One of the major themes I've learned this past summer is the importance and power of prayer. For the past six weeks a few buddies and I have committed every morning from 5am-6am to pray for the day and its expected/unexpected events.
Through these hard mornings of prayer, I've witnessed God do amazing things and learned a few valuable tips on how to have a consistent, powerful prayer life.
If you've ever recognized your need for a prayer life or even asked like the disciples in Luke chapter 11, verse 1 "...Lord teach us to pray..." here are a few things you should know:
Praying is hard
We've all been in that prayer meeting where all we can think about is: "when is this over? How long is this person going to pray for? Why is this lady praying again? And, how many times is he going to say 'Lord'?" Right? Please tell me I'm not the only one.
Praying is hard because it requires us to reign in our every emotion, wondering thought, and come back to a steady conversation with God. This requires a level of discipline and a resolve not to let our mind and heart wander wherever it wishes. Next time you're going to pray, remind yourself that you are setting this time apart to speak face to face with your Creator. This will bring in an understanding of the seriousness and privilege of prayer.
Pray with others in mind
While it is beneficial to pray for you, praying for the needs of others agrees with the heart of God. In the New Testament, Jesus' prayers rarely catered around Himself. He often prayed for the needs of others, and in the book of Hebrews it says, "...He always lives to make intercession for them..." (Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25) If we wish to pray like Jesus, we need to continue to surround our families, loved ones, and enemies with prayer.
Develop a prayer schedule
Unfortunately, prayer doesn't just happen. If you're like me, the business of the day will always drown out the necessity of prayer. Find a time in your day or week to sit down and pray. Do what you have to do. If you need to set an alarm on your phone, pencil it in on your calendar, or create a Facebook event, then DO IT, and follow through. While this seems tedious and "religious", remember that it doesn't matter how much you wantto pray, all that matters is how much you choose to pray.
Pray out loud
There's just something special about praying out loud. Yes, God hears your thoughts and knows what you will say before you say it (see Psalm 139), but praying out loud will help you collect your thoughts and help you really mean what you pray. If you are embarrassed to pray out loud, don't be! Remember that prayer is just a conversation between you and God. He's not impressed with fancy words and/ or phrases. The best prayer is an honest prayer.
Start today
Today is a great day for you to start praying! Don't postpone your privilege to meet with Jesus. Don't know where to start? Ask your friends and family on how you can be praying for them. Collect these things, and bring them to God! As you begin to pray, know that God hears you. Contrary to your thoughts and feelings, your prayers are not bouncing off the ceiling and entering into the abyss of nothingness. God is with you. He is near to you, and as you pray, He is there with you, listening intently, and waiting to respond.
Aaron serves in Murrieta, CA and is a pastor at Cross Culture Ministries and is also the director of On The Edge.
Aaron Sabio's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/aaron-sabio.html