We all need to turn to God in moment-by-moment prayer. But God’s not just in my life when I hit a pothole. We try to turn to prayer as an escape from our troubles (I know I do). It leaves me in a physical, mental, and spiritual mess. Life still has challenges, road bumps, potholes, and distractions. Prayer doesn’t guarantee me a life without problems. Could I be driven to pray? Are you driven to pray? Is prayer your rule of life? Could it be mine? “To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power, and have now revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have revealed to us what the king ordered” (Daniel 2:23).ĭaniel was driven to pray. So what did he do then? What should we do when we have that “Now what?” moment?ĭaniel praised God. He was directing nature, the destiny of nations, and the future of His people. God told them He was in control of heaven and earth. Daniel said the Jews who were captive prayed, and they heard from God. Someone might notice that I am praying! Pray like Daniel, who continued to pray even when it meant he might be put to death. We’ve prayed, listened, and heard an answer from God. Prayer is serious and a deliberate action. But are we listening for His answer? When we communicate with God through prayer, we need to be still and listen for his answer.

He dedicated his life to serving God and the exiled Jews who had returned from captivity.Įzra’s prayer actions answered the questions Why do we pray? and What should we expect from prayer? “So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer” (Ezra 8:23). His name means “help,” and that is what he did his whole life. Ezra was a priest, a scribe, and a great leader who recorded events from about 538 B.C. What is prayer? What is action? How do I achieve prayer and action in my life? The first place I searched was the Old Testament book of Ezra. “On our knees in prayer … on our feet in action.” Montefiore’s words give clarity to the meaning of holiness and divine perspective.

I started to pray and read the Word of God. We all know that scripture has the answer to all questions about life. Then it hit me: just go to the holy scriptures. What is prayer? How does it influence my daily life and yours? Looking at my prayer life made me ask, “What is the action of prayer?” There had to be a place to start searching for the answer to that question.

I get on my knees and pray boy