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by
Chris Hodges
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May 1 - May 4, 2025
things from children about how to approach God in prayer. After all, through our relationship with Jesus, we have received the Holy Spirit and become adopted heirs. We are God’s own children who are urged to cry out, “Abba, Father”—a heart cry to a loving Father (Romans 8:15). Rather than viewing God as distant and unrelatable, we can approach Him as a parent who lavishly loves His children.
If prayer is meant to be communion with God, then if we do everything we do with God in mind—remaining mindful of His presence with us, His purpose for us, and His image in everyone we meet—then we can pray without ceasing, without it even being a question of quantity.
Prayer is about living in connection to God and, through that connection, living out His purpose for your life, which is why it’s important to talk to God before you act, before you decide, before you’re tempted, before you speak, before you risk.
Anytime you shift the emphasis from focusing only on God to soliciting the approval and admiration of others, you run the risk of being like the hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus’ day.
prayer is not about performance or “doing enough.” Prayer is about connecting with God.
Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV). When we pray God’s promises, we’re putting Jesus’ words into practice, laying a firm foundation for our lives.
God is a giver with unlimited generosity toward His children. Just as we would never fail to give our children what they need, God never withholds His resources from us.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9–11 NIV)
“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6–7 NLT).
There’s nothing wrong with money and possessions, and God often blesses us with them—but not so we can stockpile them for security. The Lord entrusts us to be His stewards and use what we have so that others may know Him and experience the love of Jesus.
Pray for blessing so that you can bless others around you.
The same is true today. Once you have blessing, God wants to use you to make a difference. As a conduit of His power and resources, you have the ability to advance God’s kingdom and impact lives for eternity. People who pray the prayer of influence are the happiest people I know because they have something bigger to live for than eliminating their personal pain. Rather than focus on what they have or don’t have in their lives, they concentrate on fulfilling the purpose God has for them to carry out.
Praying for influence is one of the most important prayers you can pray. When you’re willing to pray, “Lord, show me my calling, show me the legacy You want me to leave,” you discover the joy of significance and contentment. Knowing and living out your purpose gives your life meaning.
encourage you to dream while you pray. Write down images and visions you receive in pursuit of the dreams God gives you. Do you know how you can tell if those dreams are from God? If they’re impossible for you to accomplish without Him! If the size of your dream isn’t intimidating to you, then there’s a good chance it isn’t what God has in mind for you.
When God answers your prayer and uses you to influence others, your pain no longer preoccupies your life. Suddenly, your vision allows you to see things closer to the way God sees them. You realize just how powerful God really is and how loving and tender His heart is for His children.
“God, show me Your purpose for my life so I can live a life bigger than my own.”
Even when you’ve walked with God, relied on His power, and watched Him do incredible, humanly impossible things, you will still feel helpless unless you continue experiencing His presence. As you mature in your faith, you learn to walk in His presence, moment by moment and day by day.
Basically, we can do nothing on our own—but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We pray, “Lord, be with us because what You’ve called us to do is too big for us to do apart from You.”
No matter what I’m praying, I like to include this request: “Lord, strengthen me and protect me from every attack of the Enemy.”
The devil wants you to focus on your pain—to focus on escaping it, comforting yourself from it, or wallowing in it as a victim. But when you focus on what God wants, then you can trust that your pain will no longer be the center of your life.
Simply put, you can focus on getting God focused on what you want. Or you can focus on what God wants. And in the process of focusing on what God wants—you get what you want. God granted the four requests Jabez made—for blessing, influence, presence, and protection—and He will do the same for you.
prayer isn’t about God moving toward you. Prayer is about you moving toward God.
Anytime we misuse God’s name, we disrespect who He is. Using God’s name carelessly dilutes the reverence we should have for it.
Security based on dollar amounts is a trick of the Enemy to entice you to trust yourself instead of God. When you’re relying on money, enough is never enough.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).
When we pray to God as our Righteousness, we submit our plans in order to follow His plans. We pray for His will to be done and not our own. We surrender our own agendas and let go of doing things our own way.
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:14–15 NIV).
So many people say that they want God’s will in their lives but don’t follow the path of His righteousness. They tend to forget that He aligns before He assigns.
If we stray off His path, we lose sight of living out o...
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God not only defends you but prepares a table where you can be nourished. Your enemies can’t touch you as you feed on the goodness of the Lord because He’s covering you and fighting for you.
Because one of our greatest priorities when we pray should be to lift up those we know and love who need God in their lives.
As God’s “spiritual farmers,” we should be attuned to opportunities to plant spiritual seeds in the lives of the people we encounter each day. We may have no idea who has already been praying for them and the cumulative impact our kind words, compassionate acts, or loving attitudes can have in drawing them to Christ. As we grow in our faith and draw closer to God, we naturally want to share who He is with everyone around us.
When they open their heart, it suddenly clicks. They experience a kind of spiritual “aha!” moment when God’s presence is real to them like never before. When the spiritual light comes on, they recognize their sin, see what Jesus did on the cross, and accept the hope that comes from giving their life to God. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17 NIV).
the devil is limited. Yes, the Bible describes demonic beings as “authorities” over certain worldly powers that they wield against us, but their authority has a limit. Simply put, demons yield to God and submit to His authority. They tremble at the name of Jesus. God’s Word promises us, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NIV).
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Knowing God should be our priority—not learning about Him or even serving others in His name, but spending time with Him, praising and worshiping, talking and listening. The more we get to know Him, the more we want to know.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:19–21 NKJV, emphasis added)
There’s nothing magic or spiritually powerful in the act of fasting by itself. Fasting simply clears everything else away so that you can channel all aspects of yourself solely on God. Fasting can move you forward in your relationship with God.
