Jesus Christ spoke these glorious words of promise to His disciples: To the one who loves Him and follows His teaching, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit would come into his heart and make a home in him forever! It is astounding that God Himself would make His home in us. Is there any greater privilege on this earth than to be in such intimate connection with almighty God? In your time of prayer today focus on connecting with God, thank Him for His character that is unchanging and ask Him to take you deeper in a personal and intimate relationship with Him.

Prayer is first and foremost our friendship with God the Father; Jesus, His Son; and the Holy Spirit. It is an intimate relationship with them in which we can speak from the depths of our heart and hear God’s answer to our prayers through the Bible and the actions He takes in our lives. Prayer is a blessed communication between us and the almighty God of the universe. Prayer is how God uses time to show us His wonder. Prayer is the activity that God uses to enable His presence to penetrate our consciousness. His presence is the only thing that can literally change any dynamic that exists. In your time of prayer today, ask God to intervene in the situations that are happening in your life.

Prayer was the single most important time in Jesus’ life. Jesus spent long nights in prayer to His heavenly Father so that He could move in his Father’s will and power. Prayer was the greatest tool Jesus used to change the lives of others. Jesus knew the value of meeting with His Father first and foremost every day and in everything He did. Through prayer we are able to forgive others, bring comfort to others, and be set free from things that hold us back. In your time of prayer today, ask the Holy Spirit to bring things to mind for you to pray for. Ask that the power of God move through your life to make a difference in others’ lives. Ask that the power of God move through Epic Church so that more and more individuals will encounter a deep relationship with Jesus and be transformed into disciples who make disciples.

I love the picture of a Father bending down to hear his child. How many times have you stooped down to look a child in the face to speak to him or her? We do this because we want them to focus on us or want them to know we are listening to them. We want them to feel and know they are important! You a child of God. You are important to Him. The Lord wants to hear your needs and requests. He wants to be a part of your life, and you need Him to be your life. You need His life flowing down to you, flowing in your, and flooding your mind, body, and spirit. You need this because you need healing every day. In your time of prayer today, share your requests and needs with almighty God.

In Ephesians 6, Paul (a leader in the early church) asked the church to pray specifically that he would “fearlessly” declare the message of salvation in Jesus Christ in every situation. Did that mean that Paul was afraid? I believe it meant that Paul was human – just as every leader in the church today is human – and that he needed the fervent prayers of fellow followers of Jesus to lift him up and encourage him in his calling. Jesus Himself, the Son of God, asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him in the garden of Gethsemane that He would have the strength to complete God’s plan of redemption. In your time of prayer today, ask the Holy Spirit to give those who call themselves follows of Jesus at Epic fearlessness to continue sharing their stories and the Good News of Jesus with others in their workplaces, neighborhoods, and with friends and family.

Asking is a vital component of our relationship with God. This is true because He has commanded us to seek Him as our ultimate source in all things. He has ordained prayer as the means by which we depend on and trust in Him. He answers our prayers to give us what He knows we need to bring Him glory. I am learning that my deepest needs are met when my heart is most closely aligned with the Word of God, the Son of God, the Spirit of God, and the purposes of God. We see that the early church prayed often seeking the advancement of the gospel (the good news about the salvation offered through Jesus) in virtually every situation. They prayed daily as part of a vital regimen of spiritual growth—for the sake of the gospel (Acts 2:42). In your time of prayer today, ask God to give you boldness and courage in sharing your story and your faith with coworkers, neighbors, and friends so that others may hear about the difference Jesus makes in your life.

What is your closet? Your closet is that place where you can be alone with God to share whatever is on your heart and to listen for His voice speaking through the Bible or in your spirit. The set time is whenever He speaks with you and stirs you to come away with Him into your prayer closet and close the door. Each of us has a secret place to meet with God, and it’s there that God unfolds our own hearts to us. God gently draws us closer to Himself. This intimate prayer is what Jesus longs for us to experience. This prayer brings us into the place where our soul is touching the heart of God. God wants you to be His friend, too, and He wants to be your friend! It’s a two-way friendship. God does not want a one-way relationship in which He pursues you and you continue to stiff-arm Him. Why God wants to spend time with us is something that can be explained only by the unconditional love He shows us in His Word, but He promises that if we spend time in prayer in the secret place, He will reward us openly. That is a promise that will change lives for eternity! In your time of prayer today, bring your heart to God and meet with Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you ways that you can continue to grow in the depth of your relationship and intimacy with Him through prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to continue to stir in hearts and lives of those at Epic Church so that together we may grow deeper in our relationships with Jesus.