How to Make Prayer a Priority

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Ephesians 6:18

        “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and                          requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

How many times have you said to someone who was struggling with an issue, facing a health concern, or suffering a loss, “I’ll pray for you?” You say it with sincerity and mean every word. The next thing you know the busyness of the day takes over and your good intentions are pushed aside.

A friend and I discussed this over lunch a few days ago. We were remembering a friend struggling with health issues and another friend who was on frustration overload with one of her children. And then she said, “I have to do a better job of praying for people. I have told those I care about that I will pray for them. Next thing you know I find post-it notes all over the house and in my office and realize my prayers were a hit and miss.”

We all feel like that from time to time and we feel disappointment about letting those prayer promises slip through our grasp.

So, how do we make prayer life a priority and strengthen our relationship with God? How do we keep our word to pray for those who have special needs or requests?

You see God calls us to pray continually in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. He tells us if we are to be obedient to His will, then prayer must be part of our life in Him. His word tells us to present our requests to Him. Philippians 4:6.

Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our lives and the time we spend in prayer demonstrates our reliance on Him. He longs to hear from us. The challenge is making prayer a priority and a daily habit.

Statistics tell us we can establish a new habit in 21 to 30 days. On average though, it takes more than two months, 66 days some sources say, before a new behavior becomes automatic. So, where do we start?

There is no perfect or right way—just do it. Pray any time, morning, noon or night.  

• Give God the first 5 minutes of the day. Pour your heart out to Him—He is listening.
• Remember it’s not about where you pray, only that you pray.
• Get on your knees. It’s difficult to be distracted or lose focus if you’re on your knees before Him.
• Keep a journal handy. Make a list of praises, concerns, blessings and requests. Add to it as needed and call on His name.
• Prayer is our lifeline to God. Talk to Him. In order to build a relationship we must communicate with Him.

                    How reassuring to know that our prayer life sustains us in a world                          that needs His powerful influence.

And just as I end each blog post with, “I’ll be praying for you,” you can rest assured that’s exactly what takes place. I pray for God’s protection and blessing over you and I treasure our time together, giving Him the glory and honor for our journey.

Mitzi