Make Prayer Your Habit
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“…a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” – Acts 10:2 (NKJV)
At some point in my thirties, I decided to start flossing every morning when I brushed my teeth. I determined to do so after a series of costly visits to the dentist where I underwent several rounds of deep cleanings that drained my bank account. I learned the hard way that oral hygiene would require an “all in” effort on my part.
I’ve learned this lesson in many other fields. I now check the air in my tires and rotate them regularly to prolong the life of my wheels. I’ve started saving money from each pay check in case of an emergency, and I’ve said goodbye to overspending and paying a painfully high percentage of interest to my credit card company.
I’ve come to understand that establishing healthy habits helps me to live with greater peace and contentment.
In Acts 10, we meet a man named Cornelius. The guardrails he’s established in his life set him up for success. Prayer is a consistent part of his life because he understands that half-hearted devotion is not pleasing to God. His “all in” reverence for His Creator lead to generous giving toward the needy and fostered a legacy of faith in his family.
Nehemiah also prioritized prayer in his life. At every turn, we see him fall to his knees and acknowledge his need for God’s favor, wisdom, protection, and strength. He surrendered to God before he endeavored to accomplish any task.
As you examine your own life, what choices are you regularly making that foster greater dependence on God and stimulate your spiritual development? Are you making prayer a habit? Is your life growing in reverence and a spirit of generosity?
God’s desire is for us to grow stronger in faith, but we cannot do that unless we are willing to make tough choices every day like Cornelius and Nehemiah. How we invest our time, talent and treasure today will impact our progress and peace tomorrow.
Let’s Talk: What practical steps can you take this week to make prayer your habit?
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This year, my desire is to lift up holy hands and “Pray Big.” Want to join me? I’ve created a private “Pray Big” Facebook group for like-minded sisters to share their stories and surrender each one to our mountain-moving God in prayer. Let’s cry out to God together.
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“Make Prayer Your Habit” was originally published at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale’s Daily Devo.
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I am sharing “On My Shelf?” and joining like-minded sisters at Give Me Grace, Weekend Whispers, Spiritual Sundays, Faith-Filled Friday, Blessing Counters, Essential Fridays, Live Free Thursday, Tell His Story, Coffee for Your Heart, Three-Word Wednesday, Purposeful Faith’s RaRaLinkup, Rich-Faith Rising, Testimony Tuesday, Sharing His Beauty, and Playdates with God.
Great post, Lyli. I honestly don’t know what I’d do w/o prayer. I mean, who would I talk to all day?! 🙂
Just determining to do it and being intentional about prayer is what does it for me. Sounds simple, but it’s not. Great inspiration here, Lyli!
The phrase “continual conversation” has always motivated me to develop the habit of prayer. God continues to expand my understanding of this gift we have been given. Linking with you at #RaRaLinkUp today. I always enjoy my visits to your wonderful blog!
So…I started smiling at the beginning. I can relate to the flossing endeavor, although it’s still a forced habit here. The smile turned into an “a-ha” as you wove in Cornelius and Nehemiah. Prayer is powerful, but we must “sit” in it, offering God our time and intentional quiet. Nodding my head in agreement with you, Lyli. Enjoyed the powerful impact your post offered today.
“I’ve come to understand that establishing healthy habits helps me to live with greater peace and contentment.” I really needed to hear this statement today! Sometimes the “all-in” part of different habits is hard to follow through on. I desperately want to live an “all-in” life for God, and prayer is one of those reasons.
Absolutely! I need habits to keep my life moving forward with peace. These daily habits like, unloading the dishwasher first thing so that I don’t get overwhelmed with a sink full of dishes, or quiet time before social media so that I am not overwhelmed with this loud and opinionated world, help me so much. Habits can be life-savers.
I love this reminder that we can make new habits with our choices. Thanks for encouraging in such a practical way. I’m glad you linked up at #ThreeWordWednesday.
Prayer, AKA talking to God is SO important! And we should be seeking Him through each decision! ALWAYS a good admonition! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Checking in from Suzie’s #LiveFreeThursday
I made prayer a habit in my life a number of years ago after a Practice of Prayer course at seminary greatly impacted my conversation with God. And it definitely brings greater peace and contentment.
I just love the heart of Nehemiah. I want to be as bold and yet at dependent upon the grace of God as he was in his every day, rock-moving, wall-building life.
Blessings to you, Lyli!
Prayer is so very important yet something I believe many of us struggle with. Love the “guardrail” image!
My favorite time to read the Bible is at night, when the house is quiet. Then once I get under the covers, I talk to God before I fall asleep. However sometimes I get lazy and keep the tv on, and always my reading and praying suffer. You’d think I wouldn’t make the mistake again, but I do, over and over! This is an area where I need to develop the habit of turning off all electronics once the kids are put to bed. Thank you for the encouragement!
YES!!! Thanks for this! Your info, etc., just made me nodding my head. It’s a “me” thing re: the Lord. Bless you!