The act of prayer itself can’t tackle our problems in life. But the God to whom we’re praying can do miracles for us. By staying connected to God through prayer, we’re more attuned to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25) in a way that impacts our everyday lives.
Praying just means communicating with our Heavenly Father in our own ways. Maintain that communication is the key to growing up in His love. As an illustration, if I only communicated with my earthly dad during emergencies or sent an occasional “thank you” text, then we wouldn’t have the same depth of relationship that time spent together allows.
Like the communication which lets us develop earthly relationships, prayer involves ongoing contact with Someone who deeply loves us. The Apostle Paul repeatedly underscored this continuous nature of prayer, reminding believers to be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12), to pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18), to continue steadfastly in prayer (Colossians 4:2), and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
As essential as we know prayer to be, we may still struggle to pursue the vibrant prayer life which we recognize we need. Sometimes we can all use a little fresh inspiration to pray, whether we’re seasoned prayer warriors or new “spiritual cadets.” On that note, here are five ways to amp up your prayer life:
1. Read Missionary Biographies for Inspiration
It’s one thing to pray because we believe we’re supposed to. It’s another to pray because we want to, understand its power and significance. And a fantastic way to grasp the power of prayer is to read, watch or listen to stories of missionaries, persecuted Christians, and other believers who walked closely with God in days past. Such stories can make you to cling to God and give you closeness with Him.
Biographies of missionaries like George Muller, Gladys Aylward, and Brother Andrew are a great place to start.
2. Make Friends with a Prayer Warrior
The testimonies of answered prayers can mentor us personally. They are a prayer model in our life. You can pray together whenever you can.
3. Study What the Bible Reveals About Prayer
While learning about prayer from people has its place, nothing compares to learning from God himself. So, why not take some time to study what the Bible says about prayer?
The role of prayer in the lives of biblical men and women, the ministry of Jesus, and the early church can be meditated. You could research passages that teach Christians how to pray—like the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Or you could look up verses that highlight the importance (and rewards!) of prayer.
4. Guard Your Relationship with God
Scripture reveals about prayer is that for truly powerful prayer life, we must guard our hearts against debris that could obstruct our relationship with God. After all, James 5:16 teaches that the prayer of a righteous person has great power. Proverbs 15:8 & 29, Psalm 34:15, and 1 Peter 3:12 likewise affirm that God hears the prayer of the righteous.
However, the Bible is equally clear that unrighteousness hinders prayer. Psalm 66:18 (NIV) states, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened,” and Proverbs 28:9 confirms, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” First Peter 3:7 also reveals that husbands’ conduct toward their wives impacts their prayers’ effectiveness.
This doesn’t mean that we can manipulate God into answering prayers the way we want him to, simply by being on our ‘best behavior.’ God is sovereign, and we aren’t righteous in ourselves anyway—Jesus is (Isaiah 64:6, 2 Corinthians 5:21). Still, guarding our hearts against things our Saviour hates allows us to communicate with him in a way we otherwise cannot.
5. Practice Different Types of Prayer
While studying what Scripture teaches about prayer, you’ll probably find examples of different types of prayers. These include prayers of examination (Psalm 139:23-24), confession and repentance (Psalm 51), thanksgiving (Psalm 75:1), and petition (Ephesians 6:18).
Paul also linked thanksgiving with prayers of petition, urging believers in Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV), “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
By practicing different types of biblical prayers, we can step more fully into the prayer lives that Christians were meant to live.