As I worked my way around the garden centre the other day looking for a plant to display in my sunroom, I came across a very unhealthy Maranta Red Vein plant (don’t be impressed at my gardening knowledge, I read the label) and thought, ‘you’re coming home with me.’ Don’t get me wrong; the reduced price sticker on the side of the pot did sway my decision slightly, (okay, a lot). However, in my defence, this plant needed some TLC, and I am a sucker for taking on something that needs rescuing. After bringing it home I discovered, (thank you Google), that my little plant’s common name is known as a ‘prayer plant’ because its leaves fold in the evening and open again in the morning, hence, its prayer plant nickname. This got me thinking, if this plant needed tender loving care to become healthy again, perhaps our prayer life is the same? Could tender loving care turn into tender loving prayer? I believe so…

Tender loving prayer. It always seems so vital when we’re facing a catastrophe or dilemma. And yet, when our lives are cruising nicely, we forget or ignore God completely because He has seemingly fixed our problem, the crisis is amazingly averted, we can stop holding our breaths, and we can carry on as normal. Well, that’s until we need Him again. 

Those on fire from heaven, God encounters, the ones we almost wore out the carpet praying for, start to become isolated incidents in our faith walk and before we know it, our tender loving prayers move into the tender loving cares about other stuff that monopolises all our attention. 

God requires our immersion, He longs for our continued conversation with Him throughout our day, regardless of whether our lives are in cruise control or a crisis. Tender loving prayer gets His attention. As A.W. Tozer points out, “Too many of our testimonies are based on the things that happened years ago.” He’s so right. Sadly, I have experienced all too often conversations with believers who are quick to give a fantastic testimony about feeling the presence of God way back when and how He shut the mouths of lions and split the sea wide open, only to struggle to answer when I say, ‘That’s fantastic! But how have you experienced the presence of God this week? What is He doing in your life right now?’  

Tender loving prayers shouldn’t become a distant memory, a memorial to ‘the time God________’ (you fill in the blank). 

 William Gurnall never wrote a truer word when he said, “Satan’s first design upon the Christian will be to keep him from prayer.” Why is that? Because trouble-making, kingdom-shaking, giant slaying, prayer warrior believers, who not only pray tender loving prayers but prayers that liberate people from the enemy’s darkness and oppression, infuriate and irritate Satan so greatly that he will try every strategy, pattern, and game plan to stop you from praying. 

Any ploy or tactic that causes your discouragement, discomfort, despondency, or distress, he will use it to keep you from getting on your knees. For he knows tender loving prayers are powerful because they take you straight to the throne room and into the presence of God. 

Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged the need for prayer in Ephesians chapter 6, listing praying as part of our armour that keeps together every other piece of weaponry. ‘Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers. And pray also that God’s revelation will be released through me every time I preach the wonderful mystery of the hope-filled gospel. Yes, pray that I may preach the wonderful news of God’s kingdom with bold freedom at every opportunity. Even though I am chained as a prisoner, I am his ambassador.’ [Ephesians 6: 18-20]

Paul knew if it was important to Jesus to pray then it was important for us to pray too. Tender-loving prayer intercedes, it reconciles, it intervenes when it’s not convenient. Believing warriors who see the importance of tender loving prayer recognise the ground the enemy has taken, territory that wasn’t his to plunder, and fight for it back on their knees, crying ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ to the One who deserves all worship. 2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us, ‘…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.’  

So, does your prayer life need some TLC? It starts with understanding the importance of tender loving prayer. For it is not the miracles, the breakthroughs, or the blessings we receive when we pray, although they are very welcomed. But a hunger and thirst to see more of God that comes from being in God’s presence. 

Come on soldier, let’s not view prayer as a duty but a privilege. We didn’t sign up to sit around and wait for something to happen. We need to bring the fight to the enemy. I mean, how amazing is it that we can enter the very throne room of heaven any time day or night! This is why the enemy discourages us from a healthy tender loving prayer life.

Although ex-SAS guy, Ant Middleton, is possibly not talking about spiritual warfare, his quote seems fitting to our prayer life when he said, “No trooper, no special forces operative wants to sit behind a desk. We joined up to kick some doors down.” 

 Amen to that!

Wendy xo