English was always my favorite subject in school. The little butterflies in my stomach would get all fired up when I knew science class was ending and I could go learn something useful (kidding). But even as a student who loved language arts, there was always one unit that caused my little eyebrows to furrow in worry and uncertainty. I’d start getting nervous as the teacher distributed the photocopied worksheets labeled “Active vs. Passive Voice.” 

What made this seem difficult was never actually the material itself. It was the teachers’ approach to the lesson. It almost always seemed to be prefaced by something like: “This is just a really hard concept. We will need to go over it for a while and a lot of you really won’t understand. This is where people start to fall behind.” Well gosh, I simply can’t wait! They made it sound more like a turning point in warfare rather than a new unit from our textbook. 

In reality, active and passive voices were not that complicated. Either the subject of a sentence has authority, or it doesn’t. The former is active, and the latter is passive. It’s one or the other, never an in-between. 

I think there’s a direct parallel to our lives. We are either in the driver’s seat, actively making decisions, or we let things happen to us and play the victim card. I’m not neglecting the fact that unexpected things happen and there are many situations we wish we didn’t find ourselves in, but we are still in control of our reactions and our well-being. We get to take an active role in those things.

This is especially true in the way we communicate with God. When my prayers shift from active to passive—which happens slowly and suddenly, rather than all at once—things go south real quick. And I don’t think He wants that for us. I don’t think He wants us to feel far from Him, to feel lost, or to feel like we’re running in circles. Jesus came to give us to life and that we might have it abundantly (John 10:10). Not just life, but abundant life. An overflow, an excess. And that abundant life begins with our relationship with Him. 

So I must ask myself: am I an active member in my prayer life with God, or am I mindlessly offering things up to Him with the expectation that He should just fix everything hard in my life, and that once He does, then I will feel closer to Him? 

I was a cheerleader all four years in high school. Each Thursday we had morning practice at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for the Friday night game. We’d roll in rubbing our eyes before throwing girls in the air and doing flips and tricks (clarification: I could never, nor I will ever be able to, do flips and tricks. My 5’10” body did not and will not operate like that. I just couldn’t have you leaving here thinking I can do a backflip). 

One morning at practice, a teammate said, “I’m so tired when I wake up for practice that by the time I get to school, I don’t even remember driving here.” If the thought of 25 teenage girls sleeping behind the wheel on the way to morning cheer practice doesn’t scare you, this might:

Our prayer lives operate similarly. If we’re not speaking to God as a friend, a Father, a loyal confidant, and speaking to Him as if He is active and present and all-powerful, our prayers get passive real quick. And passive prayers will slowly unravel our relationship with Him over time. And if I’m not talking to God… then what is the relationship? What is my faith? Something to turn to once a week? Once a month? Once in a while? There is so much more than that, and He wants more for us. 

This isn’t meant to emphasize that we need to talk to Him, but rather shifting the way we do just that. Praying out of belief and faith is much different than praying out of complaints and whining. It is active and intimate and honoring. The longer I go unchecked, the more frequently I find myself in the second camp, settling for a lukewarm relationship with the One I most want a vibrant life with. 

But here’s the most encouraging truth about the Holy Spirit’s Presence and participation in our lives: He is always here. He is always with us. He is always in us and working all things together for the good of those who love Him. He’s never changed, and He never will. The way I address Him, speak to Him, or think about Him, though, absolutely can.

Scripture can help keep us on track to infuse the truth of His character and tendencies into our minds, hearts, and souls. But what good is knowing something if I’m not going to do anything with it? If He is mighty, powerful, and active, why would I ever speak to Him as if He’s not? Why would I sit back and wait for Him to show up in the way that I deem is best without giving Him room to speak to me or show me a better way? 

These are questions we must revisit time and time again—not concepts to perfect or check off the list. We are human, and we will continue to mess up. We will continue to stray away, to get distracted by the things around us, and to become passive in our conversations with God. We need His grace, and if what we’re after is a deeply devoted and personal relationship with Him, we must decide to keep our prayers active. And it’s more than a decision—it’s a fight. 

This idea to revive our prayer lives might sound good in the moment, but it’s something we must intentionally work for. The world won’t push us towards deep, intimate conversations with the God it so often rejects. It’s our choice. It’s up to us—what do we want? What do we want our prayer lives to look like? If we’re not talking to Him, are we really in a relationship with Him? 

I don’t know about you, but I want a constant stream of conversation, a never-ending flow of communication with the most gracious and powerful being in the universe. I will never do this perfectly, and I know I’ll stumble and fall short (a lot) along the way, but I won’t go down without a fight. Because I love God too much to let comforts or distractions water down the love that overflows from an active relationship with Him. And the best part—we can fight for this change right now, today. He’s already here, and He always has been.