May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God… 2 Thessalonians 3:5
How should you pray when you’re worn out, losing heart, tired, discouraged, and weary of the battle? You could say, Lord, help me to persevere. That would be good. But a better way to pray would be to say, Lord, help me to see that you can do more than I think you can.
Ask God to increase your love and to renew your confidence in His ultimate triumph. Faith and love are the roots of perseverance. If you have these things, you will persevere.
You can apply this to any situation in which you’re weary of the battle. If someone is being a pain and you need patience, how should you pray? You could say, Lord, give me patience. But a better way to pray would be to ask God to give you His love for this person. Then you will be praying for the thing you need to pursue.
Or suppose you are battling again with the same old sin, and you are tired of the battle. How should you pray? Lord, here I am again, the same old, miserable failure? No—pray like this: Lord, I am so discouraged, so please increase my faith in your power to overcome this sin in my life. Help me to love You more than I love this sin. That is strategic praying!
God is the One who makes faith and love grow, so ask Him to do it. And ask Him to do it specifically in relation to your battle.
Where do you need to pray more strategically?
