As Ashley so often says, “Water is wet, Fire is hot, Birds fly, Fish swim, Christians pray.” We don’t call water wet because it is trying hard to be wet, it is simply expressing its nature. Heat is the natural consequence of what fire is. In the same way, prayer is not primarily a religious activity that Christians perform; it is the natural expression of a relationship with God. Because we have been born of the Spirit and adopted into God’s family, our hearts are drawn toward conversation with Him.

A healthy Christian prays for the same reason a child talks to a loving parent—not because of obligation, but because of connection.

Prayer is really just a conversation with God.  I often hear people say “I can’t pray - I don’t have the vocabulary or flowery words to pray with”.  God is not asking us to come to Him with fancy words and Shakespearian language.  We can all talk to our spouses or friends.  So start off by just talking to your Heavenly Father in the same way.

• If you are concerned about your children who do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour, pray out of the sincerity of your heart - stay natural and say : “Lord, I pray that my son or daughter would believe in you Jesus, with all of their hearts. Open their eyes to see that life is found through faith in you  alone.”  
• If they need friends - “Lord, my children need friends.  It’s painful to see how left out and alone they are.  Give them friends who will help them when they are in a place of struggle.”   
• If you feel your children have character issues and lash out when they’re angry, just take that to the Lord in prayer as well. (But don’t exclude good discipline when needed. Children need to be taught boundaries and what is socially acceptable). Pray:  “Lord my son or daughter react when they get angry without considering how they might hurt other people.  Help them to listen and think before they respond to the frustrations that come their way.  Give them patience Lord, humble their hearts to gracefully receive correction.”  

The book of Psalms is a rich source of wisdom, encouragement and truth.   As you personalise the Psalms and pray them in light of your own circumstances, they can help you draw closer to God and receive the spiritual guidance He has for you.  The beauty of the Psalms is that they speak to the full range of human experience - our hopes, desires, fears, dreams, and challenges. You will find that the Psalms adapts itself to your personal prayer life.  

It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were, King David always went to God and the Psalms show that he did that and so can you.  God knows your heart and he knows every need you have - be it spiritually, physically or emotionally. 

My personal journey with prayer started from a very young age.  I am so thankful that I grew up with praying parents who set a great example for my brother and I.   My Father, who was a preacher, was found in his prayer closet, so to speak, on a daily basis.   It was not unusual to see and hear my dad in his study, praying and crying out to God (especially for the churches he used to lead).  The sounds of my Mothers’ prayers were always very fiery and accompanied by lots of tears. I was taught to pray every night before bedtime.  I would go on my knees beside my bed and pray for my family, for school, my friends, my future husband and bring all my insecurities and fears I might have had as a young girl.  I have testimony upon testimony of a faithful God that heard my prayers and answered me.  

Our family has witnessed countless miracles through trusting God and believing that He hears and answers our prayers.  One of the most significant happened when I was just eight months old. Noticing the cord hanging and within rage of my grasp I gave it a tug. The cord was attached to a kettle, and horror of horrors I pulled a kettle of boiling water over myself and suffered third degree/severe burns. My inquisitive eight month old mind resulted in a critical medical emergency. I spent three months in the Red Cross Children’s hospital and shortly after my admission, my parents were told to prepare themselves and say goodbye, as the doctors did not expect me to survive.  Yet my father refused to give up hope and held on to his faith in God, through prayer.   Day after day he carried me through the hospital corridors, praying faithfully and believing God for a miracle. Today I bear the scars of that incident but they are a reminder that God answered their prayers.  

Another powerful answer to prayer came during my childhood.  From a very young age, I suffered from severe, debilitating migraines.  The attacks would leave me confined to a dark room for up to three days at a time, often vomiting and unable to function normally, or go to school.  When I was eleven years old, my father called me to the front of the church and told the congregation that he believed God was going to heal me that very day.  As we prayed I sensed God’s touch on my life.  From that day forward I have never experienced another migraine.  After struggling with them for most of my childhood, I walked out of church completely free from the migraines that had plagued me for those eleven years. 

I encourage you to lift your level of expectation and believe  that God will answer your prayers. To this day my prayer space is intentional yet filled with my everyday language. 

God is faithful and longs to hear from His children. Things do change in the place of prayer.  

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord , trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass“
Psalm 37: 4-5

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The Original Hebrew Meanings

• "Delight" (Anag): In Hebrew, this word means to find exquisite joy, to be soft or pliable, and to be pampered or deeply satisfied. It implies resting completely in someone’s care.
• "Desires" (Mish’alot): This refers to the petitions, requests, or deep longings of the soul.