When you think of someone praying, what do you imagine? Is it someone in church passionately praying for a long time while everyone holds hands? Is it someone saying grace over a meal? Or is it a child in their knees by their bedside? When I was younger, I used to hear about people going into their prayer closet, so I imagined someone sitting on a chair in a tiny dark closet with candles and a Bible on a shelf. (8-year-old Monica had no concept of fire hazards in the closet lol!) It wasn’t until I was a mom that I realized that I didn’t need an actual closet to pray in by myself.

Your prayer closet can be anywhere, or nowhere. The important thing is to pray non-stop (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But how do you accomplish anything if you’re always praying? That’s the cool thing about our Heavenly Father, he’s everywhere! If you’ve invited Him into your heart, then that’s where you’ll find Him, waiting to hear from you. If you haven’t invited Him in, then you won’t find Him in your heart (yet!) but he’s always right next to you, waiting for you to notice and acknowledge Him. Praying without ceasing doesn’t mean saying a “formal” prayer all the time. It means including God in your everyday life through conversation (internal or external). Talk to Him while you’re having breakfast, working, and even watching a movie (Lord why am I watching this when I should be doing laundry? Oh so I can learn how to handle that thing I’m dealing with. Thanks God!). Remember, You always have a friend in Jesus, so you should treat Him like one. Save the formalities for formal occasions and just include Him daily.

This month we’ll be studying prayer and spending a lot of time in the Psalms. As you work through the guide, talk to God (pray), and ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn. Enlightenment comes easily when it’s directed by the creator.

Many blessings to you as you continue on your journey to grow closer to God!

Enjoy the stickers!