Passion for Prayer


Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, “Lord teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

The big question is - how does one have a passion for prayer? For some it seems to be given in the form of the gift of praying for others, also known as intercession. It seems to me that prayer can be taught, but passion must be ‘caught’.

It was Jesus’ habit to go out early to pray. It is recorded a number of times in scripture that he went alone to pray. From this verse in Luke we can see that it sparked in the disciples a desire to learn how to pray. I guess they saw the difference it made in his life. We also learn from this same verse that John the Baptist was a man of prayer who taught his disciples how to pray.

It appears that Jesus waited for his disciples to ask before he began to teach them. It is not much use teaching someone to pray unless they have a desire to learn. As I see it, there are three main things we can do to develop a passion for prayer. Get a love for God and for people Ask God to give us a desire to pray Hang around people who love to pray. (This is how you catch it!)

If we love God and develop our relationship with him and get a feel for His heart for this world I believe that our desire to pray will grow but we will still need to rely on Him to grow that desire for prayer in us if we do not have the (spiritual) gift of intercession.

Every week a small group of ladies meet together to pray for our community. We worship the Lord, spend time listening for Him to share His heart with us, we read some Bible verses and pray as we feel the Holy Spirit leading us. It is different every week. These are precious times with God and in fellowship with other believers and they have helped me develop more of a passion for prayer.

Of course we need to realise that we will not feel like praying. Our flesh doesn’t naturally desire to do what God calls us to do. Also we have an enemy, Satan, who will do whatever he can to keep us from prayer. He’s got many excuses and distractions he can employ to keep us from prayer. Be aware of his schemes and resist him. James 4:7-8 says “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” What a wonderful promise that is. Remember that we are told to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1-8), and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

For an example of passionate prayer read Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that he prayed for us in the closing hours of his life. Can you feel his passion?

Prayer: Jesus, I want to have the same passion for prayer that you had when you walked this earth as a man. Please help me to grow in this area of my spiritual life. Amen.

Passion for Truth


You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
John 8:32

The kind of life that we have been called to requires first a decision to follow Jesus Christ, and then a commitment to enter into a meaningful relationship with Him. Any meaningful relationship requires communication and time. As we get closer to a person we get to understand them. We begin to know that they like and dislike, what makes them happy and what makes them sad …… or mad!

In the same way we need to develop our relationship with Jesus. The disciples had the advantage of being around him; hearing him teach, sharing meals together, and watching him interact with people. We could easily say, “Well it was easy for them!” In some ways it was. However we have the advantage of having a written record of his teaching and his words. Not only that, we also have the record of how his followers walked in the power of the Holy Spirit after his return to heaven in their letters that were written under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

As followers of Jesus Christ we need to be passionate about God’s word. We need to study it in order to know what God is like, what pleases and saddens him, what he promises to us and what he expects from us. We need a passion for his truth because it gives us keys to set us free from the lies we believe and the bondages that hold us.

As we become familiar with God’s word; as we meditate on its truth, and allow it to take root in our hearts, it will become a strong foundation for our life. Romans 12:2 speaks to us about allowing God’s truth to renew our minds and change the way we think. For that to be possible we need to spend time reading the Bible and doing what it instructs us to do. Then we will begin to see changes that knowing his truth and acting on it brings.

In the early books of Proverbs the virtues of wisdom are extolled; the wisdom of knowing God’s ways and following them. Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the most important thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all that get understanding”. It is not enough to get wisdom, we must also get understanding.

The more we know and experience the truth of God’s word, the more passion we will have for it. Daily Bible reading that touches our heart, not just our mind will surely bring freedom and joy that nothing else can come close to.

In closing we must remember that Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life, no man comes to the Father but through me.” John 14:6. Having a passion for truth is the same as having a passion for Jesus! He is the truth.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be diligent in studying your word and getting understanding of your ways. Give me a passion for Jesus and his word that will set me free from all bondage. Amen

Passion for Life


I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. John 10:10

One dictionary defines passion as “a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything”. It is possible to have a passion for many things. People have a passion for their sport or hobby, the men in my family have a passion for airplanes, and there are people who have a passion for adventure, some have a passion for antiques, books, painting and so on. The list is endless.

As Easter approaches my mind cannot help but reflect on the passion that Jesus had both for doing the work that his father had sent him to do – preaching about and demonstrating the power of God’s kingdom, and the passion for us to be released from the bondage of sin so that we could enjoy abundant life.

I believe that God wants us to have a passion for Life with a capital “L”. In my church we refer to it as the “With-God-Life”. Jesus told his disciples that the reason he came was to restore to them (and us) the life in all its fullness that God first planned for his creation. A life filled with hope, purpose and passion.

Following Jesus was never dull or boring for his disciples. He lived life with a capital “L”. They never knew what they would be faced with next. They saw the sick healed before their eyes, the grieving mother receiving her son back to life, raised from death, and they saw, among other things, thousands of people miraculously fed. Not to mention the tormented delivered from their demons and the stormy seas calmed with a word.


We are called to a new level of life. For us to have this full life cost Jesus his life. He suffered so much in order that we might be delivered from the power of sin that keeps us in bondage and released into eternal life which begins right here and now when we acknowledge our sin and confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our deliverer. We then begin to live a life that has available to us the extraordinary power of God to live as Jesus lived and do what Jesus did. (John 14:12)

If you have lost your zest for life it’s time to come again to the One who gives meaning to life and ask Him to renew your passion. You are not supposed to be living a dull, boring and frustrating, stress-filled life. That is not what Jesus suffered and died to give you.
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me for living my life at a lower level than you planned for. Thank you for all that you suffered to bring me Life in all its fullness. Give me the passion for life that will satisfy me and the joy that no one can take from me. Help me to live a life that will draw others to your kingdom. Amen