Ephesians 6:18 - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

Have you ever been in a bind and didn't know how you would get out? Your heart is racing because you have to explain this messy situation and you know it WILL NOT END WELL. I had to have a difficult conversation with someone recently and I had no idea how to start it. I had so much anxiety that it showed all over me; pacing back and forth while sweating. In an attempt to calm me down my husband said four words: "Just Pray About It." His response seemed so simple. All that ran through my mind was, “I don’t even know what to pray about.” So much was going through my mind that gathering my thoughts to pray seemed overwhelming and I didn’t have much time. “What should I say,” “How should I pray,” “Should I kneel or stand,” “I didn't know where to start.” After thinking about it for three minutes with the countdown clock still ticking, I decided to pray in the spirit. Seven minutes praying in the spirit and now it was time. I was still nervous, but the time had come to deliver the news. I took a deep breath with my eyes closed, picked up the phone and dialed her number. The 6-minute conversation, while short, seemed like the best conversation I had that week. The situation I thought was a mess, wasn't a situation at all. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER, especially when you don’t know what to pray for. 

Let this 5-Day Devotional guide you as you pray. 

Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Prayer is simply communicating with God. Every religion on this earth requires some form of communicating with their God. Some have specific rituals and require a specific number of prayers per day, while others have mediators who go on the behalf of people. Thankfully, Christianity has given us the ALL ACCESS PASS to God. Prayer of praise, supplication, intercession, or thanksgiving is your avenue to communication with your Almighty Father. I grew up trained to say specific prayers, in an explicit format at least three times a day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I later realized that despite doing this for many of my elementary school years, I did not have a clear revelation of who God was. I was praying daily out of habit but had not developed a personal relationship with God. The more I learned about God, the more I realized that if I wanted to know him, I had to spend quality time with him. I needed to speak with him, listen to him and get to know him. All of which can be done through prayer, which he does not require in a rigid format.  After all, he created us to be unique and expects us to speak to him in our own voice. God loves when you spend time praying to him, especially when it is genuine. It doesn’t matter if we pray by shouting or in silence, standing or kneeling, on our bed or in our prayer closet; as long as we are praying. He wants to hear from you in your voice and in your truth. While you may admire how someone else’s recitation of scripture and/or how they describe God while praying, remember God wants you to pray in your truth.  

 PRAYER: Heavenly father, thank you for the gift of prayer and the freedom to pray in various expressions. Lord teach me how to pray in my truth and not in a rigid structured manner that limits my discovery of you. As I grow in developing a relationship with you, let me experience you in a new way through this wonderful avenue of prayer, in Jesus Name. Amen. 

John 14:14 - You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

 These three words have so much power: IN JESUS NAME. The name of Jesus is an authoritative name that when mentioned, things happen. Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, use it or not, the name of Jesus is a weapon. It heals, it delivers, it comforts, it saves, it protects, it provides and it lives forever. No wonder why it is so often used to open, close and fill so many prayers. Repeated over and over to stress its significance.  I’ve heard the name of Jesus used as THE prayer – an expression of affirmation, declaration and/or completion. I’ve heard it yelled in church, whispered at work, in random non-religious conversation and by non-religious people. I’ve heard stories of people shouting out Jesus in their sleep to escape a horrible dream or to calm anxiety in a stressful situation. But why do we use the “In Jesus Name” in our prayers? Because we were instructed to, that is if you want your prayer answered. Jesus was extremely clear when he told his disciples that they could ask for anything in his name and he will do it. He has the authority to do and he has agreed to do it. This is why we pray in Jesus name. We believe what he said and respect the authority of his name. I can testify that the name of Jesus has done miracles in my life, too many to mention. Several prayers were answered at rapid speed when I called on the name of Jesus. Unexpected favor, financial blessings, healing and so much more. Those three words have transformed my life and can do the same for you, if you use it. Try it out, you won’t be disappointed. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, continuously reveal to me the power of the name Jesus. Teach me how to trust in the name of Jesus when praying to you. When in doubt, remind me of what Jesus told his disciplines and give me the courage to follow your instruction. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

