How to Develop a Prayer Life

#1 JUST DO IT: Praying does not require some consecrated time in some ordained place with the right mood and right setting.  When you have the thought to pray for someone, do it.  Right then.  Don’t procrastinate.  Don’t say to your friend, “I’ll pray for you.”  Instead say, “Let’s pray.”  Right then, bow together and pray.  When something good happens. Pray right then and thank God. Procrastination is a major tool of the enemy.  If he can get you to put it off, he can probably get you distracted enough not to do it at all.

#2 SET ASIDE TIME:  Also, set aside a time of the day each day to pray at length for issues. Use your lunch hour, before you go to bed, or when you wake up.  Choose a time that you would be at your best and most likely to actually do it.  Praying is a lot like working out.  You have to commit time to doing it each day.  Also, like working out, start with a shorter segment of time, then build up gradually.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matt 6:6

#3 USE A PRAYER JOURNAL: Write down prayer requests, needs, scriptures that you used in prayer in a prayer journal.  As your prayers are answered write that down and pray prayers of thanks.  This will build your belief (agreement with Faith) and renew your mind to the power of prayer.  Like working out, results are motivating.

Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. Hab 2:2

#4 USE THE BIBLE AS YOUR GUIDE:  Use the Psalms or other Bible verses as a guide for prayer.  Read aloud the promises of God back to Him.  He loves His word.  Prayer is really coming into agreement with God’s plan and purposes; so, the Bible is the perfect guide. Be attentive to the Spirit.  When you come across a verse and you feel the Spirit move within you, stop there.  Meditate on that one verse.  Speak it aloud… slowly.  Concentrate on the different emphasis of different parts of that scripture.  Don’t move on until the Spirit is satisfied within you.   Sing it aloud back to God.  Singing scripture is a powerful tool.  It resonates, literally and spiritually.

Let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself… Ezek 3:10

#5 BE LED: Prayer is a conversation.  This involves listening and letting the Holy Spirit lead you.  Don’t just go into prayer with a list and a couple of scriptures that you have outlined to lead your prayer with God.  Be still before God and let His Spirit bring to mind sins that you have not realized, people that you had not thought of to pray for, verses to meditate on…. You will find that when the Spirit is leading, prayer becomes something much more powerful.  You will long for prayer much more than if you had sat down with your outline and gone at it.

But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1Cor 2:10