“They all met together and were constantly united in prayer.” (Acts 1:14)

Constantly in prayer, I find that the closer I get to God, the more I crave this relationship. As I read about the disciples in Acts during that in-between time, that time of wait, those few words tugged at my heart, “united in prayer.”

In Acts, the author Luke tells of the promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave the disciples, of Jesus’ ascension, and of Pentecost (the Holy Spirit coming to us all). With all this power packed into Acts, I think we can find just as much, if not more, in the waiting times the disciples experienced. 

The disciples did not just sit around waiting; they prayed during their waiting, in between times. They were constantly in communication with God. In Acts 1:12-26, Jesus had already ascended to heaven, and the disciples were waiting for the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them the Holy Spirit was coming (Acts 1:8), but I can’t help but think they weren’t fully aware of what they were truly in store for; they couldn’t have fully grasped the power they were about to receive when the Holy Spirit came. But instead of freaking out, stressing, or straight up running in the opposite direction, they took any and all of these emotions and brought them to God in prayer.

Honesty moment, I have not always been quick to pray when it comes to hard times. There were times I freaked out for way too long about things outside my control. There were times I stressed about relationships in my life that, in hindsight, were not where my focus needed to be anyway. Then there were times I straight-up ran from the problem and from God, if I’m being completely honest. 

I cannot pinpoint the time when I started turning to God more in all situations, but I feel like it was about five years ago that I realized I was praying through most of my day. This was around the time I was really studying The Word and trying my best to read at least a verse or two each day. When you spend time with someone, it starts to rub off on your behavior, thoughts, and even how you talk. I realized that I had spent more and more time with God by reading His Word, so it made sense that my next step was to start praying more, too. Of course, when you start spending time talking to someone, you find out who they are. When I started praying to God, I discovered His listening ear, His desire for a relationship with me, His peace, His guidance, and, most importantly, His deep love for me. So obviously, the more I prayed to God on EVERYTHING, the more peace I felt, the more I saw where God was moving in my life (many times after the fact, looking back), and the more I wanted to pray and spend time with my Father.

I am in no way perfect in my prayer life, and as I type these words, I am thinking of days when my prayer life is rushed, not fully focused, and lacking. If you feel like that right now, friend, you are not alone. I’m going to give us both a little support this week! 

3 Psalms to Pray This Week:

• Psalm 91 (for protection and comfort)
• Psalm 69 (deep distress, longing for help)
• Psalm 100 (joy)

3 Unique Times to Pray During Your Day:

• In Your Car: I find it to be a great time to pray with God before I pull out of my driveway in the mornings, literally before I go out into the world.
• Prayer Walk: I love praying over my day and the people in my life as I walk my pups!
• At Your Job: When you get a quiet moment, pray not only for you to be a co-worker and employee who shares God’s love but also for your co-workers and customers. These can be quiet, silent prayers between you and God. 

3 Ways to Pray for Others:

• Text Group
• You Version App
• Old School: Pray out loud for your friends and family when you are together.

Prayer is powerful. Just as the disciples found power in constantly praying together, we can find that same power today. Take a moment and pray to your Father. He is waiting and listening. With faith,
Melanie Drews
Paws on God’s Path