Growing in prayer

The past year has been a year of great growth for me. Something I pray for. My prayers are being answered.  Growth isn't always fun. Sometimes, I wonder if what I am learning is correct and have to investigate, pray, and wait for answers (I would prefer to have the answer right away...shocking, I know).  So, learning isn't quick. It takes time, thought, prayer, waiting on answers, working through things, applying them, questioning the results of the application and starting all over again.  Still, when I look back, I can see that I have grown in my Christian walk which means I am better person today than I was last year!  Yes!

So, here is what I have been doing. First, we finally added back a weeknight Bible study.  We had gotten out of the habit at our previous church, but when we changed churches (to be with our youngest son's family), we felt compelled to get back to a study.  It has been great.  The people we are with, although we don't agree on everything, love in depth Bible study, laughing, and are GREAT prayer warriors (something I learn to learn to be). I realized how poorly my prayer life was!

I used to think some people were gifted with the ability to pray.  However, we then started attending a Sunday morning Bible Fellowship class, besides church, and guess what the class was about?  Prayer!  How cool is it that God works everything out! So, now I am learning how to be a better prayer.  

Something that keeps me longing to be a "better" prayer is that I have been learning that prayer is a conversation with God (which I knew that much already) and we are entering the throne room when we pray. How cool is that?!  Also, I have learned that prayer life is a direct correlation with our relationship with Christ/God/the Holy Spirit!  Ouch! 

I also learned that Jesus, the greatest prayer, prayed and then acted. So, according to Blackaby, prayer was when God talked TO Jesus. Then Jesus knew what he needed to do! That is something to think about!  Isn't it!