July 28, 2022
Practice Makes Progress
Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth
In the night, LORD, I remember your name, that I may keep your law. This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. You are my portion, LORD; I have promised to obey your words (Psalm 119:55-57 NIV).
Friend to Friend
I’ve always been an athlete. Growing up, I played on different sports teams all year round, but volleyball has always been my jam. I played in college and coached my daughter’s high school team. I’ve been around this game for more than thirty years and I’ve spent more time on the court, on the sand, and on the grass playing and practicing volleyball than most people ever will.
You’d think that after all the hours invested, I’d have the game perfected by now, right?
Not hardly.
There are still times when I shank a pass and hit into the net instead of over the net.
There are still times when I miss a serve.
No matter how much I’ve grown as a player, I’ve come to realize that when I step on the volleyball court mistakes are going to happen and there will always be opportunities for me to grow and progress in my skills. Simple as that.
And you know what? I’ve found the same to be true in my prayer life.
Remember that old saying “practice makes perfect?” Well, I think it’s a bunch of beans! A phrase that better represents the reality of growth and development is this: practice makes progress.
Whether we’re talking about our development as athletes, as students, as wives, as employees, or simply as women of faith – specifically, as women of prayer – we’re all purposed to grow until we die.
The truth Paul wrote about in Romans 7 still remains: we don’t do what we should do, and we do what we shouldn’t. Sadly, prayer is one of the “don't dos” for many of us. We all seem to KNOW how important it is to trust God with our burdens, but many of us neglect to put this important discipline into practice.
Do you ever go to the phone before you go to the throne?
Yeah. Me too.
The Psalmist wrote of the importance of spiritual disciplines. “In the night, LORD, I remember your name, that I may keep your law. This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. You are my portion, LORD; I have promised to obey your words” (Psalm 119:55-57 NIV).
Sometimes I don’t trust God the way I should. And though I’ve been faith-walking with Him a long time, there are still a million ways that I need to grow. There will always be ways for us to grow and there will always be mistakes for us to work through.
My relationship with God grows when I pray and when I obey. Yours does too.
As I pray my faith and courage increase and I naturally trust God more.
Sometimes this looks like prayers of thankfulness and petition during power walks, during time in the carpool line, while washing laundry, and during lunch breaks. Like the psalmist, we can remember God’s names, yield our hearts in obedience, and recognize Him as our Portion. We can redeem mundane moments to thank God and to pray for our children, careers, futures, frustrations, loved ones, marriages, pains, and trials.
When we “do life” with God by exercising the spiritual discipline of prayer our faith grows.
It helps us to trust Him more. And I really want to trust God more.
Practice makes progress.
A strong volleyball team is one that relies on each other throughout the game. As Christians, we have the advantage. We have God on our team. If God is for us, who can stand against us? Progress happens when we talk to Jesus and trust Him, rather than trying to play the game of life on our own.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Thank You for grace that allows me to progress in faith! I’m sorry for the times I go about my day and “do life” without You. Help me to continuously pray and to trust You with my burdens. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
How would you rate your prayer life on a scale from 1-10?
Where would you like your prayer life to rank on that same scale?
Are you willing to do anything about it? If so, what? If not, why?
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© 2022 by Gwen Smith. All rights reserved.
Originally published Thursday, 28 July 2022.
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