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Written by Marissa Gonzáles, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Guatemala
"Pray continually." (1Th 5:17 NIV)
As we read this verse, many of us may ask ourselves, “How can I accomplish this?”
Although some of us learned to pray from our parents or from someone who guided us in our spiritual lives, others did not have that support or teaching—they learned in the process of their growth in faith.
At some point in our lives, we all ask ourselves, “How should I pray? What will be the best way to do it?” Or we worry, “Why is our prayer not as fluid as others?”
Remember, praying is like conversing with someone very close to you to whom you want to tell everything you are going through or your life plans. In it, we find and achieve a close connection, and who better to do this with than our Heavenly Father—remembering that He is the center of everything and that our relationship with Him strengthens our life, faith, and prayers. When you start in prayer, it does not need to be extensive; start small, from your heart, and over time, it will become easier and more fluid.
Remember Jesus saying, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Mt 6:6).
Whenever possible, find a place without distractions where you feel comfortable. I know that for moms, grandmothers, or those in charge of a little one, it is not easy to have these spaces. But as soon as you have those little quiet moments, take advantage of them! Give yourself some time for your communication with God, especially if it's at the beginning of the day, and find a place where you feel safe, and where you can connect and know that He hears you. Jesus set the example for us.
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mk 1:35)
I know it may not be easy to get started, but something that helped me was to make a list of thanksgiving where I could write simple things: thanks for light, cold, heat, etc. Your list may initially be small, but you'll gradually add more. Also, consider in that list what you think are "bad" things; for example, you left home late, the tire of your car or motorcycle was punctured, the transportion you were awaiting was delayed, etc. You'll say, “Be thankful for that?!” Yes, there's something good in everything. What seems bad to you will leave you with a lesson learned, or it will free you from something more unpleasant than just the displeasure of the moment.
Remember the fruit of the Holy Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-25)
And remember, praying isn't just about exposing all the needs or difficulties you're going through; it's not even just asking for what you don't have. Rather, it is the means to find peace as you connect with our Father, being grateful for what He allowed you to experience whether it is considered good or bad.
So, start by expressing thanks for every moment... Thank you, God, for this day, thank you for my family, thank you for the coffee, thank you...
Some may say, "How can you give thanks even for coffee?” Yes, we should also be thankful for little things like that because they give us pleasant and comfortable moments! By doing this, we improve our dialogue with God because it will no longer be just about giving thanks; we will also be mindful of why we say thank you. We will understand every situation in our daily lives, and we will be aware that we can change our attitude towards life and others, and that's where our relationship with God will grow.
With this as a foundation, you will form your prayer. Remember that Jesus left us guidance and an example when He prayed to the Father (Mt 6:7-15). Honoring our Heavenly Father, let us humbly present ourselves, ask Him for forgiveness for those faults we have committed, thank Him, express our love and trust in Him, and express what we feel from the heart— total dependency (24x7).
Be thoughtful about your prayers. Which do you do more: asking or being thankful?
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Written by Adriana Rocha, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brazil
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Php. 4:6 NIV)
When I converted to Christ, I discovered that I possessed a weapon to use against my problems: prayer! In my process of learning to pray, I also realized how many things within me I needed to work on and improve. But, oftentimes with the wrong motives, I used prayer as a blindfold that kept me from seeing what was really happening and what I needed to do.
Over the past few years, during a very difficult period of my life, I have had my most intense experience with prayer. Although I did not intend for prayer to be a last resort, it was all that was left when all the other options were no longer available. But I was in a battle that I did not fight alone—I always had my relationship with God. In the moments that discomfort kept me from sharing with my brothers and sisters about the situation, I sought comfort in God.
This situation taught me that I need to pray, asking for help from God to see things as they truly are, discernment to know how I should proceed, and understanding of how and what to pray for. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Ro. 8:26). Once we understand what to do, we need to ask God for the strength to act.
One of the things that was very positive for me during this process was having a friend persevering in prayer with me. This dear, trusted sister spent hours on the phone with me. Our time together sharing what was happening and praying was very important to me. When I didn’t want to be patient and wanted to simply act without waiting for what God had prepared for me, this sister helped me to see the importance of God’s process of preparation. It is so precious to have someone praying with us: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Mt. 18:20).
Oftentimes during the break in church service, we would go into a room so that I could share how I was feeling, and we would pray together because I didn’t want anyone else to hear about the bad things that were happening. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (Jas. 5:16). Her encouragement for us to pray together made all the difference for me. She was also going through some difficult struggles and our friendship allowed us to pray for her problems as well.
But this time with her in communion and prayer did not replace my alone time with God. I continued praying “alone” too! I learned that even though God knows all things, rather than throw around random situations, my prayers should be specific. I prayed even in the moments that I didn’t know what to say to God, trying to hand over the situation to Him instead of spending my energy on something that I couldn’t do anything about.
I prayed even on the days that I had just enough strength to slide out of bed and get down on my knees and, not knowing what to say, just cry. “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:12-13). I feel that God has given me the strength and heart to keep me on my feet while facing this problem, sustaining me so that the new demands won’t shake me.
During the entire situation, one verse remained on my mind: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Jos. 1:9). If going through all of that was as difficult as it was, imagine going through it without God’s sustenance.
To conclude, I want to remind you that prayer frees us and brings us relief. It is a blessing to give up our worries to God. Even when we are unable to express them with words, God knows what we mean. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col. 4:2). We cannot do what is not up to us. We need to hand our worries over to God. People often say: “All I can do is pray,” as if that were something small. But praying is the most important action of all. Instead, we should say, “I’m going to do the best thing I can do: pray!” Stop going around in circles on your own, come to the Creator, and follow His guidance.
What about you? Are you willing to be prepared by God to act after your prayer?