Are You Really Praying or Just Performing?

Sometimes, instead of praying, we just put on a performance. We treat prayer the way same way a kid treats their vegetables. We cast them to the side. We refuse to eat them. We may put our vegetables on the plate, but if we don’t eat them, we’re not going to receive any of the benefits.

Prayer is a catalyst for movement

“Stop praying and do something.” It’s a sad statement. Some people who say it, don’t understand that prayer IS doing something, the best thing. But some say it with the realization that Christians are hiding behind the idea of prayer, without the action. Prayer should be a catalyst for movement. Through our prayers, God moves. And through our prayers, God sends (often, he sends us). But too often, we hide behind lazy prayer. Fake prayer. I’ve certainly been guilty of these at different times:

Thinking about something is not the same as praying for it.
Saying you’ll pray about something is not the same as praying for it.
Sharing a “pray for ____” Facebook meme is not the same as lifting it to God.
Talking about something with another human is not the same as talking about it with God.
Thanking God for your meals isn’t the same as an active prayer life.

I’m talking about making prayer the foundation. The main course. The thing that everything else is designed around. That means, our actions should match-up with our prayers. A prayer life that doesn’t lead you into action isn’t being led by the Spirit.

Side note: action is going to look different for everyone, this isn’t a call for everyone to become a missionary. But it might be a call. Pray about it. Really.

A Recipe for Getting Started

Praying isn’t magic (though, it can feel magical). There’s no secret spell. It’s a conversation with God that requires speaking and listening. However, since God rarely speaks to people audibly, it can be helpful to follow a guide to keep your prayers focused. Jesus himself modeled prayer for us, as found in Matthew 6:9-13. Many follow the outline of Jesus’ prayer or a similar model. You can find several examples with a search for prayer outlines.

If you want to begin to specifically pray for the work of fulfilling the Great Commission, we have several resources to assist you in praying specifically and intentionally. Find those below at the end of this article.

Most importantly, start somewhere. Commit a time for intentional daily prayer. It might feel awkward at first. You might feel like you’re wasting your time. But prayer was given to us by Jesus. His sacrifice made it possible for us to pray to a Holy God. His Spirit petitions on our behalf. Stay committed and you will see God move. And He will move you.