Prayer Warrior

“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

When I read this three word verse, the first thing that comes to mind is my dear friend, Ann. If you asked me to describe Ann’s life in one word, that word would be prayer. Ann is passionate when it comes to prayer. She has a room in her house dedicated to prayer with a library of books and publications written on the subject, some of which Ann has authored herself. Ann is a true prayer warrior. 

I, on the other hand, am a prayer warrior wanna-be. Once during an early morning prayer meeting at my church, I decided to go into the prayer room and kneel down at the altar to pray. I guess I thought it would be more “spiritual.” Thirty minutes later, I woke up from my so-called prayer time. 

Turns out, I’m not the only one who falls asleep during a prayer meeting. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he and his disciples went up to a familiar garden to pray. I assume it had been an exhausting day because some of Jesus’ disciples fell asleep. When he found them sleeping, Jesus asked, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?” After my prayer room experience, I thought, “Lord, I can’t even make it thirty minutes!” But prayer is not about setting a timer. It’s about talking to God. It’s about listening for His response. 

Prayer is central to our relationship with God. The Bible encourages us to never stop praying. Pray while you’re on your way to work, while you’re washing the dishes, while you’re mowing the lawn. Pray in the morning or the evening, whatever you are doing as you go about your day. A rich prayer life will deepen your relationship with God and provide a natural place to run to when life’s storms arise.