A Prayer to Stay Faithful in Prayer
By Christine F. Perry
Bible Reading:
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 NIV
Listen or Read Below:
Whenever I write on a topic, I am always tested on it. This article is no different. When I sat down to write, I was struggling to pray! One of my favorite authors always says, “Don’t write from an empty well.” So, l walked away, left the cursor blinking, and wrote down some verses and spent some time with the Lord. I had to confess my struggle with prayer. D.A. Carson, the cofounder of The Gospel Coalition, says, “pray until we pray.” Praying is a spiritual discipline. It’s like working out. You don’t always feel like it, but you know it’s good for you. Praying is not for the faint of heart. Especially when you have prayed for years for a specific request that remains unfulfilled. But I want to encourage you. God hears you.
Psalm 55:16-17 says:
“As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.”
I want to encourage you to keep a journal to see how God has answered prayer, which helps bolster our faith and fuel us to keep praying. When we keep a journal, we can write down our prayer requests, and when they get answered, we can go back and mark them as answered. When you get discouraged with prayer requests that have yet to be answered, read through your journal to see how many prayers God has answered. This helps us to be watchful and thankful, as Colossians 4:2 says.
Additionally, there are many prayer warriors who have gone before us. George Mueller, Corrie Ten Boom, Otto Koening, Mully. Sometimes when I am discouraged, I will go back and read or listen to their stories of answered prayers. The enemy loves to keep us from praying because when we don’t pray, his plans aren’t impeded. May our goal in praying be what C.S. Lewis said, “My hope is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight.”
Let's Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that we can come to You at any time and You hear us. Lord, please forgive us for when we doubt whether prayer works. Lord, You say that we are Your children and that You love to hear us pray. Father, please forgive us for our sins. Help us to love You with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Help us also to know how much You love us and that You are intimately acquainted with all our ways. Lord, You say, in James 5:16, that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Lord, we are only righteous because of Your sacrifice. I pray that You would help our unbelief. Father, I pray that You will help us to pray and trust You with the outcome. Help us to grow not only in our walk with You but also in our prayer life. Lord, we are nothing without You. We need You every day. And Lord, thank You for making intercession for us. We love You. Thank you! Amen!
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Tinnakorn Jorruang
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Related Resource: How to Choose Your One Word for 2026
This month on the How to Study the Bible Podcast, we’re starting a new series called One Word 2026, and it’s meant to be a gentle but intentional way to reflect, respond, and reconnect with God as we begin the year. In this episode, I’m walking you through why I love taking the whole month of January to pause and listen — rather than rushing into resolutions or putting pressure on yourself to “get it all together” by January 1. We’re going to start with Philippians 1:3–11, where Paul reminds us that we can have real confidence because God is still working in us, and He’s not finished.
Then I’m going to share six words I’ve been praying over for our community — six spiritual intentions that I believe reflect the kind of growth God may be inviting us into this year. You don’t have to choose one right away, and you definitely don’t have to force it — but I hope that one of these words will resonate in your spirit and give you a steady anchor for 2026.
This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
