how to pray consistently

The ability to learn how to pray consistently is one of the most powerful habits any Christian can possibly adopt.

To pray deeply to God is an opportunity to spend time in the presence of God and the simple fact of the matter is this: you can’t be in the presence of God and remain the same.

Fortunately, consistent prayer doesn’t have to be that hard.

The thing that makes it difficult is that we beat our selves up and believe that we’re somehow doing it wrong.

For example, I use to feel like I wasn’t being a good Christian because I was always forgetting to say grace before meals and I didn’t have a what I considered to be a regular prayer life.

I also thought that since my life was difficult, God wasn’t answering my prayers. As a result, I never felt overly inclined to pray.

I thought that prayer was for getting rid of soul ties or asking God for something. It is hard to learn how to pray consistently when you are constantly asking for things.

Once I discovered the true purpose of prayer it became an easy habit to build into my life.

While there will forever be room to grow in your walk with God, I can honestly say that prayer is no longer something I struggle with. It’s become a natural part of my daily routine that I can easily incorporate into any activity.

If you are struggling to learn how to pray consistently, maybe it is time to dive in and learn more about prayer before focusing on the consistency part.

The truth is that we tend to over-complicate prayer. We can pray to our Heavenly Father anywhere, anytime and experience immediate results.

A Simple Prayer Life Is A Consistent Prayer Life.

One of the challenges of learning how to pray consistently is that we expect to see immediate results in the form of “getting what you want”. If you look at the purpose of prayer from that perspective you will be continually frustrated and disappointed.

The purpose of prayer is not to place an order with the God of the Universe. That attitude diminishes the role of our Lord and Savior to that of a genie.

The ultimate purpose of prayer is to spend time in the presence of God. To be in communion with God. When that is the focus and intention of prayer, everything changes.

Prayer can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths and silently expressing your gratitude to God. When you simplify prayer to its true purpose there’s no excuse for not doing it.

Why Should I Learn How to Pray Consistently?

Why create a habit of praying consistently? First of all, I believe it is the best form of self-care available. But there are endless reasons but these are a few of my favorite.

• It allows you to connect with God
• Stress and anxiety are released
• When you pray you to surrender your worries to God.
• Prayer helps you appreciate what you have and notice the abundance of blessings all around you.
• It’s easier to change your habits and behavior when you enlist the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer.
• According to a study by Centra State Hospital, “the psychological benefits of prayer may help reduce stress and anxiety, promote a more positive outlook, and strengthen the will to live.”

Honestly, the benefits of prayer will be different for each believer. But, as you cultivate a consistent prayer life you will change. You will be more aware of who you are through the eyes of Christ and you will get to know Him better too.

And as I always say, when you know WHO you are and WHOSE you are, you’ll never settle for less than God’s Best for you. This is the confidence of Christ.

Prayer changes your identity. It is the sacred space in which you become Christ-like. That’s why it’s so essential to create a daily habit of praying consistently.

Simply put, prayer is an opportunity to step out of our world with all of its noise, chaos, and confusion and into the throne room of God where grace, peace, and love flow abundantly.

Simplifying your prayer life.

There are a lot of different ways to pray. On your knees, lying down, clapping your hands, in a church, in the shower, in the car. The options are endless. As I said, God is available 24/7 anywhere, anytime. So, we don’t need to worry about having a perfect form of prayer. Our goal is to create a daily habit of consistent prayer. So let’s keep it as simple as possible.

Learn how to pray consistently by learning to commit to just two minutes a day. – This is going to be hard for a lot of people because two minutes might feel inadequate. But please don’t fall into the trap of wanting to do an hour and thirty minutes on your knees crying out to the Lord, or nothing at all.

Believe me, two minutes is enough because God already knows what you need. You do not need to recite your laundry list of prayer requests in order to see your life change. What you do need is to learn how to be consistent.

This means you’ve got to humble yourself. Take baby steps and develop a habit that will actually stick. Do 5 minutes if it makes you feel better, but don’t make this harder than it has to be. Again, keep it simple.

How to Pray Consistently: 4 Steps

1. Pick a time and a trigger

 Don’t worry about having an exact time, choose morning, noon or night. Pair it with an activity that you already do every day without thinking, like your first cup of coffee, brushing your teeth, taking off your makeup, eating your lunch, or getting into the car.

2. Choose a spot

 I prefer early morning before everyone else gets out of bed. I have created a nice little space where I like to meet with God. I’ve got a spot to sit, my Bible and journal, and I treat it as a daily date with my Heavenly Father.

The important thing is to have a spot that is easy to get to where you can enjoy a few minutes of uninterrupted quiet time. Whether that’s your car, a closet or your bedside, just choose something that will work for you and be consistent about going there.

3. Sit comfortably

Trust me, your prayers are not answered more speedily just because you’re on your uncomfortable. Come to God as a little child. Sit down with Him and just be with Him. If you have mobility issues, do what works best for you. The correct posture in which we come to Christ is in truth and in spirit.

4. Focus on gratitude

Before you ask for anything give thanks for the prayers that God has already answered. How many things were you wanting that you now have? Appreciate everything that God has done in your life and you will develop the ability to see what He is currently doing in your life as well.

Obstacles to prayer

One of the greatest obstacles we encounter in our attempts to develop a consistent prayer life is that we aren’t able to see what God is doing in our lives. God feels far away and we feel alone.

We also feel a tremendous amount of shame and guilt blocking our access to God. But when Christ defeated Sin through his death and resurrection, he tore the veil in two allowing us full access to the father, despite our total failure to maintain His standards.

God does not allow your sins to come between you and Him, and neither should you. His arms and ears are open to you at all times. No matter what you’ve done, or what you’re thinking about doing. You can still pray and be heard by God. He is the Good Father. He doesn’t ignore His children.

Go deeper

Once you’ve developed a consistent prayer life, then you can begin to add-in additional elements.

• When you feel stressed – turn to God in prayer
• While driving to work, instead of turning on the radio use that time to talk to God.
• Start a prayer journal and write out your prayers and conversations with God.
• Before you eat a meal, take time to thank God.
• Involve your children and loved ones in family prayer.
• Ask people if they have anything they’d like you to pray for.

This is just the beginning. With practice, you can be in the habit of turning to God in every circumstance. You will soon be living out the will of God as described in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Now I would love to hear from you!

I hope you’ve found this useful. If so, please share it on your favorite platform.

If you have any questions, thoughts or opinions I would love to connect with you in the comments below.

And I have a few questions for you…

• What did you learn today that was most useful to you?
• What’s the real challenge here for you, what’s getting in the way of you having a consistent prayer life?
• What advice would you add?

Leave a comment below and let me know. 

Share as much detail as you can. Your wisdom and insights will help and encourage readers from around the world. The ideas you share might be the inspiration someone else needs to get a breakthrough.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting this growing community with your voice. It really matters to me and it makes a huge difference in the Kingdom of God.