If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes our prayer life becomes redundant and lacks the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When our prayer life gets boring or lukewarm, we need to take action. We can often get busy, stressed, or drained to the point that we recite mindless prayers. In our prayers, we must be intentional about talking with God, praising Him, and asking for His guidance.
If your prayer life needs some reigniting, here are four ways to get started:
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1. Talk to God As You Would a Friend
One way to reignite your prayer life is to talk to God as you would talk with a friend. Sadly, many of us think of God as an imposing, wrathful God. This isn’t true as God loves us, cares about us, and desires our greatest good. We don’t need to be afraid to talk with Him. He wants us to come to Him with all of our thoughts, feelings, and pain. The next time you pray, talk with Him just as you would talk with your friend. You don’t need to use fancy speech or eloquent words. Just be yourself and be honest with God.
If you’re like me, maybe you have gotten in the habit of just saying the same prayers over and over again. To a point, this can become mindless repetition, which Jesus forbids. The Lord says, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8). Instead of simply repeating the same prayers time after time, try to create a conversation with God as you would with your friend over a cup of coffee.
By talking with God in the same way you would talk with a friend, you are going to be able to be more honest and vulnerable in your prayers. Rather than worrying about saying the “right thing,” you are going to be more concerned with spending time with God and telling Him about your thoughts, worries, and fears. God wants you to come to Him with all of these feelings and to pour out your heart to Him. He loves you dearly and wants to hear from you. He doesn’t want a rehearsed prayer—He wants the raw and vulnerable you.
2. Write Down Prayers
A second way to reignite your prayer life is to write down your prayers. As someone who commonly changes thoughts quickly, I sometimes forget to finish a prayer as I’m talking with God. Whether I’m simply thinking and talking with God or quietly saying my prayer out loud, my thoughts often derail, and start obsessing over all the things I have to finish before the day is over. Maybe you can relate. We start our prayers with the honest purpose of talking with God, discussing our struggles, asking for His guidance, and confessing our sins, yet our minds quickly transition to work, chores, or troubles in our lives. Even the most subtle background noise can distract us from staying focused on our conversation with God.
If you have noticed the same thing in your life, try to reignite your prayer life by writing down your prayers. This can be a great way to keep your thoughts grounded and focused on talking with the Lord. I have a journal specifically for the purpose of writing down my prayers. I highly recommend that you find a journal, notebook, or some sort of composition book, and even consider purchasing a prayer journal, which might contain journal prompts, prayer prompts, or ideas to grow in your relationship with God. Whether you want to use an everyday journal or a prayer journal, this can be a great way to keep your thoughts focused on God as well as it will help reignite your prayer life.
As time goes by, prayer journals are an excellent way to look back and reflect on how God has answered your prayers and guided you through each season. What a way to praise God!
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3. Be Inspired By Others' Prayers
A third way to reignite your prayer life is to be inspired by others' prayers. When I say "others’ prayers" here, I don’t only mean the prayers you hear at church or at small group meetings. While you can be inspired by these prayers, I encourage you to read other believers’ prayers, such as prayers of missionaries, theologians, or everyday Christians. I have recently been reading Life As A Vapor by John Piper. It is a thirty-one-day devotional that has really changed my prayer life. At the end of each devotion, Piper includes a prayer that relates to the topic he discussed.
Rather than simply telling you to recite a specific prayer, these resources guide you in ways to create your own prayers that are focused, full of conviction, and soul-changing.
Through reading Piper’s prayers at the end of the devotions, I have been able to be inspired to go deeper in my prayers with God and not to be afraid to ask for something that I deem as being “too big” or “not important.” Maybe you might be interested in reading this devotional, or maybe you want to check out an autobiography or biography of your favorite Christian missionary—I highly recommend The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Either way, you are bound to be inspired by their prayers which allow you to be challenged in your own prayer life.
Remember, prayer is our key communication with God. Just as we ask for guidance from others regarding marriage, finances, and work responsibilities, let's seek godly counsel in our prayer lives above all else.
4. Pray Scripture
A fourth way to reignite your prayer life is to pray Scripture. While this might sound odd to some, it is actually a great way to engrave God’s Word on your heart as well as to ignite your prayer life. As an example, you could be praying for the Fruits of the Spirit to manifest in your life. If this is the case, turn to Galatians 5:22-23 and pray for the fruits to be developed in your life. As another example, you could be struggling with anxiety or fears. Turn to Philippians 4 and pray the entire chapter to the Lord.
While we should not pray Scripture in a mindless way, we can use it as a springboard to ignite our own prayers. By looking to the writers of the Bible, we can be inspired to follow their example and be led by the Holy Spirit in our prayers. The Bible contains everything we need to live, grow, and deepen our relationship with Christ. We never need to doubt the power, authority, and life-changing grace of the Bible.
If we allow ourselves to pray Scripture and are intentional about doing it every day, we will become more familiar with what the Bible says and what it means to us personally. Often, it can be difficult for us to have time to read a segment of the Bible each day; however, if we are praying Scripture, then we are reading it each day, even if it is only one or two verses. What truly matters is we are engraving God’s Word on our hearts, and we are aligning our wants with His wants.
While these are four suggestions to reignite your prayer life, don’t be afraid to craft a few of your own ideas. Each of us is unique and might find one way more helpful than another way. If none of these ideas help you reignite your prayer life, pray to God and ask Him to help, guide, and instruct you in how to best reignite your prayer life. You can also talk with your pastor or a Christian counselor for additional thoughts, resources, or guidance. God wants to have an active prayer life with you and He loves you more than you know. In time, your prayer life will be reignited, and you can also help others grow in their prayer life.
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Originally published Tuesday, 18 April 2023.
