6 Practices To Incorporate Into Your Prayer Life

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. - James 5:16b

A little over a month ago, I, along with several other leaders, went with our church’s youth group to summer camp. And while I know the sessions each day were geared towards middle school and high school students, I still managed to take plenty of notes throughout the week.

One of my favorite messages of the week was on prayer. The pastor gave some simple, practical guidance on how to have a strong, thriving prayer life, and I loved what he taught. Over my time in ministry, I’ve been asked countless times about how to pray, what to include in your prayers, and how to have a healthy prayer life.

So I thought I would take some time today to share with you what that pastor shared with all of us last month. Whether you’re new to being a Christian and you’re trying to figure out what prayer is all about, or if you’ve been a Christian for a long time but your prayer life is in a rut, I hope and pray this is helpful, encouraging, and challenging for you today.

So with that in mind, here are six practices you can incorporate when you pray:

1. Be open to what God has for you.

So often, when we start praying, we can have in our head exactly what we want to ask God and exactly how we want Him to answer us. But maybe God has something completely different in store for us than what we’re thinking or expecting. So when you pray and talk to God, posture yourself with open hands, an open mind, and an open heart to receive whatever He has for you.

2. Be real.

The great thing about God is that He already knows everything that’s going on in your head and your heart. He knows how you’re feeling. He knows what you’re thinking. And He knows what’s going on in your life. So there’s no reason to try to pray “perfect prayers” and put on a front with God. You can be honest with Him. In fact, that’s exactly what He wants from you. There’s no need to get your act together to talk to God. Just be real with Him.

3. Show gratitude.

No matter how bad life is right now or how painful, disappointing, or frustrating our circumstances might be, there is always something we can thank God for. Even if it’s just thanking Him for waking you up this morning, take the time to show gratitude to your Heavenly Father when you pray to Him.

4. Make known your requests.

This is usually the easy part for most of us when it comes to prayer. We typically don’t have a problem asking God for what we want or need. And that’s not a bad thing! God wants us to make our requests known to Him. So don’t be shy. Don’t feel like you can’t ask God for things. Again, like I said earlier, be open to what He has for you, but don’t let that stop you from asking Him for whatever’s on your heart.

5.  Be still and quiet.

While asking God for things is usually the easiest part of prayer, being still and quiet before the Lord is typically the toughest part of prayer. The Holy Spirit has an incredible way of speaking to our hearts when we get quiet in His presence. You may not hear the audible voice of God, but maybe He will speak to your soul in that still small voice. For example, have you ever been sitting in silence, maybe pondering something that’s been weighing on you recently, and a certain Bible verse comes to mind that speaks directly to your situation? That is often the Holy Spirit speaking to you, reminding you of the truth of God’s Word. That can happen more often if we make a point to be still before the Lord, but we have to be intentional about being quiet first.

6.  Be ready to receive what you asked for.

The we far too often forget about prayer is that it’s powerful. God works through our prayers, and amazing things can happen when we spend consistent, intentional time praying. Therefore, when we ask God for something, we need to have faith that He will come through for us. We need to believe that He hears us and that He’s going to give us an answer. Prayers aren’t just wishes we send up hoping they make it onto God’s desk. Prayer makes a difference. Prayer matters, therefore we need to believe it’s impactful and powerful when we engage in it.

Which of these six things do you need to be more intentional about implementing in your prayer life? Which one can you start with today? Whatever it is and wherever you are in your prayer life, I’d encourage you to start incorporating all six of these practices as you continue to (or start to) spend time talking to Jesus. As you do, I think you’ll be amazed to see how the Lord responds and how He works through your faithfulness in prayer.