I often feel like I don’t know how to pray. I don’t know the words to say, phrases to use, how much time to take. It honestly feels like the first time I walked into a gym and saw all those torture devices with no instructions for how to use them.
In those moments, I could ask the always-theologically-correct Google, find a new book on the topic, ask a mentor to give me insight and accountability, or just sit silently and wonder why I am such a terrible Christian that I don’t even feel like I can talk to God right.
Early in my Christian walk, the last was my default response.
But asking for help in prayer is nothing new, nor is it something to feel embarrassment or shame over. The disciples asked Jesus how to pray in Luke 11. That led to us having the Lord’s Prayer.
Now that I have been following Jesus for a few years I have learned to follow the disciples’ example. I admit to God I do not know what to say. I confess I feel intimidated talking to Him because He is the Creator of the universe yet He takes time to listen to me. (If that is never intimidating to you, check to see if you have too small a view of God or too large a view of yourself.)
In following the disciples’ request, I asked God to teach me to pray. One of the best ways God has taught me is through leading me to great theologians and using resources. So I stared looking for the best notes on the Lord’s Prayer I could find. One of my favorites is Matthew Henry’s short commentary you can read online.
Through the years I have come across other great resources and learned a few principles to strengthen my prayer life and they will help yours as well.
Pray Scripture back to God
The Bible is God’s special revelation to man. He penned it through numerous writers over the course of thousands of years. It is a special book. Praying it back to God is not only a great way to communicate to Him, it is also a great way of placing His Word deeper in your heart.
You don’t have to pray it word for word. Make God’s statements and commands the pleas of your heart. Take the 10 Commandments for example. Turning them into a prayer could look something like this:
Help me, O God, to keep You first today. Open my eyes to see the idols in my life and give me the strength to turn away from them and toward you. As one of Your children, I bear Your name. Show me how to live in a way that does not take Your name in vain through word, deed, or attitude. Give me the peace to rest in You and Sabbath when You call me to. Give me the strength and love to honor my father and mother. Help me to not embrace hatred in my heart and commit murder. Watch my eyes that I may not lust and commit adultery in my heart. Help me be content with what You have provided and not steal. Give me the fortitude to be honest, no matter the cost. Help me not covet anything I see but to focus on You.
In that prayer, we take the commands of God and ask Him to help us keep them and in doing that, we honor Him.
Use a prayer journal
Ever had someone tell you that they had something big coming up (test, surgery, job interview) and you said, “I’ll pray for,” only to forget until you see them after the big event happened? When you see them, you ask how the thing went and, if it went well, you pray silently thanking God that it went well? And if it went poorly, you pray something else?
It happens. We forget. But a prayer journal can help with that. Years ago I heard of praying in concentric circles. First, pray for yourself. This is a time of confession, a plea of help to follow Christ more closely. Then the circle grows as you pray for your family by name. Start with spouse, then children, siblings, parents, etc.
Then the circle grows to include your church. This is where you have written down the specific needs of people in your church. This is also a great time to mention your pastor, elders, and deacons by name. The circle grows again to include nonbelievers you have relationships with. Then add circle after circle however God leads you. Tim Challies, has a great article on how he uses an app called PrayerMate to help with this.
Pray without a word
There are times where I cry out to God without uttering a word verbally or in my spirit. In those times, I cling to the promise of Romans 8:26, “…For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
It is in those moments I must trust the Holy Spirit to take my needs, my fears, my disappointments, and my pain to God the Father on my behalf. And He always does.
Prayer should never be a chore for the believer; nor should it be a source of shame and embarrassment. It can, and should, be a place of intimacy, refreshment, and communication with God. There is much more to be said about prayer, from using prepared and memorized prayers, to fasting a praying.
So how do you keep up your prayer life? What tools or practices do you use to keep passion in your prayers? Let us know in the comments.
