I recently read “A young woman after Gods own heart” By Elizabeth George. A couple of the chapters were about prayer. I was really encouraged by it, and since then, I have been developing better prayer habits and praying continually. Prayer is a common struggle so I want to share some tips that I’ve picked up from this book and outside that might help improve your daily prayer with our almighty God.
In this article, I will look at three practical ways to change your prayer life & in the next one I will look more closely at prayer and decision-making.
Prayer Diaries
To get started, it is really helpful to develop a prayer diary. This diary can involve anything. At the front, I put a sheet of paper in that has every day of the week, and under each day I fill out a thanksgiving point, prayer for others, prayer for me and everyday prayer. Some other things I put in my diary are missionary prayer letters from our churches link missionaries, our churches prayer points newsletter, a prayer log and prayer list which I will touch on in the next points
Prayer Logs
As you develop a more regular prayer life, you discover that prayer changes you to have a deeper relationship with God as it increases your faith. A good way to encourage this is through a prayer log. This is where you write down everything you have prayed about – for example family, friends, decisions and yourself. You will be amazed when you pay attention to how God answers item after item! This prayer log can be kept in your prayer diary where you can record your requests and responses.
Prayer Lists
Another useful item for your prayer diary is a list of the people you want to pray for. Write all the names down. They can be family, friends, missionaries and even enemies. When praying, read each name out to God and pray what is on your mind about them. This makes prayer more selfless. It is encouraging if you ask the people on your list if they have any prayer points, and helpful for you too.
Pinpoint a sin you stuggle with, and put it at the top of your prayer list. Pray about it every day. Colossians 4:2 says “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Confess your sin to God every time. Ask God to help you remove it from your life, keeping in mind “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9