How We Live Affects Our Prayer Life

How We Live Affects Our Prayer Life

How We Live Affects Our Prayer Life

When we add prayer to our recovery process, our habits and hurts start to heal. The truth is true recovery requires prayer. Still many people try to change their lives in their own strength, but lasting recovery requires prayer. So why is it that so many people’s lives start to change and then they hit a wall and start going back to their old ways again?

  Why do some people seem to be more successful than others in prayer?

Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

So often we think of prayer as speaking to God. The important part of prayer is listening to God for the answers and then responding with obedience and then God will bring in life transformation.

How would you like it if the people closest to you only talked at you and they never wanted to listen to your response. That relationship wouldn’t grow very deep, even after many years and decades.

Isaiah 58:3-4 

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’                           “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
    and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard on high.

God loves us enough to expose our shallow worship, prayer, and fasting. Real life means real worship. We can’t have one without the other. God created us to be in and ongoing relationship with Him, and He won’t accept surface change, because He blesses with life transformation. But this miracle starts with obedience to what God is saying to us in our prayers. Even prayer and fasting can be done in a way that is only surface deep. This week spend some time listening to God and responding in obedience.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through these scriptures?