What We Learn About Prayer From When Calls the Heart

How many times have we prayed in an attempt at changing our circumstances? Many of us have even prayed with the sole intention of changing God’s mind. And yet, prayer is less about us and more about God working His will in and through us. True prayer is all about getting our own hearts to beat in time with God’s. When this aligns, then the worries surrounding us shift, not necessarily because they have changed, but rather, because we have.

“Before prayer changes others, it first changes us.” – Billy Graham

Prayer Lessons From Elizabeth Thatcher

As I thought about the transformative power of prayer, I was reminded of one of my favorite series, When Calls the Heart by Jannette Oak. Unlike Hallmark’s adaptation, Oak’s books portray Elizabeth as a woman who is rooted and guided by her faith in God. As the series progresses, we get to see how her devotional life is a foundational part of who she is.

As I re-read the series, I was struck by how intentionally Elizabeth cultivated her prayer life. In the moments when life became tough, and she let go of prayer, she would be so off balance that she had to come back to God and realign her heart. But the thing that sticks with me most is how, after pouring out her heart to God, Elizabeth always had fresh hope and joy for her life, despite circumstances often staying much the same.

On one occasion, Wynn (Elizabeth’s husband) has to set out to track a criminal whose been smuggling liquor illegally. Elizabeth is worried and upset, but once she says goodbye to Wynn she goes into her bedroom to spend some time in prayer. Afterward, her outlook on the situation is different.

“I will confess that I did shed a few tears as I prayed, but when I came out of my bedroom it was with renewed peace of mind and a determination to use, rather than waste, the days that Wynn would be gone.” – When Breaks the Dawn, Jannette Oak

Prayer changed Elizabeth, and by the time the series ends she has an unmovable faith that is not dependent on circumstances but on God and His faithfulness.

Jesus’s Prayer Life

Jesus had a prayer life much like this. He is our biggest example of what a relationship with the Father should look like. Even though He was the Son of God, He spent time in prayer much like Elizabeth did. Jesus prayed to align His will and heart with the Father’s.

For Jesus, prayer was constant. It was a deep need He had and without it His life must’ve felt out of balance. We have to remember that Jesus, while being fully God, was still fully man. Therefore, He depended on prayer as much as any of us. The Gospels constantly show Him making space to meet with His Father.

“So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” – Luke 5:16 (NKJV)

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” – Luke 6:12 (NKJV)

When He was about to perform a miracle, Jesus paused to pray and make sure He was in tune with what the Father was doing.

“Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’” – John 5:19 (NKJV)

“And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.” – Mark 6:41 (NKJV)

Prayer, to Jesus, was essential. He prayed to keep in step with His Father. He prayed to understand His Father’s will and receive His vision. He prayed when He was about to multiply food for a multitude. Jesus’s life revolved around prayer.

But perhaps, most amazing of all, is how Jesus prayed to align His will to the Father’s and to surrender to Him. We see this in the garden of Gethsemane. Right before He was betrayed, Jesus prayed and asked the Father for a way out of the cross. He came to Him with full sincerity, and yet He still surrendered His will. (Luke 22:42)

Here lies the key to powerful and transformative prayer. True prayer comes from a place of honesty and surrender, allowing God to work out His will over ours.

Keys to Cultivate Our Own Prayer Life

I believe that many times we complicate prayer because we have a set viewpoint on how it should look or sound. We can have a mental image that prayer requires being on bent knee, with tears streaming down our face. Or we may think it has to occur when our Bibles are open before us. Maybe we only see it as something occurring within the walls of church, or before a meal, or in the middle of a severe need. We can believe that prayer requires solemnity and a posture of great reverence in order to be effective.

All these things can be true, and yet they are not the entirety of prayer.

Prayer shouldn’t be relegated to only a set time, attitude, and posture. It should be a constant breathing in and out throughout our daily lives. If prayer can happen when bowed low and with tears, it can happen when dancing around with a smile. If prayer can occur in the moments of holy reverence, it can occur while washing dishes. If prayer can happen before, during, and after the cross, what is holding us back?

There is no set way to developing a prayer life. And if you need a glimpse into how it can look, I love the way Jannette Oak portrays it with Elizabeth. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t all high moments. But through thick and thin, Elizabeth lived prayer. This should be our aim.

What, Then, Is Prayer?

Prayer is the communing of our spirit with God’s spirit. It is a heart to heart with our Father, where we align our will, dreams, hopes, and thoughts, with His. At the end of the day, prayer will only be as difficult, or as easy, as we make it. Don’t let expectations hold you back from prayer. Come whenever, and however, you are. God will meet you and transform you in prayer. Circumstances may not always change, but if you approach God, He will change your heart.

Thanks for reading! May you experience renewal in your prayer life this week.

Anna

---

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash