Faithful in Prayer

(Jeksa and I got to enjoy the sunrise. She even smiled for the camera)

Today was the first work day of my challenge. 5:30 am came very early, but it was so worth it to get up and dive into God's word! I actually didn't get out of bed until 5:36 am, but it was close! Once I was completely ready for work, I got settled in on the couch with my coffee, Bible, and devotional books. I even had time to walk Jeksa to the park and take some beautiful photos of the sunrise that I will share with you. My prayer circle devotional guided me to read Romans 12:11-13 and that is right where I felt God speaking to me the most, thus I will share it with you.

Romans 12:12 says "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." These are some of God's instructions for how we can live a loving life that mirrors God's love for us. I don't know about you, but I feel like there are so many things to get right and follow! As I prayed and asked God to reveal what area I could really focus on, He turned my interest to "faithful in prayer", what does the word "faithful" even mean? Full of faith? Well, according to my google search, full of faith is an obsolete definition! I found synonyms to help me understand the depth of what God is asking us to do when he asks us to be "faithful in prayer". These are some of the words that popped out at me attached, confiding, devoted, dutiful, obedient, steadfast, firm in allegiance, reliable, loyal, enduring, fast, genuine, sincere, incorruptible, loving, trustworthy, and unwavering.That's quite a list! Who knew that little word in the Bible could mean so many things?

What does this mean for me and for us? Everyone's walk looks a little different, God created us differently for a reason so different things will make different people tick. For me, I tend to let off steam and talk through my problems with people that I feel I can confide in. I always find that I am left feeling empty and not feeling much better when I talk it out with someone. I am missing the very first thing I should turn to - pray! One of the synonyms is "fast" and that tells me that God wants me to talk to Him first, not after I have gossiped till my face has turned blue. I rarely will confide in Him and wait for that "gentle whisper" (1 Kings 19:12), I look for instant gratification (so millennial of me) and God is telling me to try something different next time. When I am tempted to call my friend or my mom and complain about something, I am going to take the time to talk to God first and see what happens, see if I am left feeling empty then. My guess is that God will give me more peace than I asked for. He's awesome like that. (See Philippians 4:7)

Which one of these three "instructions" do you think you could focus on? Make sure to ask God first, He will reveal what it is. Feel free to comment!