Praying with Confidence

 

Praying with Confidence

By Amy Gentry

I’ve had ADD tendencies for years; I call it the ‘attention span of a gnat.’  For the longest time, I struggled to pray.  I would begin praying in bed at night but fall asleep, I would begin praying then get sidetracked by a sound the washer/dryer was making, I would begin praying while writing my to-do, I would begin praying and then….. do the 9 million other things that in that very moment had vast importance.

FRUSTRATION!!!  I felt like Paul, the things I wanted to do I didn’t and the things I didn’t want to do I did.  I wanted to talk to God and be all there for the entire conversation.

Like I had done many times before, I developed an ADD coping mechanism:

·         STEP 1- I had to use a Daily Bible reading schedule from The One Year Bible, I read a portion from the old testament, new testament, psalms and proverbs everyday (www.oneyearbibleonline.com).  

·         STEP 2- I had to realize that when I was reading God’s Word, He was speaking directly to me.  Some of it did not apply to what was going on currently in my life but other parts were spot on.  What He meant for me, He would illuminate through His Holy Spirit.  “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

·         Step 3- I began to pray those scriptures back to God.  When I am praying scripture back to God, I can pray with confidence. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)  When I pray scripture I am coming into agreement with God on HOW He wants me to pray for a particular situation!!!  OK. BUT HOW? --Pray a scripture by quoting it- meditate on it while you are reading, reciting, or writing that verse.   --Pray a scripture in your own words for a particular situation inserting your name or the names of your loved ones.  --Pray about a situation that is brought to mind when you read a certain passage.

Although my prayer life is not perfect, I have personally seen a “180” in the content of my prayers.  I no longer feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling.   God gives me direction every day, without fail, on how He wants me to pray.  I feel that I am now better equipped with the tools that I needed to keep me focused on God and not the dryer buzzer.

CHALLENGE:  Seek God’s face by praying back to Him scripture every day. It is THEN you will see the powerful force of God’s Word moving in your life. Through your obedience you will be walking in victory.

Going Even Deeper: Pray the scriptures OUT LOUD – even a whisper.  Speaking God’s Word back to Him is powerful.