Do you Pray? How effective do you think it is?
I believe prayer is a big part of connection with God. The problem lies in that up until recently, my prayer life was nonexistant. Two things happened that changed that recently.
- I learned about PAPA Prayer
Papa prayer is a simple prayer format that helps you get rid of distractions and really get to the point in your prayer where God is everything. I found that by praying in this format, my prayers felt like my prayers were finally being heard by God. The Format is as follows
P – Present
Present yourself before God as you really are. The good, bad and ugly. Come as you are confessing your sins, fears and anxieties, mental and emotional state, telling him everything
A – Assess
Its is important to have a correct view of God. Assess how you are viewing God. How do you think he views you. Is it accurate? How do you view him, Is it accurate? Tell God all of those things and then claim the truth of his word. including where you were right and where you were incorrect
P – Purge
Purge negative relating styles. Negative relating styles are any behavior that puts you or your needs ahead at the expense of others. Think about it, have you said anything that puts others down. Have you belittled someone in public or private because they made you look bad or embarrassed you. Maybe you change up narratives on things to push things in your favor. What ever it is, confess it, repent of it, and purge it. And make it right with those that you hurt.
A – Approach
Approach God as your everything. The Alpha and Omega of your life. At this point of you have been honest with yourself, you have allowed God to strip away the things you have been trying to use to fill the thirst in your soul. The thirst only God is able to fill.
This prayer has been a game changer for me this year, and I hope it can be for you
This Prayer comes from ” The papa Prayer” By Larry Crabb. Buy it here
2. I hung out with a missionaries
The second thing that happened to me is that I spent a weekend with missionaries who live or have lived in some of the most dangerous parts of the world.
When I hear their stories, and hear them praying, and see how that they are partnering with God confidently about what he is doing in those regions to draw people to himself, One cannot help but have your faith grown.
After a weekend of praying for unreached people groups, my faith in how God listens to my prayers was boosted more in one single weekend than in my entire life.
How is your prayer life?
If you would like to use the PAPA Prayer, and you like to journal, feel free to grab my free notion journal below. within the journal you will find a PAPA prayer template that you can not only use to pray, but also write down your prayers, to ponder and process later.