You Might Be a Praying Christian Woman If...
Hey, Warriors! Jaime here.
In case you hadn’t noticed, our ministry (and podcast) name is Praying Christian Women. But just that name can sound kind of intimidating, like there’s some “Praying Christian Woman” out there who looks, acts and prays in such a way to have earned that title. Or worse yet, that Alana and I are these elusive “Praying Christian Women” - the unicorns of the Christian faith who are somehow extra-gifted at prayer.
These ideas couldn’t be further from the truth.
So I wanted to take just a few minutes to address the question of what it means to be a praying Christian woman in the 21st century, in case you have any doubts.
You might be a Praying Christian Woman if…
You aren’t perfect.
This may seem like a given, since we all know in our heads that Jesus was the only perfect human to ever walk the earth. But I’m afraid that particularly today as we are inundated by Pinterest-perfect posts and Instagram-ready backdrops, we can play the comparison game…and all too often feel like we fall short, or aren’t enough.
You are enough. Imperfections and all.
In fact, if you know you aren’t perfect and find yourself looking at social media posts, women in church or moms groups who seem to have it all together — you’re just like all the rest of us (hint: even those moms who seem “perfect” to you!).
Satan would love to use your insecurities and feelings of unworthiness to get in the way of a powerful, passionate prayer life. I can tell you from personal experience that sometimes he succeeds. He is the Accuser, the Twister of Truth. So we need to begin with the understanding that we can’t come to God wearing a mask. He already knows everything about you, and still loves you to the moon and back! You may not be perfect but you are fearfully and wonderfully made, created by God for specific plans that will bring glory and joy to your Father in heaven!
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
Say this verse out loud right now. Say it over and over again until you believe it! Then ditch the mask, ditch the guilt, and welcome to the freedom that comes from knowing that as Praying Christian Women, God meets us in prayer just as we are!
You sometimes struggle with prayer.
If you’re under the impression that being a Praying Christian Woman means that prayer comes easily, or that if you struggle with prayer you aren’t truly a prayer warrior - send that thought back to the Pit where it belongs!
Prayer is a relationship, not a task to check off the to-do list. Tasks are simple and setting up the right systems and formulas can make them easy. Relationships are complex and take work, and can be hard at times. There’s no “right” formula you can follow. Whether you’re brand new to your faith or a seasoned prayer warrior, your prayer life will have ups and downs and seasons and challenges, all working together to grow your relationship with the Creator of the Universe!
Do you find yourself easily distracted when you pray? Then look at prayer as exercise: every time you get distracted, make a point to re-focus on God. Each time you do this, you’re exercising your “prayer muscles.”
Are you ashamed to admit that sometimes you find prayer a little… (gasp) boring? Guess what? You aren’t alone! Sometimes this happens when we find ourselves in a prayer rut, or when we try to force ourselves into praying the way we see others doing it when maybe it doesn’t work with how God designed our unique personalities.
Try praying “outside the box.”
Take a nature walk and talk to God as you go. Listen to worship music and pray the lyrics. Grab a friend and ask her to become a prayer partner so you can encourage each other. Create a prayer bracelet for people you want to remember to pray for, or make a photo prayer journal and decorate it as you pray for each person you include. Get creative!
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
The truth is this: a Praying Christian Woman doesn’t lack struggles - she presses on through them, and keeps pursuing God no matter what.
There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to cover all of the things you’d like to pray about.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. - Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Do you ever get discouraged because time seems like the enemy, particularly when it comes to finding the time to pray? You aren’t alone! In the fast-paced world we live in, it can feel next to impossible to have the kind of prayer life you long for.
But think about this: you have the desire to pray. That’s huge! The important thing is not to let the G-word creep in…GUILT (personally, I think it should be a 4 letter word). Satan uses guilt to drive a wedge between us and the vibrant, joyful prayer life God intends for his children. The good news is, feelings of guilt about not praying enough reflect an inner desire to pray more. Let me say that again because it’s important:
Feelings of guilt about not praying enough reflect an inner desire to pray more.
Praise God! According to Philippians 2:12-13 that desire to pray comes straight from God. It is God who works in you to want to pray. And once you kick the guilt to the curb and draw close to God, it is he who will work in you to act on that desire. He will stretch your time. He will give you creative ideas and ways to make prayer a priority in your life. Just ask - you aren’t in this alone!
You hunger and thirst for more in your prayer life and relationship with God.
This follows closely on the heels of the last point. If you feel like there must be more to prayer than what you’re experiencing right now, it’s not a bad thing. It’s a reflection of a hunger and thirst for more of God in your life! Satan might twist that feeling into an idea that somehow you’re never going to be spiritual enough or you’ll never “arrive” at becoming a real prayer warrior. But the truth is, if you are looking for more in your prayer life it means you are looking to grow and learn and cultivate your relationship with God through prayer.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
There’s a difference between focusing on Jesus as the perfecter of our faith and being discontent or playing the comparison game. It’s good to have women whose prayer lives and faith you admire; having role models and mentors is an important part of our spiritual growth. Just make sure to keep those thoughts in check and don’t fall into the trap of trading wanting more in your relationship with God for feeling like you’ll never be enough. The way to avoid this is to keep your eyes on Jesus and relying on him to move you forward!
You have a desire to be around and encouraged by other women who love God and want to grow in their own prayer lives.
If you have a desire to surround yourself with other women who share your desire to grow in your prayer life, you might be a Praying Christian Woman. God didn’t design us to pursue God in a vacuum; we are part of the Body of Christ!
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
2020 has made surrounding ourselves with others very difficult at times, but not impossible. In fact this is one of the reasons Alana and I decided to host our first online prayer conference - to create a place where women can come together in community virtually, even if circumstances have prevented them from gathering in person. Virtual gatherings will never replace in-person gatherings (and shouldn’t!), but God can use technology to create community and foster friendships that might otherwise not be available.
We want to invite you to the first ever Praying Christian Women Online Conference. This conference is a FREE 3 day event on April 12-14th where 23 speakers will speak about the unique prayer-related topics God has placed on their hearts to share.
It’s going to be incredible.
These women are amazing, and I’ve been humbled and blown away at how God brought together so many women for one purpose: to encourage you in your relationship with God by equipping you with tools you’ll need to live out a passionate, powerful prayer life!
If you’d like to learn more, visit www.prayingchristianwomen.com/conference 2021 to read about our speakers and topics and to sign up. Make sure to read the bios of each of our speakers, many of them have free resources to offer you regardless of whether you attend the conference.
We can’t wait to see you there!