Spiritual Growth

FINDING YOUR IDENTITY THROUGH PRAYER

Prayer is powerful. Prayer is essential. Through prayer we find strength, faith, our daily bread and help for the day ahead. But did you know that prayer is the key to truly unlocking and understanding your identity in Christ? Bible teacher Tim Keller once said, “Prayer is the only way to truly know yourself.” It’s through prayer that we discover the man that God has created us and called us to be. So many men struggle with seeing themselves as the man Christ sees them as.

We don’t need to live a life of confusion or doubt when it comes to our identity. Through prayer, the Lord will reveal to you who you truly are as a son, a father, a husband. You are a mighty man of God called by him to bring glory to his name.

How does prayer help us unlock and understand our identity in Christ? It does so because the closer we are to Christ, the closer we are to who we are truly created to be. Jesus said in John 10:3-4 that “He calls his own sheep out by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Jesus knows who you truly are. He has called you out by name. Just as Jesus revealed to Peter in Matthew 16 that he was Peter, the rock, the Lord will also make clear to you your identity in him. This can only happen when we are close to him.

Through prayer, we draw near to the Lord, we listen to his voice, and in doing so, begin to learn and understand who we are in Him. He will speak encouragement, correction, strength, and life into you so that you are able to walk more fully in your God given identity. He will show you areas he is calling you to repentance in, so he can heal you and change you. He will give you strength and faith so you can live a life that glorifies Him. We must not neglect prayer if we are to be the men of God that our families, our church, and our communities need us to be. 

Here are a few practical steps to help you cultivate a life of prayer that will help you find your identity in Christ:

• Ask him to draw near to you: Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him.” Invite Him to speak to you and know that He will be faithful to respond.
• Put it on the schedule: schedule a specific time every day to spend in prayer with the Lord. Make it an appointment that you won’t miss.
• Pray throughout the day: 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to “pray without ceasing”. We can incorporate prayer throughout our whole day. Speak to him in the car, while you’re waiting for your coffee, on your way to a meeting. Any time you can stop to spend a few moments speaking with the Lord will be well worth it.
• Stop and listen: don’t do all the talking. Be intentional to stop, listen, and ask the Lord to speak to you.