Just Do It!

Just Do IT!
 
People often ask for advice regarding how to pray, and how to pray more effectively. I have been on across the years of my walk with Jesus Christ to wonder how to improve the quality of my prayer life. I have read many books. I have studied who people that I perceived as great prayer warriors have prayed. I tried to pray like them. I didn't meet with much success. 
 
One day, as I was particularly frustrated, I remembered the tag line from a popular Nike ad campaign, "Just do it!" Nike challenged people to buy their shoes and their athletic gear and just do the sport that they enjoyed. They didn't challenge me to become Bo Jackson, (Good thing too!) they just challenged me to get up and do what I loved to do.
 
It occurred to me that that simple tag line was a critical key to developing a transformative and powerful prayer life. Simply put, the key to a strong prayer life is to "Just pray." Pray because we love to converse with God, who invites us into his presence. Pray because it is a natural part of our relationship with Him. Pray because we need his direction in our life. Pray because we just want to pray.
 
Notice, there is no magical formula. There is no specific pattern. When we pray, we just use the language, the relationship, and the grace that God gives us to invite us into his presence to communicate with him. Simply put, "Just do it!"
 
I invite you to begin this practice of conversationally praying with God, just because it is the thing to do! You will be amazed at how and where he transforms you. You will wonder how you missed his voice before. You will find an amazing, powerful prayer life just finds you when you "Just pray."
 
Listening for Him,
Pastor Art