“Teach Us To Pray!”

Hello and happy Monday TWP family! This morning I came across an article on The Baptist Standard. Thank you Eric Black and your team! The article highlighted Lifeway Research’s 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors Study.

After taking a look at the article and the study, it is interesting to see that consistency in prayer leads as one of the most important Spiritual Disciplines. I would submit that participating in prayer for pastors and their congregants is extremely vital for the health of it’s community!

How are my prayers?

How are your prayers?

Do you ever feel as if your prayer time is stale and in need of some life?

At times, I do!

Here are a few resources that I pray reignites both our personal prayer time and encourage us to inspire our family, and church family to follow our lead:

I took Dr. Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines class at Souther Seminary. During that term I was grateful for the opportunity to be honest and allow God to stretch the area of prayer in my everyday. In an article on Crossway Dr. Whitney says, “So what is the simple solution to the boring routine of saying the same old things about the same old things? Here it is: when you pray, pray through a passage of Scripture, particularly a psalm. That probably didn’t seem as dramatic as you were expecting.” (A Simple Solution To A Boring Prayer Life - Crossway Articles)

While it may not seem so dramatic, taking the time to be intentional in restructuring our prayer time will be extremely fruitful, especially when we tie it to God’s Word!

“Our problem isn’t the way we talk about prayer. We talk about it with all the fervency and eloquence it deserves. Our problem is the way we treat prayer. Our practice doesn’t line up with our proclamations, which is always a sign that something is off (see James 2).”

That above quote is from page 18 in the book called “PRAYER” by John Onwuchekwa. This little, yet helpful book is from a line of books from 9Marks.

Prayer shapes and stretches us all!

Let’s go!

I pray that we would all be encouraged and re-energized to make time for prayer in our everyday. Remember, as always, don’t do it alone! Pray with your family, pray with your friends, pray with another pastor. Have a super week and see y’all soon!

This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.‭‭ (Matthew‬ ‭6:9-15‬)