing. The fact that I am His child and He wants to hear from me is more than I deserve. He is The Gift. I get to love Him, and just like a loving Father, He daily loads me with benefits (Psalm 68:19). Whether they come as a direct answered prayer is not important. The God of the universe bends down to listen to me when I pray. That’s prayer plus!

You may get discouraged over the years, but keep praying. Don’t give the enemy any room. Keep running your race with Jesus. You don’t know how close you are to God’s timing for the answer. Remember Romans 12:12, which says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

©Valerie Rumfelt

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