“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
I’ll be honest with you. Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons I have—and one of the first things I neglect.
And I know better. I’ve seen God move in prayer. I’ve felt the difference between days I started with Him and days I just started. And still, some mornings, I reach for my phone before I speak to Him. Some weeks, I realize I’ve been running on empty, wondering why—and the answer is right there. I haven’t been talking with God. Not really.
So this isn’t me telling you I’ve figured it out; it’s something God is still teaching me.
Before my feet hit the floor, I’m learning to fight for those first minutes before the notifications and before the mental to-do list kicks in.
“Lord, thank You for another breath. Thank You that I woke up, that You held me through the night. I give You this day—before I know what it holds.”
This is the deep kind of prayer—unhurried, the way you’d talk to your closest friend. Some mornings the Holy Spirit leads me into intercession, and some mornings, it’s thankfulness. I’m learning that both count.
“The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:26
On the way to work, before I even pull out of the driveway, I don’t begin listening to the radio. Instead, I make better use of my time conversing with God. What He has to fill my mind with is better than gold.
“Lord, keep me safe on this road. Guard my heart, mind, and body. Thank you for this Toyota 4-runner. Thank you for Your every provision. Make Your Word a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Guide me by Your Spirit and help m to pay attention!”
When I get to work, and a client walks in with a complicated and painful situation—an estate dispute, a criminal case, something I can’t handle—I’m learning to pause before I speak:
“Lord, give me wisdom. What would You have me do here?”
I don’t always remember to do it. But when I do, I notice the difference. James 1:5 is a promise I’m still learning to actually use:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally.”
Midmorning, when my desk looks like a junkyard and the phone won’t stop, I’m practicing gratitude:
“Lord, thank You for this work. This law office belongs to You.”
When a client mentions a prodigal child, I’m trying to let that be a prayer prompt instead of just a note in the file:
“Father, show me what to say and do—You know where they are and I do not. Allow me to be Your heart for them so they can see You and allow You to heal and guide them.”
Five seconds is all it took to think that prayer. I’m learning to use this ongoing conversation with God. Prayer is an incredible tool for life. I mean, who better to give us guidance than God, right??? Learning to have daylong conversations with God is for every born again believer.
Maybe your office is a kitchen. Maybe your most complicated case today is a toddler meltdown, and a broken-down car, and a broken budget. God is big enough to be available for ALL His children in ALL their problems.
“Lord, this child belongs to You. I’m just the steward. Give me patience I don’t have right now.”
“Lord, this car belongs to You. This problem belongs to You. I can’t fix this — but You can provide.”
“Lord, this home belongs to You. This unseen, unrewarded, unending work matters to You. Help me do it for Your glory.”
God gives us all the same divine purpose!
“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Colossians 3:23
But then, there is also the time we set aside for deep conversations with God. Here’s where I have to be most honest with myself. The throughout-the-day prayers matter, but they cannot take the place of deep conversations with God. Jesus said, “when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.” (Matthew 6:6) Additionally, the Lord’s Prayer begins not with a request, but with relationship: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” That kind of prayer requires time that we must all intentionally protect.
I’m still working on that. But I know the days I fight to make it happen are FAR BETTER than the days I don’t.
I’m also learning the power of praying with others. When I pray out loud with someone else—over a struggling marriage, a wayward child, or a neighbor who doesn’t know Jesus yet—there’s a promise of God to take seriously:
“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
Every single time I pray collectively with others, I’m amazed at the power of God that surrounds us. I don’t want to miss it because I was too busy or too proud to ask someone to pray with me.
Finally, I’m trying to end my day the way I start—with Him.
“Lord, thank You for all You did today—seen and unseen. Thank you for the gift of rest. Protect my mind as I sleep. I am so grateful for the gift of being Your child and the great blessing it is to serve You and bring glory to Your name. Help me to love You better tomorrow than I loved You today.”
My life belongs to God. Which means my caseload does, too. My calendar. My car. My fears. My family. I haven’t mastered this. But I’m learning—slowly, imperfectly—that prayer isn’t just something I add to my day. It’s the absolute intel of God that lights my path in ways so marvelous that it is impossible to know them all. What a gift!
“Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17
