Do you know how to pray boldly? Bold prayers require strong faith, and they can strengthen our walk with God. Today I’m glad to guest post about how to pray boldly, and I want to inspire your faith.

Bold prayers stretch us. If you’re in a comfort zone of safe prayers, you can grow your faith by praying more boldly. You start asking God for big answers to big prayers. When you see amazing results from this type of prayer, your faith grows in leaps and bounds.

I have prayed some big prayers and gotten surprising results. God answered my bold prayers with big answers that surprised me, because he wanted me to praise him and bring him glory. My bold prayers aren’t only for my benefit; they bless God too!

How to Pray Boldly

In my current season of big changes, I’m learning to pray boldly.

This week I announced my intent to quit my job once the school year ends in May.  I’ll be writing and creating full-time from home, a dream of mine since my teen years.  Chasing this God-inspired dream is thrilling and inspiring.

But I must be honest: my dream-chasing also tempts me to fear.

For the past four years I’ve worked as a school secretary.  My income hasn’t been huge, but it’s been a steady paycheck.  It covers extras like private school tuition, and it covers periodic bills like car insurance and property taxes.  It’s enough to provide a bit of breathing room in our budget.

Before I took this job, I was a stay-at-home mom for eighteen months.  Those eighteen months drained our savings.  They put a strain on our marriage.  They took a toll on my self-esteem, even though I loved that time with my daughter before she started school.

My fears aren’t unfounded because I’ve seen what happened in the past.  I don’t want to drown in new debt.  I don’t want my lack of a steady paycheck to cause marriage problems.  I don’t want to endure a blow to my self-image again.

In those challenging eighteen months of no employment, I prayed boldly that God would provide me a job which would allow me to be home when my children were home.  God answered my prayer with the secretarial job.  I’ve been home with my children after school, on the weekends, and on school breaks. Our time together has created close bonds and lots of opportunity for faith-based conversations.  Now God is answering new prayers for a new career.

Because prayer carried me through my past season of financial trials, I’m using prayer to carry me through my impending future of uncertain income.

I didn’t grow up in a tradition of praying boldly.  The extreme name-it-and-claim-it technique was frowned upon so strongly, I swung to the other extreme of vague “help me” prayers.  Yet, as I’ve studied the Bible over the years, I’ve learned that bold, specific prayer is woven throughout Scripture.

Hannah prayed boldly for a son in 1 Samuel 1:11, and put her trust in God even though she was barren.  Drawing from her example, I need to pray for the birth and growth of my home-based business, even though I don’t have a lot of capital.

All through the Psalms, David fervently prays for God’s protection from his enemies (see Psalm 56 for an example).  Similarly, I can pray for protection against spiritual attack on my self-esteem and in my marriage.

I often reflect on Jesus’ wonderful prayer in John 17.  His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was future-oriented for all believers.  He prayed for you and me on the night before he died—isn’t that amazing?  I can model my prayers now after Jesus’ prayers, praying more for my family’s benefit than mine.  I am praying for income to sustain our finances.  I am praying that my increased presence at home will create a peaceful atmosphere we all will enjoy.

I am also praying for those who will be blessed by the work I create from home.  I don’t know who needs the unique encouragement God will send through my books and my artwork, but God knows.  My bold prayers now will benefit me, my loved ones, and others I have yet to meet!

How are you praying boldly?

This post originally appeared on Rachel Britton’s site as a guest post.

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