I am saved (Romans 10:9) but I need more of a love for prayer. Does God make us the way we are as far as our personalities?
Because of the deep need we have for prayer; I am going to limit my answer exclusively to your first request (perhaps the question relating to “our personalities” can be asked separately at another time). I have no doubt every believer would say they “need more of a love for prayer.” I have never met a believer who said, “I think I love prayer too much and spend too much time in prayer.” Having said that, prayer is the most natural result of salvation; we could say it is the “fruit of salvation.” This is illustrated beautifully in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. After he was saved on the Damascus Road, the Lord appeared to a disciple named Ananias and said to him, ‘Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold HE IS PRAYING’” (Acts 9:10-11). The moment a person believes the gospel he is given eternal life (John 3:16); he is now a child of God and it is most natural to cry out, as a newborn babe in Christ, to their heavenly Father. We read in Romans 8:14-16, “God has also given us the Holy Spirit who gives us the assurance that we are God’s children and God is our Father. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”
Yet we know all too well that as time passes, we may lose sight of the blessing of salvation and eternal life. We may “grow cold in our souls” and allow the world, with all its attractions/distractions, to keep us from enjoying our salvation and having fellowship with our heavenly Father through prayer. This is why we have this warning in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The DEVIL uses the WORLD to attract our FLESH and unless we stay focused on Christ, we will be vulnerable to Satan’s allurements, and fellowship with God through prayer will be interrupted. The more we see our weakness in this area, the more we will realize the “need for prayer.” We must see that we can only live a victorious Christian life by having “dependence on God through prayer.” He desires to hear our cry to Him for help and He will surely answer our cry! This is why He invites us to pray in Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND HELP IN TIME OF NEED.” The more we experience God’s “mercy and help in time of need,” the more we will have a “love for prayer.”
Here are some other reasons for prayer that will result in a deeper love for prayer:
1) WISDOM: “If any of you lack WISDOM, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). We need wisdom in making decisions in life, in witnessing to the unsaved, in keeping health relationships with family and friends, etc. As God imparts wisdom to us our “love for prayer” will grow.
2) THANKSGIVING: “In everything give THANKS: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1st Thessalonians 5:18). Perhaps the first thing we thanked God for after we were saved was the “gift of His Son” (John 3:16). We should never tire of this. The Apostle Paul said (long after he was saved), “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2nd Corinthians 9:15)! Our blessings began with Christ, the greatest gift of all, but God continues to bless us through Him. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32). We have SO MUCH to be thankful for and we express our thanksgiving in prayer.
3) PRAISE: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of PRAISE to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Notice, giving thanks is linked with praise in this verse. God wants to hear our PRAISE CONTINUALLY! Psalm 113:3 echoes that sentiment, “From the rising of the sun to its going down the LORD’S name is to be praised.”
We could add coming to God in prayer for meeting ALL OF OUR NEEDS (Matthew 7:7 and Matthew 6:31-32). As we meditate on these “reasons for prayer,” we will find ourselves instinctively “drawn to prayer.” We will look forward to coming into God’s presence to enjoy rich fellowship with Him and our “love for prayer will surely grow.” (DO) (570.1)