When we lived in Burundi during the 1990s civil war, prayer wasn’t just a meeting we arranged at church. For us who lived through those days, prayer meant the difference between life and death. We never knew what we would wake up to as each day carried its own uncertainties, and the only safe place was in the presence of God.
Those years taught me something I’ve never forgotten: prayer is not a religious duty to check off, nor is it a way to hand God our shopping list of needs. Prayer connects us to God in a relationship; it is where we listen for His voice and tap into His strength.
The Why and What of Prayer
During those times, we practiced the presence of God and lived in an atmosphere of prayer. We learned what it meant to “pray without ceasing.” Prayer went from a meeting or something said at bedtime or over a meal to a lifestyle.
That lifestyle change (going from shopping list prayers to living in an ongoing conversation with God) altered everything I understood about why I pray and what I’m to pray about.
I came across a scripture early on during those days of war in the book of Colossians during my daily Bible reading. It helped shape my understanding of prayer:
This prayer of Paul reveals both the purpose and the practice of prayer. We pray because we depend on God for wisdom and strength. We pray for His will to be revealed and that we would live in His will. A few verses later, he expands understanding God’s will to include the world that He loves.
Life and Death Lessons
From those life and death lessons I learned during those difficult times, I wrote Why and What to Pray. This little book serves as a guide for those moments when words are lacking, when you want to pray but aren’t sure where to begin, or when you want to deepen your conversations with God.
I hope that Why and What to Pray’will encourage and steady you, just as God steadied us in those days when I first understood that living in prayer is a matter of life and death. From that day to this, my life has changed for the better, as my daily conversations with God continue.
Read more from Why and What To Pray:
