The Spark: How Prayer Lights the Way

By Myra Johnson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOD2HvJlkhA

Prayer forms our heart and our perspective while we steward what we have been given and trust God to do the rest.

It is an act of reciprocity—giving and receiving. It takes faith to release our thoughts and emotions to a God we cannot see or touch. And it takes another act of faith to believe that His Spirit meets us there, shaping us, strengthening us, and enabling us to become more like Him.

“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin 

LORD, LET YOUR SPIRIT DWELL WITHIN US

It’s difficult to be light, especially when darkness surrounds you as the majority.

When cruelty is normalized, and kindness is rare. When integrity is optional, and peace is not on trend.

I believe that we need prayer for more than just comfort; we need it for ignition. What happens when you flip a switch or light a candle? There’s a reaction. A change. A spark that brings the light needed in order for not only you, but anyone around you, to see clearly.

Prayer is the spark that ignites God’s Spirit, the flame, to burn brightly within us, purifying our hearts and minds, giving us the clarity, peace, discernment, strength, and wisdom needed to endure the process of becoming more like Christ.

And because fire requires a wick and oxygen, it’s not enough to spark the flame every once in a while. The environment affects the duration and strength of the burn. We have to spark the flame daily, again and again… it allows us to see clearly.

LORD HELP US TO SEE

Two people can watch the same movie and walk away with completely different takeaways. Two people can attend the same event and describe it entirely differently. One person wakes up energized and hopeful; another struggles to get out of bed. The environment may be the same—but perspective changes everything.

When I think about prayer and the role it plays in my life, I think about the courage it takes to believe in something I cannot see. To acknowledge pain, confusion, anger, or limitation. To ask for help. These are not easy things to do—especially when we’re praying for something we believe we need to survive or move forward.

Prayer helps us see things not just as they appear, but as they truly are: held in God’s hands, shaped by His timing, His purpose, and His plan.

LORD HELP US TO PRAY

Sometimes I cannot bring myself to speak out loud. The situation is too heavy, the pain too much to bear, so I’ll write the prayer instead. And in those seasons, for me, prayer often takes the form of writing. Thoughts, ideas, struggles, and worries flow from my head and heart into my arm, down to my hand, through the pen, and appear on the page; a process that makes something intangible become real. Writing turns things swirling inside me into something I can review, reflect on, manage, and lovingly counter when necessary.

I’ve wondered if something similar happens when we pray out loud—using breath, voice, and sound to release what’s been held inside, another traveling change in form.

Over the years, I’ve observed the practice of prayer unfold in many ways. Sometimes silently, under my breath and in my thoughts. Other times intertwined with moments of pure joy or laughter. Here lately, it happens while walking, not talking, but just listening.

LORD HELP US TO LISTEN

In my experience, prayer can be the creation of a moment, not just to speak to God, but more importantly, to listen.

I used to think prayer was about petition; asking and believing, pleading, confiding, and then affirming. While that certainly has its place, I find myself more interested nowadays in what God has to say, in my ability to practice setting the stage for me to hear, listen, and understand.

Walking in nature, through my neighborhood, has become a routine, part of not only my mornings, but before and after stressful work calls or difficult family interactions that ignite parts of me that I know are damaging to myself and others. It has become our “one-on-one” time, less about getting something from God and more about just being with Him. Each step gives me the chance to inhale what God gives freely a little more deeply and exhale the things I cannot control.

After all, one of the first times God revealed Himself was while walking in a garden (Genesis 3:8–9). There is peace that comes from simply letting my agenda go, surrendering to the unknown aspects of God’s master plan. And as I observe nature, I am reminded of the responsibility to do what I can as a responsible steward of what God has given me—while intentionally choosing to trust Him to do all the things I cannot.

Sometimes, the only response I receive from prayer is clarity: the next task, the name of someone to call, the courage to apologize, the words for a difficult email, or the nudge to take action. And I am truly thankful for that. Because the responsibility always returns to us. What will we choose in this moment? Prayer does not remove agency—it refines it. The ball is placed back in our court to allow God’s Spirit to work through us as we make choices of our free will.

LORD MAKE US MORE LIKE YOU

We know that prayer does not guarantee the outcome we want in every circumstance, but we often forget that it consistently produces something far more powerful and lasting within us: a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing and experiencing the world.

Through communion, communication, and connection with God, we are slowly shaped over time to become more like Him.

We receive peace to guard our hearts and minds, wisdom in moments of weakness, and strength to endure. We slowly become a vessel where the fruits of the Spirit grow—a vessel that God works through to draw others close to Him.

As we interact with God’s Spirit through prayer, His Spirit refines us, giving us not always what we ask for, but always what we truly need.

And so, we must keep praying… It is the only way we will see things, people, and situations as they really are—through God’s eyes, in His hands, unfolding in His timing.

What Prayer Produces 

Peace and steadiness in times of anxiety and pressure. Wisdom, which God gives generously when we ask for Help in weakness, even when we don’t know what to pray. Nearness and communion with God, especially in seasons of loneliness

A PRAYER FOR THIS SEASON

And so my prayer for us, in this season, is that we be transformed through the consistent practice of prayer, in all of its forms. May we carry the light, and by example, may it inspire a desire for transformation within others.

Dear Lord,

Each day, help me to begin again. To emerge from the darkness and cold of the night, and reach forward toward Your light.

Help me breathe deeply—by consuming what is life-giving and releasing fear, doubt, frustration, and the weight of the past.

Teach me to trust Your process of growth—The steady pace of transformation, Day by day, inch by inch, Remembering that everything begins as a seed.

You alone make things grow. You know the environment in which I am planted.

You know exactly what I need to thrive. You created me, and only You know how I am uniquely designed.

Whether alone or alongside others, in sunlight or shadows, in seasons of pruning or nourishment, give me the courage to take responsibility for what I can do and release what I cannot.

Give me strength to endure seasons of excessive rain and drought, Persistence to clear weeds that stifle and interrupt, and patience to trust Your timing—For every bloom, every fade, every pause, and every new beginning.

Let Your Spirit flow through me with strength and resilience. Let Your DNA be visible in me—In love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

May my life bring glory to Your garden. May it attract others to Christ by reflecting You.

Amen.

SCRIPTURES TO STAND ON

Philippians 4:6–7:  The peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.1 Samuel 16:7:  The Lord looks at the heart. James 1:5:  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God…

Prayer is the spark that ignites light within us. And when we are surrounded by darkness, even the smallest spark allows us to see. When we continue to pray—again and again—we feed the flame that helps us not only remain, but also burn bright and courageously.

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Author: Myra Johnson is a Houston-based executive consultant, producer, and arts advocate with over 17 years of experience helping organizations grow, innovate, and connect deeply with the communities they serve. As CEO of Ephesus Investments, Myra leads 6-month and annual executive-level engagements, serving as a strategic advisor, interim leader, or embedded partner to guide organizations through growth, transition, and transformation. Her firm also provides coaching for CEOs and senior leaders in operations, strategy, storytelling, creative campaigns, and community engagement.