3 ways you can work prayer time into your daily routine
We tell ourselves, “It’s just a busy season and life will slow down soon.” But the reality is that life seems to be continually speeding, doesn’t it? The years seem to tick by faster and faster. We set goals and resolutions annually and before you know it, a whole other year has passed. Life is passing us by. And it feels like we’re just along for the ride and there’s never any time to do anything. Now that you’re taking stock of your life — when was the last time you prayed?
Oh, dang. It’s been a hot minute since you dropped to your knees and carved out time to pray. We get that there’s a fine line between making something routine and habit and forgetting about it entirely. Prayer is an important aspect of our Christian walk with Jesus. Here’s what regular prayer time does for us:
Prayer creates direct communication with God. Just like any relationship, our relationship with Christ takes work and requires regular communication. That includes praying, reading the Bible and worshiping the Lord.
Your prayer time is a form of worship. There’s no music, so how can prayer be a form of worship? Your prayer time should not always be focused on asking God for things. Your prayers should also include praising Jesus for who He is and how He’s provided for you.
Prayer deepens our intimacy with God. Similar to any relationship, the more you talk to someone, the more your intimacy with that person deepens. The same concept applies to your prayer time.
Prayer invites action. Perhaps there’s a big decision that needs to be made, or maybe you feel God has called you to do something different with your life. Prayer can help you make decisions, and a healthy prayer lifestyle will make it easier for you to hear God’s calling for your life.
How to increase your prayer time
Pray without ceasing. What does that phrase really mean? Let’s take a look. The phrase comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:17, and, contrary to popular belief ,doesn’t necessarily mean to pray 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The verse means that we should develop a lifestyle of prayer, more than just a habit. A lifestyle of prayer is talking with God throughout the day — more than just a quick prayer in the morning and or evening. It’s an all-day conversation.
Here are some tips to help you increase your prayer time and transform your life:
Choose prayer. Every morning when you wake up, choose to make prayer time a priority in your day. This may look like praying while you get ready for your day, thanking God before a meal, asking God for guidance before making a decision.
Pray in the small moments and the big milestones. Sure, it makes sense to pray for wisdom when making big, life-altering decisions. But what about those small moments? Those small, quiet moments are often where we find God most. And they’re the sweetest times of prayer.
Find accountability. Ask a friend to help keep you accountable in your prayer life. By creating accountability, you increase your chances of succeeding in increasing your prayer time.
How to pray
If you’re new to praying, it can be difficult to know how to pray. Can you just say anything you want to God? How do you know He’s even listening? Praying can bring about a fair amount of uncertainty. To learn how to structure our prayer time, we go to the Bible.
Pray with confidence. We know that God hears us when we pray because of 1 John 5:14, which reads: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (NIV).
Pray about everything. Philippians 4:6 reminds us that we should pray about everything. The verse reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (NIV).
Pray Scripture. If you’re at a loss for what to pray about, pray Scripture. Consider starting with the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. You may recognize this as the “Our Father” prayer.
Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey
At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. You can also find out what our community’s purpose and passion are all about by checking out some of the past sermons we’ve posted on our website.
Do you want to grow in your faith, or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.