Growing through discipleship by prayer | Point 2
Jul 16, 2025 | by Teacher Michael Carter
We grow as disciples of Christ through developing a Prayer Life
Principle: Prayer is communicating with God. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Application: Set apart time to Develop a daily prayer life. Luke 18:1/ Habakkuk 2:1
Growing as a disciple is undergirded with a developed prayer life
I use the term prayer life because there is a difference in praying in church or praying when you need something from God and a developed daily prayer life. Or in some cases people say they pray on their way to work in the car. Or when they are doing other things. All that's fine, but its not a prayer life. A developed prayer life is a moment when you shut things off and down, setting yourself apart from the world in a quit solitude place focusing on God in prayer. And I use the term life because you incorporate it into your life's regular routine as a lifestyle.
There must be times when you set yourself apart to spend quiet time telling the Lord your deepest concerns and listening within. In some cases our days are so full and we are busy doing legitimate things and are challenged to find time to pray. Often people say that they do not have time to pray. Well, everybody gets the same twenty four hours. And most find time to do what they believe is important to them. It's not about time, its about what's importance to you.
Developing a prayer life is determined by its importance to you in your life. Yes, you do have the time. You’ve just got to make it important enough to commit to and allocate the time to pray. Keep in mind; we’re not talking about religion. We’re talking about a relationship. And in any meaningful relationship there must be time spend with one another. Well, it’s the same with God. If you desire to grow with Him, you’ve got to spend time with Him in prayer.
The Lord modeled daily prayer and taught His disciples to develop a daily prayer life. Mark 1:36 / Luke 5:16
It prompted them to ask Him to teach them to pray. Luke 11:1-13 To grow as a disciple, in our relationship with God and in our faith, we need a developed prayer life. The disciples watched the Lord’s daily habit of prayer and learned to develop a prayer life for themselves. Discipling His disciples into developing a prayer life was important to Jesus, So it should be important to us.
Prayer is open communion and communications with God.
One of the blessings of Jesus work on the cross was the restoration of our ability to commune with God face to face. When Jesus was crucified, the curtain of the temple was torn down. Matthew 27:50-5. This curtain signified the separator between us and God. Because Jesus, the price was paid for forgiveness and atonement. Jesus took on our unrighteousness on the cross in order for God to impute or attribute Jesus righteousness unto us. This enables us to commune with a righteous. It's not our righteousness, but Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
God has always desired to commune with us. It was a consistent thing between God and Adam and Eve. What interrupted it was Adam's sin. His sin moved him from being right standing with God, to not being right standing. That's why they hid from God. God put a few things in place to help. But the ultimate price was paid by Jesus much later. Now we can come to God in prayer. Hebrews 4:16
Think about it in terms of a marital relationship
How healthy and effective would a marriage be if they spoke to one another only on Sundays. Or when they need something from one another. A healthy marriage requires regular communications and regular fellowship. Well, developing a healthy fervent relationship with God requires regular time with Him as well. Fellowship with Him in a set aside quite environment where you are primarily focused on Him.
You have to make a choice to pray by setting aside a place and a time. Acts 3:1 / Psalm 5:3 / 1 Timothy 2:1-4
However, it cannot be predicated on our emotions. It must be a choice based on our desire to grow with God. Otherwise, you will end up spot praying here and there, often at night fighting sleep. Consider getting up earlier in the morning or when household things are settled down. Fellowship with God in prayer is not optional, it's necessary for your growth.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was noted to be a man who committed to daily prayer. He is reported as saying “I have so much to do; I have to rise three hours early to pray”.
Consider the following Prayer Format.
By looking up each text, you can gain a clearer understanding of why each point is important to developing an effective prayer life.
- Enter your prayer time before God in the name of Jesus. John 14:13-17 / John 16:23-24
- Enter you prayer time asking for forgiveness: 1John 1:9
- Enter your prayer by recognizing and being thankful for what He has done. Psalm 100:4
- Present you deepest concerns and desires to God. Philippians 4:6
- But not just the concern, but pray the word as the answer to them; 1 John 5:14 / Isaiah 43:26
- Pray in faith, believing God's word: Mark 11:19-24
- Pause and listen in prayer: Habakkuk 2:1
- End all prayer with thanksgiving as a act of faith: Philippians 4:6
We develop a prayer life by setting ourselves apart unto God to pray. Habakkuk 2:1-2
A prayer life is us setting ourselves apart from the world and the day to day things that we do unto God to pray. You’re quietly before God, doing nothing else but focusing only on Him. You have determined a time and a place to shut everything down to spend that time with God. Not only will you find that this gives you an opportunity to give yourself a break from it all, but it helps to settle your world down and it reduces stress.
