7 Ways To Kickstart Your Prayer Life (and a bonus)

Keep It Simple.
God doesn’t need fancy language when you pray. He wants to hear your heart. Bring him the joys and challenges of your day. What was your biggest WIN today? What was your biggest CHALLENGE? Share with God, like a friend.

Do It Daily.
Friendship are built with interaction. Marriages are strengthened by communication. You skip a day, and things can get off kilter. Start each day with a simple prayer of thanking Him and ask for guidance for a new day.

Say It With Thank You’s!
Think of all the things you are blessed with, even the little things, and thank God for them. I’ve yet to meet someone who was constantly thanking God who was sad and without joy. When you’re thanking God in prayer, it’s hard to focus on any bad stuff happening.

Make It About Others.
Pray for other people. Friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, your boss, the lady working at 7-11 every morning. You name ’em, and pray for them. This is a two for one. You are bringing other people’s stuff to God and you are taking the focus off of yourself. Win, win.

Grow It Patiently.
Patience, joy, having peace, worry. What do you need to leave behind or maybe grow in? Pray for God to intervene. Ask Him to move in your life. And, be patient. You might literally pray for patience, and usually God doesn’t just give you patience. What I’ve seen, is He gives you opportunities to be patient. Growing patiently takes courage and being open to God’s leading. But, it’s Ah-Mazing!

Build It Into Your DNA.
I’m convinced that every single person who commits to loving God and loving people has the ability to talk to and discuss faith & life with God, and He’s listening and moving in people’s lives. Want to see Him move? Talk to Him. Ask Him things. Make it known you are desiring a change and something more in life. But here’s the thing: Prayer becomes a part of our DNA when we cannot live without it. If we live right now without ever really praying, it won’t happen. But, when it’s part of our DNA, we wake up each day and cannot function unless we talk with Him.

BONUS: Learn About It.
One of my favorite books on prayer is (RE)Understanding Prayer by Kyle Lake. Another is Red Moon Rising by Peter Greig. If you take some time to learn more about prayer, maybe it will be easier to begin. And, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Don’t be anxious, you’re doing great.

And, remember “Application Is Everything.” 
So, go and do it.