“Prayer 101”

Monday, May 11, 2015

I'm not very good at praying; what's a good way to start?

Sincerely, One Step At A Time

Dear One Step At A Time,

You start by creating the most fertile soil for success. All prayer needs two key elements. Without these two things, it is impossible to pray.

1. Time
2. Something to say

Both of these elements are equally important. If you have time but nothing to say – you won’t pray. If you have concerns, thanks, or praise but no time set aside to say them – you won’t pray. Neither element can be neglected.

Daniel made it a point to pray regularly (Dan 6:10). Christ set aside time to go away from the multitudes and pray (Matt 14:23). In our busy world, we have to schedule the things that are important to us. If prayer is a priority (as it should be), we need to set aside time to do it. Find two or three times a day that you can set aside short time-blocks (as little as two or three minutes) to focus on prayer. Make sure it is time when you won’t be distracted or disturbed.

Now that you have the time, find a topic. There are many ways to do this. Make a list of others who need prayers (1 John 5:16, Phm 1:22), personal flaws that you are seeking to correct (Acts 8:22), and blessings for which you are thankful (Php 4:6). Taking the time to jot these things down can go a long way to preparing your mind to address your Maker.

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