Relentless Prayer

When we read a phrase like relentless prayer it can sound daunting or like it is going to be A LOT of work.  The reality is, relentless prayer, or even the scriptural reference of praying without ceasing, can be as much about inviting peace into our lives and circumstances as it is about petitioning Heaven for relief from the things that are pressing in on us here on earth.  There have been many excellent sermons delivered on the idea of a healthy prayer life consisting both of time set aside for intentional conversation with God, as well as the need for moment by moment prayers that become more like breathing to us....continual and second-nature.  

Sometimes the busyness or even heaviness of life can make intentional, scheduled prayer time feel forced, fortunately, this is something that we can bring to God, knowing that we have a God that understands ALL of our struggles.  These busy or heavy times are also when continual short prayers throughout the day can fill in the gaps for us.  Praying throughout the day not only centers us and helps us to regain focus on the most important relationship that we have, but it also brings a feeling of peace and control into even the most chaotic times. Right now, as we are living in these times of such uncertainty, we at Shazzy Fitness are certain that we can all benefit from a little more prayer in our daily lives. To that end, we are issuing a prayer challenge for the rest of the month of July. We will be looking together at ways that we can relentlessly pursue the guidance and actions that God desires from us, as well as asking for the peace that only He can bring into our world.

July | Week 2 

Set aside a space and time for intentional prayer and try to keep it the same time every day. Remember, think quality and consistency over quantity. This could be a 15 minute prayer time or an hour prayer time or whatever your schedule, or let’s be honest, attention span allows. We have some suggested prayer requests here to get you started, but feel free to pray about whatever is on your heart and mind.  

Suggestions for scheduled relentless prayer time:  

• The Lord’s Prayer
• Pray for peace, justice, unity, endurance and hope as we pursue lasting change
• Pray for our leadership in every area of government
• Pray for our first responders, our military and law enforcement
• Pray for those directly impacted by the Coronavirus, either from a health perspective, a lost job, or lost loved ones.
• Pray against anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Pray for an overwhelming sense of being loved and watched over. 
• Any other Personal Prayer Requests

Relentless Prayer throughout the Day – Choose a scripture that speaks to you and pray it throughout the day along with any prayer requests as they pop into your mind.   

Some suggested scriptures:

July | Weeks 3-4 

Continue with your set aside prayer time, and praying scripture throughout the day, but add in beginning and ending each day with 5 things that you are grateful for in your life.  It is okay if some of the answers are the same. Some days, the best thing that will happen to us is that we had breath in our lungs, so if that makes your top 5 both in the morning and at night, that is just fine. The idea is to develop a grateful mindset regardless of how many painful things are going on in the world around us.

We are all tired, but we have so many examples of people groups enduring hardships and even atrocities with praise on their lips. Let’s tap into their relentless spirit and prayerfully seek to honor them by doing the same.