Prayer helps to re-center you, before, during and at days end. It’s starts your day off well and its a needed pause in the middle of the day and a moment of recognition and appreciating at the end of the day. Nonetheless, whenever you pause in prayer to spend time with the one who loves you the most and who is your all sufficiency, it benefit your spiritual life as well as your overall well being. After prayer, consider taking a few very deep inhales, and then slowly letting them out, exhaling and releasing stress and anxiety. Daily communion with God will absolutely change your life.
We developed a prayer life by becoming intimate and open with God. Philippians 4:6-8
It’s in the presence of God when we tell Him about all of our cares, failures short comings and concerns. We pour it all out unto Him; withhold nothing from Him that’s in our lives or hearts. These are moments of humility that develop intimacy with God. It’s like baring it all with your doctor. With God, He already knows about it. He’s waiting to see if you are going to humble yourself and be honest and real with Him. Look at Luke 18:9-14. It’s not about being religious or eloquent, but real communications from the heart. And don't compare your young prayer life with a seasoned saint. It's about your heart and commitment.
When we are real in our hearts with God in prayer, He will hear us. Psalm 10:17 / James 4:6
This open hearted intimate prayer grows your relationship with God and positions you to experience Hs move in your life. You’re not just talking to God; you’re listening for Him and responding to Him. It’s an exchange; you’re in heart to heart communion with God. When done daily, you position yourself to develop a listening ear to God, grow and experience His influence in your life.
We develop a prayer life through consistency and perseverance. Ephesians 6:18
The answer to your prayers may or may not occur in the time you desire or think they should. And keep in mind, there are situations that God has allowed or situations that our choices have placed us in. In any case, God can use it to mature us. So often the situation may not change because God is trying to change and mature you in it. Therefore, keep praying and persevere. He is doing a work in your heart and in your life.
Trust God, He has your back through the process. Proverbs 3:5-6
So, you’ve been praying and yet it appears that nothing is happening. First, we’ve got to move away from the thinking that prayer is always about asking God for something or needing Him to move. Partitioning Him is only one part of prayer. Prayer is communion with God. When we develop a true prayer life, there are several things occurring in those moments before God in prayer. We are exposing our hearts to Him. These are intimate moment of growth with God. These are moments that should pause to listen within to hear Him.
Think of it like spending time with your father.
But in God’s case, He is the perfect father. So you have no issues with Him as a father, only love appreciation and a greater desire to know Him. So, there in His presence, express your heart and be mindful to pause and listen within. Again, you’re in communion with God. It’s an exchange. God is doing a work in your heart and life in those moments. If He convicts your heart, repent of that issue and turn from it. If He leads you, follow. But be ready to listen and follow God's promptings and direction. It's an interactive time of communion with God. It causes transformation and growth. And its a time to be directed.
Developing a prayer life is principled in the word of God. Isaiah 43:26 / Luke 22:15-20.
We are in a covenant with God sealed by the blood of Jesus. This is why we do communion, to remember that we are in a blood covenant with God. An within that covenant are principles and blessings. So when we pray, don't just bring the problem to God; bring the answer that's in the Bible that speaks to your concern. Base your prayers on the word of God. God is committed to keeping His word.
Choose to incorporate daily prayer in your life as a lifestyle. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
There are things we do consistently as a part of our daily routine. They become a matter of lifestyle that become muscle memory and habit. Over time, we don’t even think about it, we just do them. So when they are interrupted, we take note of it because it matters to us. This is because they are a part of our lifestyle and routine. When we pray daily, over time this will occur as well in regards to our prayer lives. When we don't pray, we will miss it.
As disciples, developing a prayer life is a cornerstone in our relationship with God and in our faith.
It’s not about how long you pray. It’s about setting yourself apart consistently preferably daily to pray. Start with the time you set and commit to, and build from there. It will change your life. More than anything, it’s about consistency. If you miss a day, don't beat yourself up. Just get back in there the next day. Choose to make prayer a daily part of your life style, It will impact your life. Actually, the more you pray, the more you look forward to praying and build muscle memory that will miss it when you don't pray. Commit to daily consistent prayer and it will build momentum on its own.
Consider putting on a little praise and worship music in the beginning, it's helps to set the environment. True praise and worship music welcomes God to manifest Himself in your environment. Look at Acts 13:1-2. The term minister unto the Lord is praise and worship. Notice it was unto the Lord, not the people. That's why I said true praise and worship. Not what we find in some churches today, that's focused on the people and borderline entertainment. Find and play some true praise and worship music that's focused on God. It welcomes Him into your environment and sets the stage for prayer.
- Uninterrupted and quite – Set you self apart from everything. You want a quite environment
- Focusing on God – Shut things down, you want to focus completely on God
- Music may help you enter into His presence – You can began and end your prayer session with worship music. It sets the tone.
Principle: Prayer is communicating with God. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Application: Set apart time to Develop a daily prayer life. Luke 18:1/ 1 Thessalonians 5:17
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