Luke 18:1 (New Living Translation)
“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”
In June, my great sister and friend Nina hosted Healing the Remnant Woman, and our theme was Transfigured. Each session led us through the journey of walking a mountain: you ascend, have a mountain-top experience (transfiguration), and then descend.
But this journey requires a climb.
And this is where our sister Calandra came in and taught us on the topic of prayer. I want to share two points she shared with us that have stayed with me.
Pray for what’s in you — your mind, motives, and movements. Pray for the things that are on your heart. The secrets that you have yet to tell. The disappointments, the grief, and the moments when you feel overlooked.
Pray for what’s around you — your family, coworkers, career, and community.
As I reflected on these two points, this is what I learned about prayer: there is always something to pray about.
There will always be something within us that needs to be surrendered, something around us that needs to be covered, something we need guidance about, or someone who needs to be lifted before God.
While the modality of prayer may change from season to season, the goal remains the same: to connect and communicate with God.
In one season, my prayers were loud, and I wrote them boldly. In another season, I prayed quietly and cried. There was a season when my prayer life required me to wake up at 5:00 a.m. to pray; in another season, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. to pray, and there have also been seasons when I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to pray. The methods of how I prayed changed, but the goal remained the same: to have time to connect with my Father. I have learned that prayer does not always have to look the same to remain meaningful. The time may change, the posture may change, the words may change, and the season may change, but the purpose of prayer remains the same—to connect and communicate with God.
Whether we are ascending the mountain, standing on the mountain top, or descending back into the places and people God has called us to serve, there is always something to pray about.
So today, I want to invite you into a Mountain Prayer Journey.
As we walk this mountain—ascending, encountering, and descending—let’s take time to pray through each step. There is always something to pray about, and in every season, prayer is how we connect with God.
Activity: The Mountain Prayer Journey
Part 1: The Ascent — Prayer for What’s Within
As we begin the climb, we begin by praying about what is within us. We bring our minds, motives, and movements before God. We bring what is on our hearts, the things we have not said, the disappointments we are carrying, the grief we are processing, and the places where we feel overlooked.
“God, as I come before You, I bring what’s within me…”
“Lord, I bring my thoughts of ____________________ to You.”
“God, I bring what’s on my heart… ____________________.”
“Father, I need Your guidance in… ____________________.”
Part 2: The Mountain Top — Encounter with God
Then we reach the mountain top. This is the place of encounter—the place where we pause, listen, and allow ourselves to hear from God.
“God, I hear You reminding me that… ____________________.”
“Lord, I trust You with… ____________________.”
“What I need from You right now is… ____________________.”
Part 3: The Descent — Prayer for What’s Around You
Then we descend.
The encounter is not meant to remain on the mountain. We take what God has given us and carry it into the spaces and places around us. We pray for our families, our workplaces, our careers, our communities, and the people God has entrusted to us.
“Lord, I lift up my family and ask… ____________________.”
“God, I pray over my workplace/community for… ____________________.”
“Use me, Lord, to show up in this way… ____________________.”
As you walk through this prayer journey, remember that you don't have to pray the way you prayed in a previous season.
Your prayer may be loud.
Your prayer may be quiet.
Your prayer may come through tears.
Your prayer may happen at 3:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m., or in the middle of your day.
The method may change, but the connection remains.
There is always something to pray about.
So ascend with what is within you.
Encounter God on the mountain top.
Then descend and pray over what is around you.
Always pray.
Never give up.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
