Imagine a situation where a son only comes to his Father when he is in need of something. He does not check up on his father’s health nor does he care how he is fairing or any other aspect of the father’s life.

All he cares about is what he can get from his father when he is in need. I am sure you would doubt if this son truly loves and cares for his father.

However, this is how a lot of believers treat God- their heavenly father. They only come to him with needs not caring about his desires or what he wants. 

Prayer was never meant to be a religious obligation we fulfil or a spiritual box we tick off each morning. It is the lifeline of the believer.

In the place of prayer heaven meets earth. It is not merely a monologue of requests we present before God but a place of deep encounter where hearts are transformed, strength is renewed, and lives are redirected.

Prayer is your sustenance as a believer and you must treat it as such.

Scripture says in:

Mark 1:35
New King James Version
35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 

Here, we find Jesus, the very Son of God, rising early before daybreak to find a solitary place to pray. He withdrew from the noise of the crowd and even denied himself the comfort of sleep because intimacy with the Father was His true source of power.

This was not a religious routine for Him, it was life itself. If the sinless Son of God prioritized prayer so much, how much more we?

One thing that is emphasised is the importance of prayer. But much more, it matters what you pray about.

In today’s world, it is easy to reduce prayer to a transactional activity, something we do to get results. Many believers only pray when there is a need to present or a crisis to fix, but that was never God’s intention for prayer.

Time with God ought to leave a man transformed, built up, much better than he came. It is where your spirit gains ascending over your flesh. It is where we surrender control and become more like Christ. 

David spoke about it in:

Psalms 63:1
New King James Version
1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

What a heart David had. This is not the language of duty. It is a heartfelt cry of desire. It is a heart that longs for God, not just for what he can give but for who he is.

Just like David, you must have this same disposition and desire. When you truly have this deep desire and experience this deep intimacy, no longer would your prayer be a transactional activity but it would be a time of transformation. 

One man that was truly transformed in the place of prayer was Jacob.

Scripture says in:

Hosea 12:4
New King James Version
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in  Bethel, And there He spoke to us—

The story of Jacob reminds us of the importance of perseverance in the place of prayer, but it also says he wept. There are moments in the place of prayer where words may fail and tears become your language, never feel too big to let go.

Prayer is not a place where you try to sound very poise and articulate, but instead it is a place where we surrender all to God. It is a place where transformation happens.

Jacob wrestled in the place of prayer and though he came out of that encounter with a limp, he also came out with a new name, and a changed destiny.

Although, deep prayer may not necessarily leave you physically marked like Jacob, but it will lead to a spiritual encounter, where you are transformed and given a new identity, where you can be corrected and instructed. 

However, this experience of spiritual encounter is not born from convenience; it is built through consistency and intentionality. 

Jesus taught the importance of consistency in Luke 18:1.

Luke 18:1
New King James Version
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 

Apostle Paul also emphasised it in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

I Thessalonians 5:17
New King James Version
17 pray without ceasing, 

One thing you must understand as a believer is that though the duration of your prayer is important, consistency is much more important.

It is better to pray 30 mins each day than to pray 3 hours once a week. Keep at prayer, do not wait for the perfect atmosphere or emotional high to pray. 

You must train your soul to seek God regardless of feelings. Have the mindset that even when you don’t feel like praying you would pray.

Even when it feels like God is far away, you would keep praying with the understanding that in times when you don’t feel him, he is close, or when it seems he is not answering, you keep knocking because you know his plans for you are of good and everything would make sense at the end of the day.

This is how you should see prayer as, “regardless of anything, I would pray.”

How to Go Deeper in Prayer
1. Pray the Word: One way to go deeper in prayer and to be sure that you pray right is to let scripture shape your language. When you pray the Word, you align your desires with God’s will. You prioritise his will and build Intimacy.

2. Listen in Stillness: Prayer isn’t just about talking, it’s also listening. God wants to talk to you, do not be in such a hurry that you do not pay attention to what he says. When you listen, you receive insight, conviction, and direction.  

3. Ask the Holy Spirit for help.

Romans 8:26
New King James Version
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

There are instances where it seems you do not know what to pray about, or where to start from but the first thing you must remember is that you are not alone in prayer.

The Holy Spirit is there to guide you. This is why even in situations when you have “prayer points”, you can be burdened with something else to pray about. Do not be too fixated about this prayer points, but instead pray concerning those burdens. Give way to the will of God.

It is in the place of prayer that lives are truly awakened. God doesn’t raise prophets or birth callings in crowded rooms. He does it in the secret place. Moses heard God on the mountain. Elijah received direction in the cave. Jesus was strengthened in Gethsemane. Your secret place is your sacred place. It’s where you are refined, instructed, and empowered.

A rich prayer life will give you more than answered requests. It will give you vision, courage, and a heart that burns for God.

So this is your call. Not to pray more out of guilt or obligation, but to step into something deeper and richer. To move from transactional prayer to transformational communion. Because the life, clarity and strength that you are longing for, is waiting for you in the secret place.

Wake up early. Stay a little longer. Cry if you must. But don’t stop seeking. 

Prayer Point
Father, stir a fresh hunger in me for prayer. Awaken my heart to seek You not just for what You can give, but for who You are. Let each time of prayer be a time of transformation.