5 Ways You Can Pray Better!

You will never regret the time you spend praying, but you might want to learn how to pray more effectively.

Finding time for reflection and connection can be challenging in a world of many distractions. People turn to prayer as a meaningful way to connect with God and tune their thoughts and desires toward His will for their lives. Sometimes, the demands of life lead us away from the true purpose of prayer, causing us to approach our time of prayer as a mere obligation rather than engaging in intentional communion with the living God.
Prayer is not merely a ritual; it’s a serious and purposeful dialogue with God. It invites us to express gratitude, seek guidance, acknowledge our imperfections, and offer praise.
Whether you have gotten off track with life’s hustle and bustle or you are just looking to experience your prayer time in a more meaningful way, this blog post will explore five tips for praying better!

1. Time and Space Matter

My bed is the most cozy space in my house. I love to grab my coffee and sit in bed until it is shameful! I often try to pray and connect with God in my bed, but it usually is the most distracting place because I look out the window and drift. My dog needs to be let out or wants me to scratch his head. I snuggle my husband, who lies next to me, and before I know it, I’m scrolling on my phone. While all of those things are fine, and some mornings necessary, it would hinder my genuine connection with God if I sat in my bed every time I wanted to seek Him. Finding a space that allows you to focus on reflection and connection is important for meaningful time.

Consider the scenario of going on a date with a guy you just met. Which option would be better for getting to know him and hearing his life story? 1. A crowded bar on a Friday night with loud music and people all around you, or 2. A quiet rooftop terrace where you can sit closely together and whisper to each other without any noise distractions?

While an imperfect illustration, I’m sure you get the point! Where you pray for a genuine time with God matters. You want to be able to hear from Him and focus on what you have to say, too. Choosing a time of day that offers you enough time alone with God is equally important. If you are waking up ten minutes before you have to leave the house or staying up watching your latest binge-worthy show, you are missing out on quality time.

The Christian life involves many sacrifices. One of the most important is setting aside time and space to commune with the Lord. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Jesus is our perfect example. If he set aside time early in the morning before the sun came up, we, too, can sacrifice our time to follow his lead.
If the mornings aren’t your thing, another example of Christ is praying all night. Luke 6:12 says, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

I don’t know about you, but praying in the morning is usually easier for me than in the evenings. You do what works for your schedule: morning, afternoon, or evening.

To be clear, I know life throws obstacles at us, and some mornings or evenings, it might seem impossible to get alone and be with God. Remember, you want to do this as often as you can. God wants you to come to him with a cheerful heart, not from a place of compulsion or reluctance. There is always grace for the days outside of your control.

2. Pray Scripture

The Bible is God’s written word, handed down to us from past generations. Its pages contain God’s promises, encouragement, praise, and reflection. One way to pray better is by praying Scripture over you and those you are praying for. God wants to honor His promises, and His word does not return void- it goes out and accomplishes His will! What better way to pray than speaking His words over our lives? Also, when we pray Scripture over our lives, we know we are praying for God’s will.

Here are a few examples:

Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

A PRAYER FOR YOU: God, you are with me. I will not fear, I will not be dismayed, for YOU are MY God. I know you will strengthen me and help me and uphold me with your righteous right hand.

A PRAYER FOR OTHERS: Father, you are with ____________. Take any fear or dismay away from them and remind them you are their God. You will strenthen them and help them and uphold them in your righteous right hand.

Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

A REFLECTION FOR YOU: God, you know my heart! You hear all of my thoughts. You already know everything before I can bring anything to you. Search me. Show me anything that offends you or is against you, and lead me in righteousness for your name’s sake.

Colossians 1:9-12, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all the endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

A PRAYER FOR YOU: Thank you for your unwavering presence and love. I come before you with a humble heart, asking that you fill me with the knowledge of your will. Help me to walk in a way that is worthy of you, fully pleasing in all that I do. May my life bear fruit in every good work, and may I continually grow in my knowledge of you. Strengthen me with your glorious power so that I can endure challenges with patience and joy. In every moment, let me remember to give thanks to you, for you have called me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. May my journey reflect your grace, and may I honor you in all aspects of my life.

A PRAYER FOR OTHERS: I pray for _______________, that you would fill them with the knowledge of your will so that they would walk in a manner worthy of the gospel and those around them would be filled with grace and peace because they reflect You! May their life bear fruit in all their works for your kingdom, and may they continually grow in the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Strengthen them with the power of the Holy Spirit so they can endure all the challenges they face with patience and joy! May they give thanks and remember that you have called them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

3. God’s Presence

The Bible tells us that when we become Believers, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit, He dwells IN US (1 Corinthians 3:16). How cool is that? Knowing that God’s Spirit dwells in us, we can have confidence in His presence and know that he is with us in all things. When we pray to Him, we must focus on the fact that He is near, listening, and present in the moment with us. This can be transformative in your prayer time.

It may feel like you are speaking to someone who isn’t there, making it less comforting in the moment. However, the importance of engaging in purposeful dialogue with our Creator, who is always PRESENT, is incredibly real! The Psalms tells us, “Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath (116:4)! God’s Spirit lives in you, He bends down to listen, and He answers the prayers of the righteous (1 Peter 3:12).

The next time you are in prayer, focus on God’s presence, and know that He is with you!

4. Practice Gratitude

To cultivate a better prayer life, we must focus on God’s goodness in our lives. The Christian journey can be challenging and filled with trials, but our joy stems from the understanding that our suffering is intended to shape us into the perfect character of Christ. In both difficult times and moments of joy, we should always remember that God deserves the glory! By practicing gratitude, we not only honor God in our thoughts and hearts, but this also reflects in our actions and words, allowing us to give God the glory and praise He rightfully deserves.

Notice in this Psalm that David begins with his hardship, but ends with gratitude because he ultimately trusts in the Lord. If you don’t have a gratitude journal, get one today, or use a blank journal to write down all the things you are grateful to God for.

5. Don’t Give Up (patience and resilience)

I remember a time when I felt my prayers weren’t making any impact during my walk. I even said to God, “A relationship goes both ways, and You aren’t saying anything!” However, looking back, those moments taught me to persevere and be patient. God doesn’t operate on our timeline, and when things seem to drag on or when you feel like you’re in a “dry season,” remember that these periods are meant to test our faith and prove it to be genuine. We love God and seek to be with Him because He is worthy, not just for what He can do for us. So don’t stop praying just because you don’t feel a change right away, or because things aren’t improving quickly enough. Stay persistent in your prayers and remain faithful in seeking to hear His voice in the stillness and quiet.

Apply all of these these tips we discussed here today, and I am sure your prayer life will grow in ways you never thought possible. God is faithful.