Coming Into a Place of Prayer
Prayer is not about proving devotion or logging hours. It is about coming—boldly, simply, as children—to a Father who is already willing to give what we need.
How many of us have things we need to pray about?
Prayer requires an active response. And yet, for many of us—especially in the Western church—it is the spiritual discipline we struggle with most. I know it is for me. I do well for a season, then almost without realizing it, I stop praying. The cares of daily life slowly pull me away from the place I have with God.
Still, God continues to call us. He wants us to pray. Developing a prayer life is not optional—it is essential.
When prayer fades, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by the trials of life. Disappointment, discouragement, and temptation begin to gain ground. Many who once professed faith slowly drift—not because they stopped believing, but because they stopped praying. When hardship came, they had no practiced place of return.
Prayer is one of the primary ways God carries us through life’s hurts and disappointments.
“Lord, teach us to pray.”
(Luke 11:1–13)
Jesus’ disciples had already spent significant time with Him. They had watched Him pray. They had heard of John the Baptist’s discipline. And they understood that prayer was connected to spiritual life and endurance. So they asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Jesus responded not with a formula, but with a relationship:
“Father, hallowed be Your name…”
This alone was revolutionary. God was not distant or abstract. He was Father—intimate, attentive, and near.
Jesus taught them to pray for daily provision, forgiveness, freedom from temptation, and alignment with God’s Kingdom. Prayer, He showed them, is about bringing real needs to a real Father.
Forgiveness, in particular, matters deeply. When we forgive others, we are not earning God’s favor—we are removing barriers in our own hearts that hinder freedom and healing.
Boldness, Not Performance
Jesus then tells a story about a man who comes to a friend at midnight asking for bread. The request is inconvenient. The timing is wrong. But because of the man’s boldness—his willingness to ask anyway—the door opens.
The point is not persistence as pressure. It is boldness rooted in relationship.
Many of us hesitate in prayer because we assume a life of prayer demands more time, effort, or discipline than we can supply. We believe prayer must be long, intense, or impressive to be effective.
Nothing hinders us more than that assumption.
We understand that salvation comes by grace—but we quietly believe prayer comes by effort.
Jesus says otherwise.
Prayer is not about extended hours or perfect words. It is about coming. Asking. Trusting. And asking again.
“Ask, and it will be given to you… for everyone who asks receives.”
We are talking about daily needs—bread for today. As God provides, we ask again tomorrow. Prayer becomes a rhythm, not a performance.
Our Father Is Willing
God is not reluctant. He is not hard-pressed for resources. There is no shortage in Him.
When we say, “I don’t want to bother God with my small needs,” what we are often really saying is, “What if He doesn’t answer?”
But Jesus reminds us: if earthly parents know how to give good gifts, how much more will our Father give what is good to His children?
When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple was torn in two. Access was opened. Holiness was satisfied—not by us, but by Him. Now, in Jesus’ name, imperfect people can come boldly before the throne of grace.
Boldness is not arrogance.
Boldness is your privilege.
God wants us to live and pray as His sons and daughters—not as beggars trying to convince Him to care.
We do not overcome God’s reluctance with hours of prayer. We come to Him trusting His willingness.
Start Where You Are
Do you have two minutes a day you can devote to prayer?
Just two minutes.
If you begin today, God can begin answering today. Prayer grows by being practiced—not by being perfected.
Scripture reminds us:
- “Pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
- “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14–15)
One word of caution: resistance will come. Anything that keeps us from prayer keeps us from dependence. But remember—you are a child of the living God, and He delights in hearing from you.
It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
A Closing Prayer
Father,
Forgive me for the ways I have doubted Your willingness and questioned Your care.
Remind me that I do not come to You as a stranger, but as Your child.
Teach me to ask without shame, to trust without fear, and to return to You again and again.
Give me daily bread for today—and the faith to ask again tomorrow.
Amen.