When my wife Norma was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, prayer became more important than ever. However, I found that it was frequently hard to pray. My heart said “pray,” but I was often too tired, busy or distracted. The bible says to pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17); but, I felt my prayers were too infrequent and inadequate. I desperately needed God’s wisdom and help.
Here is what the Lord said that really helped me to pray more effectively for her. (His words to me are in blue.)
God understands how I feel
Michael, you are learning how to pray through close, personal issues. There is need for ongoing prayer, but you have seen how hard it is to sustain. Even when you are totally committed and serious about praying, it can be hard! It is so easy to be distracted and interrupted throughout the day.
In difficult times we need commitment and wisdom
What it takes in these situations is commitment and wisdom. Commitment is the easy part. Out of love you care, and when you care you desire to do all you can. Certainly this physical help is important, but spiritual help and support is the most valuable – that is the role of prayer.
Since it is often hard to focus and concentrate for extended times of prayer, it is best to do repeated bursts of fervent prayer.
The need can be large and overreaching, but the duration of the prayer can be focused and short. It is not the length of the prayer, nor the repetition of words that moves Me, but the heart behind the simple request. In this way, whatever you request in My name, that I will do.
So, repeated, focused prayers are more effective than long prayers filled with natural thoughts and words. It is these burst-prayers from your heart that can move mountains.
What you are doing is simply joining with Me and releasing My presence and power to act.
The keys to sustaining prayer
Oswald Chambers
In this same vein, it is best to respond whenever you feel My prompting.
That is, whenever a spontaneous thought or picture enters your mind, act on it. This can be a very simple action. Stop and pray a short, fervent, targeted prayer. These are like arrows that hit their mark every time!
Additionally, when you are prompted by a spontaneous impression, word, or picture, pray in your spiritual language.
This too becomes a prayer birthed in Me, from your heart, perfectly targeted to achieve My desired goal. While extended prayer is good, the addition of repeated bursts of praying in the Spirit throughout the day creates an atmosphere of faith, and releases My presence and power.
Praying without ceasing
A combination of spirit-led natural prayer, and Spirit-inspired prayers in your spiritual language produces much good fruit. And this fruit lasts, for it is birthed and nurtured by My directed prayers through you. This makes it possible to do what is naturally impossible – to pray without ceasing! You can do this My son, you can.
Praying repeatedly throughout the day has really helped me to strengthen my prayers for Norma’s recovery. I hope these insights from the Lord encourage and inspire you as well.
If this post has helped you, please let me know and share it with your friends.
Thank you for this message. It inspires and helps me to improve my prayer time, frequency and abilities.
As you are putting these ideas into practice let me know how it goes. What in particular did you find valuable?
Thank you for sharing this message. Dave has brain cancer. He had a radiation/laser treatment
a month ago. He still has the fatigue, difficulty walking that he had prior to treatment. He has to have an MRI in June and then perhaps we will know more. We are praying for Norma and you. Love and appreciate you.
Hello Judy, I am sorry to hear about Dave. I understand your concerns, and we are praying for him and for his complete recovery.
Thank you Michael for this wonderful commentary on praying. I am excited to put these ideas into practice! I’m upholding Norma daily in prayer. I especially want to implement the small fervent bursts of prayer throughout the day.
I’m thrilled to hear that these insights are helping you. Please share how the small, fervent prayer bursts are helping your prayer life. Your comments will help us all.
I’ve been using the driving time in my car as one of the small outbursts of prayer as I go about my day. I usually pray in my spiritual language as I drive around. I’ve felt a closeness to God as I do this! I feel a freedom in the Lord because of these fervent prayer times while I drive. I’m grateful to be able to pray in the spirit at different periods of the day while I go about my daily routine.
Debbie, you definitely have the idea and are doing it well to take advantage of your time while driving. Thanks for sharing about how powerful praying in your spiritual language has been.