6 Practical Suggestions to Improve Your Prayer Life
I’m inconsistent by nature. A BIG idea person and an excellent starter I struggle to be a finisher. This has been gravely evident in my prayer life.
I’m going to memorize one new scripture a week (not quite).
Let’s try a month, or maybe a year.
I’ll wake up every morning at 4:00 am to have my quiet time (not even).
This year I’m going to finally read the Bible in it’s entirety (still working on it).
Despite my struggles to be consistent I have somehow developed some non-negotiables as it relates to prayer. This one discipline I worked at with unrelenting effort, not because I was trying to master it, but simply out of sheer necessity. My prayer time has evolved into a must have if I’m going to maintain some semblance of sanity.
It is in this place of prayer I am fully known by God. Every bad habit, embarrassing moment, insecurity, and epic failure is accepted when I am in the presence of the almighty God. In Him there is no judgement.
Beth Moore had says the following in her her book Audacious.
“Take unrestrained pleasure in Him. There’s no end to Jesus. No way to wear Him out. No way to plug the spring and make the well run dry. No way to end up in a colossal codependent mess. He’s just not one to co-depend”
This is good news for those of us who have ever held on tightly to someone who didn’t want to be held on to. Because God is not repelled by the core of who we are we can return again and again as much as we need to. Whether I’m crouched on the floor of my office, speeding down the road in my car, or perched on top of a toilet I can go to God in prayer.
And I am no theologian, just a woman who has needed God more than the very air I’m breathing. And just in case you need Him like that too I’m passing on these practical suggestions in hopes that your personal prayer time will become a place of refuge you can run to when the storms of life are more than you can bare.
#1 Conduct a Heart Check
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51: 10 ESV
Praying when there is an area of sin in your life can be like trying to drive down a barricaded road. Sin is a blockage that prevents us from tapping into the heart of God. As difficult as it is, in order to develop a thriving prayer life, we must get into the habit of consistently confessing and repenting of our sins before God. Sometimes this will require us to apologize and confess to others too. If this is the case be courageous and know that intimacy with God is worth the work it takes to achieve it.
# 2 Create a Schedule
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.
Ephesians 5: 15 ESV
Sometimes it is tempting to monopolize our prayer time with request that only concern us. Creating a prayer schedule helps to diversify our prayer life. I have seven categories for each day of the week. My schedule looks like this:
Monday: Immediate Family
Tuesday: Extended Family
Wednesday: Friends
Thursday: People in Ministry
Friday: All Things Pertaining to The Father Swap Blog (This is the day I pray for you.)
Saturday: The World
Sunday: Me
# 3 Write Your Prayers Out
And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
Habakkuk 2:2 ESV
After watching the movie War Room I decided to write my prayers out like Priscilla Shirer did in the movie. Instead of taping my prayers to a wall I decided to create a folder that houses all of my prayers. I read these out loud every week. This does not eliminate spontaneous prayer because sometimes that is needed but this strategy helps me with focus and intentionality in my prayer life..
# 4 Set a Consistent Time To Pray
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalms 90:12 NIV
So I’ve already told you consistency is not my strong suit but I aim for the same time every day. My goal is to do it in the morning because that is when I am at my absolute best. I do this by setting my alarm and going to the same location.. This develops routine, and consistency, which will eventually form a habit.
# 5 Don’t Quit
Never stop praying.
1 Thessalonians 5: 17 NLT
When the Bible encourages to pray continuously it is not to impose some impossible standard that we can never reach. It is to say, in this life you will need to communicate with God often. Prayer should not be compartmentalized into your quiet time only but it should seep into every part of your day.
# 6 Believe
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11: 1 NIV
If you have been praying about an issue for a long time it is easy to think your prayers are trapped within the four walls of your living space. Just because you have not received your answer is not reason enough to stop believing. God is a faithful God and He is able to answer your prayers.
The question becomes whether your desired outcome is His. The challenging truth is, it may not be. If that is the case know that God has a purpose for the unanswered prayer in your life and he will use it for good.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8: 28 NIV
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Oooohhh Kia, you hit the nail right on the head! Fortunately and unfortunately, I’m one of those creative, big idea types too. I think it goes right along with being a writer. This action plan is perfect for me. So many times I click away from a blog thinking, “oh, that was nice,” but you’ve given me something simple to implement. Thank you!! So glad we’re neighbor’s over at Holley’s. Keep up the wonderful work:)
Meg Gemelli recently posted…The Wedding Day: The Least Amount of Respect You’ll Ever Have for your Partner
Awesome Meg! The 6 suggestions have made a world of difference in my prayer life too. As an easily distracted dreamer I needed it. Thanks so much for joining the conversation today. Be blessed! – Kia
Thank you- these are good suggestions. I definitely need to be more consistent in praying.
Carly recently posted…Sometimes We Just Need A Sign
Carly I am glad these suggestions were beneficial to you. I think many people (including me) could stand to be more consistent in our prayer lives. Thankfully, there is no judgement in God. Glad you joined the conversation today. Be blessed! – Kia
Love your 6 suggestions for a deeper, more consistent habit of prayer. The schedule is such a great idea. I used something similar years ago and have forgotten how helpful it was. Thanks for the reminder today. So happy to “meet” you at Grace and Truth today. I’ll connect and share, which is what fun neighbors do:) Blessings today!
Ginger, I had gotten away from it too until I decided I needed to get serious about prayer and picked it back up. It is great that we can always start where we are! Thanks for joining the conversation today and be blessed!
Oh my goodness – this is wonderful. You speak sweet truth. Thank you for sharing.
blessings,
Shan Walker
The How-to Guru recently posted…Kennedy Space Center: You Won’t Believe What You Can Do As A Family
Thanks Shanda, I am glad to offer just a few suggestions that have been helpful for me. Thanks for joining the conversation today. Be blessed! – Kia
Kia, this is wonderful! I began writing my prayers a couple years ago, when things were challenging, and it is such a richer experience for me. This also makes me more aware of what I am praying about. I love anything intentional like this! You should share on #FreshMarketFriday because it is all about being intentional and passionate in all areas of our life. This message is perfect!
Thanks Crystal. I will check out #FreshMarketFriday. I am generally a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants individual so I have to work at things like organization and schedules. The sheer fact that I wrote a post like this is a testament to God’s existence (wink). I don’t know what I would do if I could not write my prayers out. I might still be somewhere on my knees trying to stay on track and finish my thoughts. So glad this post was helpful and be blessed! – Kia
Prayer is sometimes hard for me. I believe you have some helpful tips here. I especially like the schedule. It is so overwhelming when I consider all I have to pray about. The schedule helps! Thanks, Kia!!
Kelly Smith recently posted…Will the Uprooting Make You or Break You?
Kelly,
When you think about everything that is going on in our world and in our own lives prayer is very overwhelming. I hope this schedule will bless you like it has me. Most of the time my mind is all over the place so this schedule is a non-negotiable one for me. So glad you joined the conversation and I pray you begin to gain more ground in prayer. Be blessed! – Kia
writing out my prayers helps so much, i don’t know why i gravitate from it.
brooke recently posted…Searching for God in the Midst of My Failures
Brooke I gravitate too, but God pulls me back every time I drift away from the disciplines I know I should maintain. I hope that is an encouragement to you. Thanks for joining the conversation today and be blessed. – Kia