James 4:2 - You do not have because you do not ask

We all have requests that may or may not make it to our daily prayer list in the morning. Most times, because we focus on the major requests: Favor at work, spirit of excellence when completing a task, breakthrough and protection throughout the day. While these requests are major and necessary, God is concerned with each and every one of our requests regardless of how major or minor we think it is.  God reminded me of this a few years ago by responding to a whispered somewhat unintentional prayer request. I remember going shopping during the busy shopping season of the year - the week of Christmas. As expected, the mall parking lot was filled with every type of car you can imagine. I arrived at the mall in the middle of the day and was just praying for a spot close to the door because I was not feeling well and I had limited time to shop. So, I whispered a short prayer: Lord please open up a spot near the entrance of the mall in Jesus name, Amen. And that is exactly what He did. Within 45 seconds of me saying amen, someone walked out, got into their car, pulled out, and I slid right into that spot. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I had to pause for a second to thank God for answering that little prayer request. I was tickled and reminded that no matter how small we think our requests are, when we ask, He hears us and is able to answer our prayer. When I think of verse 2 in James chapter 4, I can’t help but to wonder how many desires would become my reality if only I had asked. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for the revelation of asking and receiving. I pray that you transform my mind and cultivate a mindset to be confident to ask, even if it’s a whisper, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.  

Mark 11:23 – Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

When we pray, there is usually a gap of time from our Amen to our answered prayer. This can range from seconds to years depending on God’s will. For some, waiting results in another prayer request around endurance or patience and for others, it’s a time to build your faith. We’ve heard it over and over again, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. How do you build your faith while you wait? You make the decision to walk by faith. Meaning, operating in the place of answered prayers: thanking God in advance, declaring your testimony and truly believing it is done. A friend of mine who was very single, had a clear description of qualities she had of her future husband. She knew his ethnicity, his height, his age and his hobbies. When she described him to others, some people would think she was already in the relationship, but her close friends knew that they hadn’t even met. Her confidence and faith was like no other. She prayed about him and had 100% faith that God would grant her her heart’s desire. Regardless of the obstacles that came her way, the guys that possessed some, but not all, of the qualities she described, she refused to lose faith and she held on. Her faith was unwavering, even when people told her to lower her standards. But she refused, and a few years later, she married the man she had described to us years prior. A few of her friends were impressed, others saw it as coincidence. I believe she prayed about it, then operated in faith. Operating in faith may seem odd or unrealistic but true faith is exercised when the situation seems odd and your belief is unrealistic. 

 PRAYER: Lord teach me how to operate in faith while I wait. I start today by thanking you in advance for answered prayers, declaring the various testimonies of my life and truly believing it is done, in Jesus Name, Amen. 

Matthew 6: 16 - When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

Praying to God can be coupled with a sacrifice to reduce distraction and to get closer to him. This sacrifice is fasting. Fasting is depriving yourself from pleasure or food temporary in order to hear from God.  The goal of fasting is to heighten your spiritual awareness by focusing on knowing him, spending time studying his word and praying. It should be a routine part of your walk with Christ. Fasting and praying brings confirmation and revelation regarding your life or a specific prayer point. It is important to make sure that your fast is a personal and private sacrifice to the Lord and not a public display of your righteousness. People should not be able to know you are fasting just by looking at you. This should not be a time that you change your demeanor or attitude to show others that you are refraining from food. It should be a time when the Holy Spirit shines through you more than before - which can be difficult. It seems like when I fast, I’m more irritable, annoyed and perplexed by the actions of people around me. It could be their normal behavior but because my body is not getting its usual nutrients, it seems like my mind automatically responds negatively. I noticed this early in my walk with Christ so I began to take preventive measures. For example, during my weekly fast, I meditate on a few more scriptures before the leaving the house, play uplifting songs on my way to and from work and listen to sermons or audio bible while at work. I noticed that these intentional steps minimized my negative responses and maximized positive energy all around me. The one thing I haven’t been able to conquer is the office parties and free meals that seem to ALWAYS happen on the days that I fast.  Fasting has added so much to my life and my understanding of who God is and it will do the same for you. Step out on faith by fasting and praying this week and watch God move like never before. 

PRAYER: Heavenly father, help me to draw near to you when I fast and pray. Speak to me and help me be sensitive to your word. Show me the things I need to deprive myself of to be closer to you. In Jesus Name, Amen.