A Few Tips on How to Increase Your Prayer Life

Oftentimes, when speaking with people about building their walk with God, they bring up the subject of prayer. Normally, it is from the prospective “I know I am not praying enough.” I am inspired to write about this subject because when I reflect back to the beginning stages of my walk with God I remember how difficult it was for me to establish a prayer life.

Before we start getting into how to increase your prayer life, it is important to establish some facts about prayer.

1. Prayer is Vitally Important to Your Spiritual Growth- If you desire to grow spiritually, your time with God in prayer is not be to be cast aside, or belittled. In fact, I have learned that your time of prayer should be fought for. Each time you pray, you connect with God. You may not feel like you do, but it’s not about a feeling!! You must know that you WILL grow in your knowledge of Him, your Love for Him, your faith in Him, your Trust in Him, and the list goes on and on…..

2. Prayer will Change Your Life- Looking for a change in your life? Tired of the same patterns of negative behaviors and sin? Don’t see how to get through a rough time? You are not alone, I have experienced all of the before mentioned. I remember trying to come out of sin, on my own and it was an epic FAIL!! I remember trying to change my life without God, and that was another FAIL! Then, I remember beginning to spend time in prayer, and being truthful about where I was in life. As I prayed, it was as if I didn’t have to work hard to stop sinning and stop this and that. Over time, my desires changed because my heart changed after spending time with God in prayer.

So let’s get to the question at hand “How Do I   Increase  My  Prayer  Life?”

1. Set a specific time of prayer: Yes you have heard it before, over and over again “set a specific time to pray.” But have you tried it? Okay, maybe you have tried it, but let’s try it again:) It is so important to schedule a time for you and God. At first, I felt bad about this. I felt like maybe I was boxing God in. But shortly thereafter, I began to look at it as taking responsibility for my relationship with God. When I did not have a set prayer time, I would often find myself forgetting to pray or just trying to say a “quick one” when I woke up or before I went to bed. With our lives being so busy with work, family, business, church, ministry etc. it is necessary to schedule in your time of prayer or you will find it to soon be non-existent.

First, I suggest sitting down and looking over your entire schedule. Next, pick a time that is REALISTIC for you!!! God is not going to condemn you if you are not a early morning or late-night person. Stay away from times that you know you are not able to do. This will simply slow down the process and Frustrate YOU! By the way, it’s okay to start off with less than an hour of prayer. At first I started with about 30 minutes, but the more I prayed the more my hunger for God increased and slowly my prayer time increased. Be suer to set an alarm in your phone to remind you of your prayer time. Finally, start praying. Stick to the time you set!!! You can Do it!

2. Pray throughout the day: Another way to increase your prayer life is to pray throughout the day. The word says to “pray without ceasing.” If you were like me when I first read that I was like “that is impossible”!! But later, I learned that it actually is possible. I have especially learned this as a wife. Prayer is communicating with God. You can do it just like communicating with a friend. When you think of it this way, you can see how easy it can become to talk with God throughout the day.

You can pray while you are driving, walking, working, cleaning, and exercising, just to name a few. In fact, you can do it all day every day. God wants us to be connected to Him throughout the day. Remember “He is always with Us!” Can you imagine walking around with a friend all day long, and only speaking to him for less than 1 hour a day?  When you constantly communicate with God throughout the day, you will get to know Him more. You will learn how to hear His Voice and to follow His leading. Give it try, and let me know how it goes:)

3. Pray with Variety: Some stop praying because they simply “get bored.” I know the feeling. You can sometimes get stuck in the same routine of prayer that you simply get tired of it. It can be compared to going to the same restaurant every day over and over again. After a while you just don’t want their food anymore.  Don’t feel bad, there is an answer to this problem!!! Learn to add some “spice” to your prayer life. I have learned to add variety to my time with God. You can incorporate a time of worship, a time of reading the word aloud,  and a time of writing to your prayer time. Also you don’t always have to listen to slow music in prayer, maybe switch it up to some praise music. Hey, who said you have to pray with slow worship music lol! “I JUST GOT A REVELATION LOL!” Also, take time to listen to the Holy Spirit. As you grow in prayer, you will learn how to follow His leading and believe me, the Holy Spirit is into doing “new things” in prayer.

4. Be REAL in Prayer: This is the last point, but one of the most important. All I have to say is “BE REAL!” You don’t have to fake iit n prayer. You don’t have to use fancy words in prayer. You don’t have to hide your sins in prayer! You don’t have to hide how you feel in prayer!! Prayer is the safest place to actually “be yourself.” I was able to get delivered from perversion and sin as soon as I got “REAL With GOD in PRAYER!” He came right in and changed my heart and ultimately my life.”

Okay before you close the blog and start your new prayer journey, let me pray for you.

Father, in the name of Jesus I pray for everyone that reads this blog. I pray that you will pour out a new grace on their lives to establish or re-establish their prayer life with you. I pray that as they take time to seek you in prayer that they will learn more of You, and Your love for them. Finally, Lord I pray that they will grow a passion for prayer and a hunger for you that is never ending.

Let me know if this blog has helped you or if you can relate:) I would love to hear from you…

With Love and Blessings,

Rotoya