When You Don't Know the Words

Sometimes I'm not sure what to pray. Do you ever feel like that?

I've learned that praying God's word is the safest thing to pray and you will likely get a yes when it's something He's already endorsed. I've been specifically wanting to pray for my children's relationship with God. I've honed in on one of the best prayers for that. do you know what's happened? As I pray if for my children, I've found myself wanting to pray it for myself and my husband. The more I pray it and meditate on it; the more people God keeps bringing to mind. So today, I'd just like to share it and challenge you to pray it over your kids, and yourself, and keep praying it this next week, steadily and with intention...every day. See who else God brings to mind that you should pray it over. By the end of the week, it will have become part of your prayer language because it will be in your memory after praying it every day. I love having things in my prayer arsenal.

I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. Ephesians 1:16-19 NLT

First, I love how Paul talks about praying this constantly, the NIV actually says, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (17). The more we ask for more of God, the more we receive. I want to know Him better.

The word used for "knowledge" in this verse means a personal and intimate knowledge. It's the Greek word ginosko meaning, experiential knowing, through direct relationship. Knowing God personally, really having a growing relationship with Him takes the fear out of all the twists and turns in life that we don't see coming. The connection kills the fear. It can also add a sense of adventure to life that kills apathy. I don't know a better prayer for teenagers in your life than for a confident hope that comes from knowing God, a hope to which they are called that gives them purpose.

Do you know God personally or do you just know about him? Do you want to know more of him? Do you want a friendship with God? Do you want to know the hope to which you were called?

The best place to start is to pray because that’s talking to him and if you want a relationship with someone you talk to them. So, no matter where your relationship is with God right now I invite you to pray this prayer:

God, I want to know You more, I want to grow closer to You and experience Your presence inside the days of my life. Open the eyes of my heart so that I can see more clearly. Let me remember to seek you for purpose and let that daily increase my hope. Thank you for your power available to us when we believe You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Take it a step farther and don’t just pray it out loud but write it down experiencing each word as you write.