Beginning again always gives me hope. A good reset, new rhythm, and intentional focus is good for my soul. January brings an opportunity to reset and refocus on what is important to me in a new year. After walking with the Lord for over 40 years, it seems one of those things that always comes up is growing in prayer. Instead of feeling guilty or condemned for not praying enough or saying the right things, however, I have learned to view that inner nudge as an invitation from the Lord to be taught by Him and to grow closer to Him. Here are a few ways this practice has helped me focus not in striving, white-knuckle effort, but genuine ease and trust in God’s faithfulness to teach me how to pray.
Praying Scripture Forms Us
Scripture gives us words when ours run out. I have found that praying Scripture has been the best way to grow in prayer. Praying God’s words back to Him has reshaped my love, vision, and compassion for others. We learn God’s heart by reading His words and meditating on them through our days.
One practice I have used for decades is praying the Psalms. I simply pray the Psalm for whatever day of the year it is, and I start over after I get through all 150. Over time, I have noticed my prayers are full of the words of Scripture and flow from the places they are hidden in my heart.
Focused Intercession Changes Us
Shifting outward through prayer has been a strategic formational tool the Lord has used to change me. As I have become less focused on praying only for myself, and more intentional about praying for others, my heart has changed.
We grow when prayer moves beyond ourselves. Intercession stretches our imagination and strengthens our faith. We are formed by who we constantly carry before God. Whether is our own family, friends and co-workers, or the unreached around the world who have never heard about Jesus, it has grown my capacity to love and my ability to believe for the Kingdom of God to come in those places.
A Simple, Repeatable Prayer Rhythm
We often make prayer more complicated than it should be. Here is a gentle rhythm you could do for a few minutes each day. Find a space you return to daily, set a time you repeat, and begin a practice you will see change you, over time. I heard a teacher once say, growth in prayer isn’t measured in minutes or weeks, but in decades.
- Stillness – breath in God’s goodness and faithfulness, exhale the worries and struggles of the day.
- Scripture – read a passage slowly. Notice if any words stick out to you or catch your heart.
- Personal prayer – pray the words of the Scripture surrounding your personal needs.
- Missional prayer – pray the words of the Scripture on behalf of the unreached around the world.
- Release – thank God for His promise of His presence and for hearing your prayers.
If prayer has ever felt elusive or overwhelming to you, you’re not alone. Many of us long to pray deeply and faithfully, yet find ourselves unsure where to begin, or how to stay. Just remember, prayer is something we practice, not something we master.
Over time, prayer does something quiet and holy: it forms us into people who see beyond ourselves, who carry the world with tenderness, who trust God’s presence in the hardest to reach places. This January, may your prayer life not grow louder, but deeper. And may your love grow wider than you imagined.
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