Constant Connection

God knows what 2025 brings and He gave me the focus I need for those challenges and so my word
for 2025 is Prayer. Prayer has power? We turn to prayer because it is the most personal way to
experience God, to encounter Him and to grow in intimacy and knowledge of Him. As it is written in
the book of Ephesians, God’s desire is for us to pray “on all occasions”.
How many purposes for prayer can you think of? There are prayers of praise, worship, thankfulness,
and rejoicing. There are prayers of confession and repentance. There are prayers for personal needs,
such as food, health, strength, wisdom and forgiveness. There are prayers of intercession for the
needs of others, for the salvation of unsaved loved ones, and for churches, schools and missionaries.
When something in our lives or thoughts makes us anxious, we need to go to God and talk to him
about it. The lessons of trust God sends us are usually wrapped in difficulties, but their benefits far
outweigh their cost. Well-developed trust brings many blessings and God’s Peace is a special
gift! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
Many of us want to pray but we feel unsure about what to say or where to start. One of our first
prayers should be to pray to understand God’s will for the situation we’re praying about. Whether
we’ve been praying for years or are new to praying here’s some thoughts to guide us.
First of all, when we pray as believers in the gospel, we pray from a position of being forgiven,
cleansed and honored. We are ‘always STANDING IN GRACE and ALREADY blessed with every
spiritual blessing in Jesus. He is always pleased with us and always allows us to make choices. We
can’t be separated from His love. These are just a FEW things about us that are permanent and
important to us as we live out our lives daily. Whether we are praying or playing, this is who we are,
and who He is in us.
We desire to be kept from danger, but God does not guarantee this, whether we pray or not. In fact,
He lets us know that “in this life you will have tribulation”! We don’t need to repent and confess
about our wrong doing, we simply just say thank you God that you have already forgiven me for
ALL PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE SIN, (MISTAKES). And at the same time, thank Him that HE
WILL WORK ALL things together for our good and His glory, EVEN OUR ‘WRONG DOING’,
whatever it is.
And as far as the ‘world closing in on us’, we don’t HAVE to slip away and find a quiet place, HE IS A
CLOSE AS THE MENTION OF HIS NAME. Why because He is in us!
We don’t have to STRIVE to be a blessing to others, we can just CHOSE to LET HIM live His life IN
US, THROUGH US, FOR US, AND AS US!! And let the ‘chips’ fall where they may.
We ARE STRONG IN THE LORD and THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT!! How much stronger do we
need to be??
It is good if He leads us to pray for someone who is lost, but let Him originate that prayer.
Bottom line for me when I pray, I try to Hear His voice ABOVE THE NOISE of my old performance
based flesh, and pray in faith that He has directed my prayer!!
Don’t give up. Every prayer adds power. Pray without ceasing. Praying without ceasing
means maintaining a constant connection with God, essentially keeping our mind and heart turned
towards Him throughout our day, not necessarily praying aloud constantly, but integrating prayer into
our thoughts and actions, allowing for a deeper relationship and reliance on God in all aspects of
life; this concept is based on the idea that God is always present and available to hear our prayers,
encouraging us to seek His guidance and support in every situation.
And remember… we stand tallest when we’re on our knees. Let’s take a deep breath, let’s begin each
day by placing all our worries in God’s hands and trust in His perfect timing. Remember, His plans for
you are beautiful! Have a truly blessed day.