Hello my lovelies! Over the past few months, God has been teaching me a lot about prayer. He’s used different sermons, people, circumstances in my life, and His Word to help me deepen my prayer life. And I’ve been awed at some of His answers to specific prayers that I prayed. I’m still a student in the school of prayer, but today I wanted to share some ideas that have helped my prayer life. I hope these thoughts will be a blessing to you, too! (If you’re curious about my faith, read this post: My Personal Story of Faith.)

Here are 6 ways to deepen your prayer life.

1. Take your time.

I’ve been guilty of not doing this. Maybe you have, too. 

Have you ever felt so stressed out that you just rushed into God’s presence without so much as a greeting? Have you started asking for things before you even thanked Him for anything? Before you humbled your heart? I’ve definitely done this.

But, when I was listening to an excellent sermon on prayer, I realized that this was a serious mistake. 

Talking to God is a huge privilege….one that we should not take lightly. 

Can you imagine rushing into Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s stateroom without a greeting? What if you immediately started reciting your most pressing requests? The idea is laughable.

Yet, how often do we treat God just like that?

In Ecclesiastes 5:1, Solomon warns the reader, “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.” 

When we begin to pray, we should slow down and take our time. We should remember to Whom we are speaking and approach Him with reverent, thankful, submitted hearts. We should pray thoughtfully, earnestly, and seriously. Prayer is a powerful weapon that we should not use lightly.

2. Walk in obedience.

In Psalm 66:18, David writes, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” 

If you feel that God is not answering your prayers, ask yourself, “What was the last thing God wanted me to do?” Did He ask you to forgive someone? To take a step of obedience? To right a wrong you had done? Whatever it was, go back and do it. Otherwise, God will not hear your prayers. 

It’s not that complicated. It’s just hard. 

If you are tolerating sin in your life without confessing and forsaking it, your prayers will not be answered. Proverbs 28:13 warns us, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

The closer you get to God, the more you will see your own sin and selfishness. Honestly, it can be very discouraging. God has been working in my heart lately, and sometimes I am appalled at my own selfishness! But one encouraging truth that a loved one told me is that, when God shows you a sin, He also gives you the grace to change. 

To have an effective prayer life, you need to walk in obedience and forsake sin. It’s not easy, but it’s more than worth it!

3. Be specific.

Are your prayers more like this- “God bless my day, help everything to go smoothly, and bless our church family…”

Or this? “Lord, please give me one person to witness to today, provide the money needed for a missions trip, help X number of children come out to Bible Club.”

If God answered your prayers, would you be able to tell that He had answered them? Or are your prayers vague, foggy, and well-meaning?

God is a very specific God. He cares about details. And He is more than capable of answering specific prayers. 

Personally, I have a notebook where I write down specific requests and the date I start praying for them. Then I leave space for to record the answer and the date for when God answers my prayer. If it’s a big enough concern to worry about, it’s big enough to pray about! I’ve prayed about jobs, clothes, events, salvation, and more! Seeing God answer my specific prayers strengthens my faith.

4. Pray Scripture.

One of the most enriching tools I use in my personal prayer time is my Bible. When I want to praise God, I go to Psalms or Isaiah. I love praying some of Paul’s prayers for the churches for my family and friends. And, often, I go through the Epistles and pull out ideas that I can pray for others. Praying Scripture not only enhances your appreciation for God’s Word, but it also deepens and grounds your prayers. After all, every word of Scripture is God-breathed. And it will be pleasing to God’s ears.

Here are some wonderful passages to get you started:

• Colossians 1:9-12 (intercession)
• Ephesians 3:14-19 (intercession)
• Philippians 1:9-11 (intercession)
• Psalm 68 (praise)
• Psalm 103 (praise)
• Isaiah 40 (praise)
• Isaiah 45 (praise)

5. Focus on the relationship.

Why did God tell us to pray? Was it because He didn’t know what we need? Of course not. Instead, God wants us to pray because He wants a thriving, growing relationship with us. The most important thing is not asking and receiving, but rather getting to know our Saviour and drawing close to Him.

God doesn’t grade our prayers on an invisible scoresheet. Prayed for all the right requests? Check. Kneeled? Check. Didn’t get distracted? Check. No, not at all! Instead, prayer is about spending time with God. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” (James 4:8) He wants to have our hearts. 

Make space in your prayers to sit before God and to listen for His voice. Ask Him to point out sin in your heart. Cast your burdens and worries on Him. And ask Him to tell you how much He loves you. When you truly seek Him, you will find a sweet, precious fellowship with Him! 

6. Pray without ceasing.

Does this mean that we are to spend every moment in intercessory prayer? I don’t think so. After all, we do have to eat, sleep, talk to other people, and work. We don’t live in a monastery or a desert. Instead, I believe that this means we should seek to live every moment in the presence of God. We should constantly have an attitude of prayer, and, we should be praying often, in our hearts.

For the Christian, prayer should be as natural as breathing. As we go about our day, we should thank God for specific blessings. When the Holy Spirit brings a person to our mind, we can pray for them right then. We can pray for our families, our friends, and our churches. When we have to make a decision, we should be silently praying and asking God to guide our choice. This life of prayer is not a duty or a chore. Instead, it is a great delight! 

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Jesus, in Luke 9:23

I used to think that cross-bearing meant pain and suffering. But, recently I heard two different sermons which involved this concept. God taught me that bearing a cross is not about me. Rather, it’s about taking up a daily burden for the concerns of others. It means dying to myself and my petty problems and worries and praying for, helping, and serving others. 

To be honest, it’s a lot easier to pray for what I need than for what others need. But, God calls me (and you) to a better way. He calls us to take up the burdens of others and bear them through prayer. He calls us to leave our burdens in His capable hands and seek to lighten the load of our neighbours. By His grace and help, we can do this! We can pray without ceasing.

For further reading, I recommend Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God. It’s practical, encouraging, and life-changing.

Let’s Chat:

Are you seeking to deepen your prayer life? And what are some of the lessons God has taught you about prayer? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips in the comment section!

love,

Claudine

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