Praying daily is a beautiful thing. However, for many of us, it can be hard to have the time or energy to be able to pray every day. If you have found it difficult to pray daily, there are many things you can do to help. Prayer is something that we must cultivate in our daily lives because if we do not, we will not be able to have proper communication with the Lord. In other words, if we do not pray daily, we propose the idea that we don’t need God.
As believers, when we are actively praying, we are acknowledging our dependence on Him. We need the Lord—there is no way to run from this. This is why it is crucial for us to pray to Him daily. As we are praying to Him, our hearts will turn to Him and our lives will be filled with more joy. If we turn away from God, we will only hurt ourselves and cause a rift in our relationship with Him.
Consider these four benefits of praying daily:
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1. Grow Closer to God
One benefit of praying daily is to grow closer to God. Growing closer to God needs to be one of the main goals of our lives. It is a relationship we have that will never end. For all eternity, we will continue to grow closer to God; however, we cannot do this unless we are talking with Him daily. To invest in the future, we need to act in the present. The Lord does not want us to separate ourselves from Him. Instead, He wants us to grow closer to Him and learn more about Him.
We cannot truly know God apart from talking with Him in prayer and reading about Him in the Bible. Similar to any friendship or relationship, we cannot truly get to know someone unless we talk with them. In the same way, you have to talk with God in prayer to grow closer to Him. This is a huge benefit that should not be overlooked. God is our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior. There is no reason to shut Him out of our lives.
It is common for us to turn away from God when we are struggling or when we are actively living in sin. Whether you are struggling with your faith or you are actively living in sin, God wants you to turn back to Him. He wants you to know that He loves you, that no feeling is too big for Him, and that He always welcomes you home. Try to get into the habit of talking with Him more in prayer and you will have the benefit of growing closer to God. There is nothing better than having a close relationship with the Lord!
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2. Understand God's Will Better
A second benefit of praying daily is to understand God’s will better. It can be difficult to understand God’s will if we are never talking with Him and we are never reading His Word. The more you go to God in prayer and read the Bible, you will come to know more about Him as well as understand His plan for your life. God has not left us to be blind to the future. Rather, He has told us everything we need to know to be knowledgeable about the future and how to live for Him now.
By going to Him in prayer and reading His Word, we understand who He is and His character and have an inner peace. We will rest in the truth that God loves us wants the best for us. You don’t have to be afraid to tell God the hard things, such as doubting your faith or turning away from Him at an earlier part in your life. God already knows and He wants to help you with these hard feelings.
He also wants to help you know His will better. By understanding the truth that you can go to God with all things, you are already living within His will. God’s plan for your life is to cultivate a deep relationship with Him, love others, and help others come to know Him. Through prayer, His specific plan for your life will become more apparent and clear to you. God is not some kind of magic genie who hides His will in a bottle. Rather, we can learn more about His will by prayer and reading the Bible.
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3. The Peace of Knowing You Are Never Alone
A third benefit of prayer is the peace of knowing you are never alone. You can go to God at any time of day and He is there. He will never leave us nor will He abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). Other people will leave us, yet God never will. Prayer gives us the unique benefit of knowing that we are never alone. We can just start talking with God and we have the promise that He hears us. No prayer is too long or too short for Him. He wants to hear every prayer, desiring that you go to Him no matter what.
In our modern-day culture, it is extremely hard to not feel alone. It might be that you feel alone even if you are surrounded by people. Know that you are not alone in this feeling as many of us struggle with feeling alone in crowds. Whether you are physically alone or not, prayer will give you the peace of knowing that you are never by yourself. Try praying the next time you are alone or scared. The Lord will be with you and He will surround you with His peace.
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4. Cultivating Your Walk with God
A fourth benefit of praying daily is cultivating your walk with God. Cultivating your walk with God is very important because it will help you in all areas of life. However, without prayer, you will not be able to cultivate your walk with God. Turn to God in prayer today and just talk with Him. Even if it has been many years, He still wants to hear from you. There is nothing that separates you from His love (Romans 8:31-39).
Remember this if you are struggling to pray to God each day. You don’t need to run or hide from Him. He wants you to come to Him and mature in your faith. Apart from prayer, this cannot happen. Reach out to Him today and talk with Him about your feelings, worries, and concerns. It is only through praying daily that you will be able to cultivate your walk with Him.
Cultivating your walk with the Lord will help deepen your relationship with Him and help you place more trust in the Lord. Sadly, many of us become doubtful when bad things happen or when our prayers are not answered in the way we hoped, but this should not cause us to turn away from the Lord and stop talking with Him. Rather than turning away from God, turn toward Him and work on cultivating your walk with Him through prayer. It is a beautiful benefit that will help your life in many ways.
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Originally published Thursday, 18 January 2024.
