Lord, show me Your way and teach me how to pray!

“It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples” Luke 11:1, Amplified.

Some years ago, I was in my kitchen preparing lunch. As I stood at my sink washing tomatoes, the calm voice of the Lord spoke to me and said, “Ask Me to teach you how to pray and reveal to you what to ask Me for.” I immediately stopped what I was doing, moved to a downstairs restroom that had often doubled as my prayer closet, and replayed what I had heard in my spirit. Until that point, I believed my prayers to be sufficient. Like many people, I often prayed for health and strength, peace and protection, and blessings for my family and friends. I prayed for more money and to get out of debt. But in that moment, God began to reveal to me that He wanted me to experience not only a deeper prayer life but a more profound life and one that could only be accomplished under His careful tutelage and guidance.

He wanted to enhance my character, enlarge my heart, grow my faith, change my mindset, and prepare me for a greater work in His kingdom. I suddenly realized that out of all the times I had prayed to God; I had never asked Him to truly guide my prayers and show me how to honor Him through my requests! So I began to make a habit of praying the simple prayer, “Lord, show me Your way and teach me how to pray.” Little by little, He began to bless my soul! First were prayers for greater wisdom, extraordinary faith, greater courage, and renewed patience.

As time went on, He deposited more complex requests into my spirit. He helped me pray for deeper self-reflection, a greater willingness to forgive, more special ways I could love my husband and show patience toward him, and the courage to face specific fears and overcome them. My prayers have continued to deepen, over the years, while bringing me into deeper communion with Him.

My sister, not only does God desire to bless you with His love, peace, and protection, and with many of the tangible things that we desire, He wants to bless you spiritually and manifest the fruits of His Spirit within you. As you let Him guide your prayers, you will receive the blessing of His will in your life and will grow as He would have you to, never missing out on any good thing!

Prayer: Lord, please teach me how to pray and reveal to me exactly what to ask You for. Allow me the honor and privilege of growing and developing under Your divine tutelage! I desire Your will for my life above my own, and I proclaim that You know what is best for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Philippians 4: 6-8; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 John 5:14; Mark 11:24; Matthew 7:11; John 14:26)

By Danielle Knox, DOTK Writing Community