Prayer is a lifestyle. Prayer is our lifeline and we must pray fervently and persistently. Prayer is a gift from God to communicate, draw closer, and develop a deep personal relationship with Him. For our prayer to be effective, it needs passionate and aggressive faith behind it. Prayer is connected to fasting. Through prayer and fasting, we develop a passion for God that supersedes everything else. Matthew 17:21 states, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble ourselves in the sight of God. King David said, “I humbled myself with fasting.” Psalm 35:13. Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes to things that our natural eyes would not see, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life.
The greatest misfortune isn’t the prayers that aren’t answered, but the prayers that were never offered. Jeremiah 29:12 states, “In those days when you pray, I will listen.” The Lord not only hears, but He listens to our cries. Christ alone is our Cornerstone and we must draw nigh to Him in prayer as He draws nigh to us even when circumstances aren’t ideal.
We need to guard against complacency. Revelation 3:16 states, “But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. The Bible warns us about the dangers of complacency, which Webster defines as “a feeling of being satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better: self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”
This is a very dangerous place to be, and as I am writing, I am self-examining my walk with the Lord and areas in which I’ve become complacent and lethargic in my spirit. Oftentimes, when we pray, we are expecting an immediate answer, and over time, when we pray and nothing happens, we become frustrated and start losing trust in God. Then, our prayers become passive and not aggressive; ergo, we become complacent with our prayers.
Complacency takes root in us when we become weak in prayer and our faith dwindles. We then find it hard to pray or we stop praying altogether. Believe me, I’ve been there, but the Holy Spirit will not leave us nor forsake us; we must keep on praying even if there are no signs, even if it doesn’t make sense, even if you can no longer hear the voice of God about what you’re going through, only silence. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 states, “Pray without ceasing.” Prayer changes things, so keep on praying until something happens.
About Kiesha Pitter…
Kiesha Pitter loves God and all things books and reading. She has been saved for 11 years and attends the Kingdom Life Advancement Centre on Molynes Road, Kgn. Jamaica. God has helped her overcome many physical challenges and emotional breakdowns and she uses writing as therapy. She also enjoys listening to music and spending time with her family.
