Words With God: A 5-Day Reading Plan From Addison BevereSample

Living in Prayer

When it comes to prayer, an area where we can open the conversation is our thought life. We spend a lot of time thinking. In fact, we spend more waking time processing stuff in our heads than we spend forming words with our mouths.

We’re learning more and more about the power of the mind and its effect on the visible world, but even thousands of years ago, Solomon wrote, “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” The Hebrew word translated “ponder” could also be translated “make level.” In other words, right thinking leads to good living.

Scripture tells us to renew our minds so that we can be in tune with the mind of God. It also tells us to take every thought captive to obey Christ. Practically, we do this by surrendering our thoughts and feelings to God, in prayer. When we do, cares and worries become requests; lies bow their knee to the Truth; fears and insecurities transform into cries for help and moments of faith; thoughts of inadequacy reform into acknowledgments of dependence; feelings of joy become triggers for thanksgiving; and the list goes on.

When Paul encouraged us to pray without ceasing, I imagine he had something like what I just described in mind. It would, after all, be impossible to function while hiding in a closet or kneeling at your bedside all day. This is one of the reasons why prayer, to so many, seems impractical and something that only monks or people with their backs against the wall do.

Should we have dedicated times for prayer? Absolutely. Jesus both told us to do so and modeled this way of life for us. But Jesus also lived in tune with the Father, in a way that is only possible when one’s consciousness is in tune with and directed by the Spirit.

God’s aim is for integration, and mature prayer involves all our words, including those formed in our hearts and minds.