How do I pray?
What the Bible says about prayer:
Old Testament
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” -Psalm 46:10
“I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. -Psalm 16:7-8
Jesus
“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don;t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” –Matthew 6:9-13
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” -Matthew 7:7-8
New Testament
“Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask for anything according to His will, He hears us.” –1 John 5:14
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6-7
4 Ways to Pray
#1 - Prayer journaling
What is it: Instead of closing our eyes and folding our hands, you grab a journal and a pen and write out your prayers to God.
Why you should try it: It helps you stay focused and be still in the presence of God instead of rushing through a prayer in your mind.
P.R.A.Y
Using the P.R.A.Y acronym helps you to have a focused and honest time of prayer. Write out your answers to each of these questions as you rest in the presence of God.
Pause- How am I doing right now?
Rejoice- What am I grateful to God for? What characteristics of God have I noticed recently?
Ask- What small thing am I asking God to provide today? What big thing am I asking God to provide in this season?
Yield- Where in my life do I need to follow the ways of God? What commitment am I making to follow His ways?Free write
This is your space to be honest before God – grab a piece of paper and a pen and acknowledge that God is present with you and desires to hear from you. Write your unfiltered thoughts, feelings, and ideas on the page as a way of praying to God about them. Don’t worry about sentence structure or saying the correct thing; the goal is to connect with God through written prayer.Gratitude/Filling/Identity
This is a simple way of doing a heart-check with God. Try starting each day by filling in the blanks in the presence of God.
Gratitude
Three things I am grateful for… 1___________ 2 ____________ 3___________
Be specific
Filling
“Lord today my heart is ______ “
Insert a word that describes how your heart is feeling
Fill me with your ______ (Which of God’s qualities do you need to be filled with today? Consider this list from the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)
Identity
This is ____ the son/daughter you love
Signing your journal this way reminds you of who you are in Christ.
#2 - Reflective Prayer
What is it:
Reflective prayer is also known as “the prayer of examen” (Named after the person who first formalized this method of praying). During this prayer, you thoughtfully replay the last day with God.
Why you should try it:
Slowing down to think through your day helps you to see where God showed up and where you need Him to show up in the future.
Review the last 24 hours with God– tell Him about what you did, what you ate, who you spent time with, your highs, and your lows.
Specifically name what you are grateful for from the last 24 hours – Thank God for those blessings.
Identify parts of the day when you were frustrated, hurt, confused, or sad – Open your heart up to God as you share those with Him.
Talk to God about the changes you are hoping occur tomorrow– Is there a change that needs to happen in your life or in your heart? Process those with God and invite Him to influence your life.
Spend time in silence and thank God for His love and His attention
#3 - Prayer through the day
What is it:
Prayer through my day is simply setting three alarms during your day (morning, noon, and night) to pray to God with intentionality.
Why you should try it:
It is too easy to get lost in the busyness of life and to go days without praying– setting an alarm and meeting with God three times a day helps you to invite God into each moment.
Set an alarm for morning, noon, and night.
When your morning alarm goes off, take a moment to thank God for a new day, ask God for the wisdom to follow His ways, and praise God for who He is.
When your noon alarm goes off, take a moment to thank God for a blessing you have experienced today, ask God for an opportunity to show someone love, and praise God for His love for you.
When your nighttime alarm goes off, take a moment to thank God for the gift of your life, ask God for a peaceful night of sleep, and praise God for sustaining all things.
#4 - Intercessory prayer
What is it:
Intercessory prayer is a fancy way of saying, “Praying for other people”. This is when we take time to lift up the requests of other people to God. It is a way of caring for the needs of others and connecting with God.
Why you should try it:
Praying for other people is an act of compassion for them and connection with God. It is a way to love God and love others in one act!
Collect the requests: Find a way to collect requests from people you love– you can do this by asking them at school or Lifeline, texting them, or posting on social media asking if anyone needs prayer. The Holy Spirit may randomly put certain people or situations on your mind– those count too!
Make a list of requests: Use a notebook, notes on your phone, or a whiteboard to write down the requests of others.
Lift the requests up to God: Pray to God for these people– be specific and keep track of when you prayed for them and what you prayed for.
Encourage them: Maybe God desires to use you to answer the prayers you prayed! Encourage the people you prayed for with a text, a card, or a reminder of God’s goodness– this means more than you know!
Want to grow deeper?
Here are 4 great resources to deepen your prayer life!
Podcast: Slo Prayer
Booklet: The Prayer Practice by Practicing the Way
Book: Worried About Everything Because I Pray About Nothing by Chad Veach
Book: Prayer by Timothy Keller
We want to hear from you: Did you try any of these prayer practices? Let us know so we can hear how God moved! Contact us!