Reigniting Your Prayer Time

Has prayer ever been confusing or boring to you? Prayer is how we talk with God, and, in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can talk with God about anything—because we are resting on the promises of His Word, the Bible (Matthew 11:28-29; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:7). As Christians, we can pray on our own or in a group of other Christians. When we pray, we are having a conversation with God. Jesus wants us to connect with Him—to share our worries, our brokenness, our needs, our praise, and our dreams. But like all conversations, there are times when we have to listen. After we have shared our hearts, we reflect on the truths of God’s Word and think about how God could be speaking to us. To listen, we might ask, “How does the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection affect the situation we’re praying about? How is the Holy Spirit calling us to live in light of these truths?” God made each of us different, so there are lots of different ways we can pray. To reignite your prayer time, try linking prayer to the talents and interests God has blessed you with. If you are musical, then you could try prayer through singing and create a new song or instrumental piece of work. If you are an avid reader, try meditating on Bible verses—perhaps also including quotations from inspiring Christians throughout church history. If you are a writer, you might decide to write poetry in a journal or create a list of thanksgiving and requests to share with God. Those who need structure might prefer traditional prayers, such as the Psalms, the Lord’s Prayer, or even prayers from historical prayer books, hymnals, or confessions of different Christian denominations. Some days, prayer will be easier than others. But don’t give up. Sometimes the words won’t come or you will feel empty. But rest assured: Jesus always listens, and time spent talking with Him is never, ever wasted. • Cindy Lee • What are your hobbies? How can these passions be used as forms of prayer? • When is the best time for you to pray? The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in tRuth Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Matthew 6:9-13; Psalm 145:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18