Meet Sydney: A Teenage Prayer Warrior (Part 2)

Last week we began our interview with my blogger friend and fellow prayer warrior, Sydney (you can check out her blog at: Squid’s Cup of Tea). Thank you once again for sharing with us, Sydney!

Interview with Sydney

Q. What encouragement/tips would you like to share with a Christian who’s struggling in their prayer life?

Sydney: Just start. You might have to force yourself to, but don’t take “Nah, I don’t feel like it” for an answer. Rules are placeholders. Once the habit is formed, the moral learned, the principle ingrained into you, then you can loosen the restrictions you’ve placed on yourself. Such rules for prayer can look like:

• Setting aside a specific time and/or place for prayer.
• Making a checklist for once-, twice-, or thrice-a-day prayer.  If you miss a day, don’t sweat it, but use that failure as an incentive to do better the next day.  
• Make a S.M.A.R.T. goal.
• Combine prayer time with Bible-reading time!  I’ve found that this works amazingly for me because I can just pray what I’m reading (Psalms are a great book to pray through!).  

Basically, find a method that works for you. If one of my suggestions works for you, great! Try it! This is a relationship, not a to-do list, and God will change your heart if you want Him to. Unfortunately, it often hurts when He does that, so make sure you’re sure. I can speak from experience, though, and say that it is completely worth it.  

Whatever your method, also remember that there’s no such thing as a bad prayer. You’re praying! God cares about your heart. If you recognize that your prayer life is lacking and want to do something about it, then you’re already on the right track. The words aren’t important, but your attitude is. If you’re struggling, tell Him.  Ask Him to help. Identify (with prayer, if you can) what is hindering you. Distractions, unconfessed/unaddressed sin, etc. will all hinder you when you’re trying to connect with our holy God.  

Q. What are some of your favorite Bible verses or quotes on prayer?

“When my arms can’t reach people who are close to my heart
I always hug them with my prayers” ~ Sharon Lagueux

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” ~ Martin Luther

“Is prayer your steering wheel or spare tire?” ~ Corrie ten Boom

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” ~ Abraham Lincoln 

“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock at night.” ~ George Herbert

“Prayer is the world’s best wireless connection.” ~ Anonymous

“Once a man was asked, “What did you gain by regularly praying to God?” The man replied, “Nothing…but let me tell you what I lost: Anger, ego, greed, depression, insecurity, and fear of death.” Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is not gaining but losing; which ultimately is the gain.” ~ Anonymous

Love,
Your sister in Christ,

Sydney

~ About Sydney ~ 

I am a 17-year-old female Floridian homeschooled-since-birth saved from an eternity in hell by Yeshua’s death on the cross. I’m a fighter for truth and free speech, even if I disagree with what it is used for. I am a lover of the Bible, people, birding, spiders, chess, superheroes, physics, math, libraries, music, worshipping, the Oxford comma, proper capitalization, proper punctuation, proper spelling, and photography.