Would you like to know how to pray the right way? The answer might be more straightforward than one can imagine. Before I give away the answer, please ponder with me a few pertinent questions: What does it take to grow closer to somebody you love? What is getting in the way of your prayer life?
What Does It Take to Grow Closer to Someone You Love?
Time Spent Together!
A relationship with God is no different. It will take time! God already knows us, but we have to get to know him. God wants us to know Him intimately, and prayer is key to attaining this closeness.
What Is Getting in the Way of Your Prayer Life?
To pray the right way, we must first uncover why prayer seems to be a struggle. Here are a few common reasons as to why we are not talking with God.
- Too Busy
- Disappointed God Did Not Intervene
- Previous Prayers Were Unanswered
- Too Tired
- Don’t Know How to Pray
- Too Distracted
- Anger at God
- Don’t Know What to Say
- Tired of Waiting on God
- It Isn’t a Habit
- My Words Don’t Seem Eloquent Enough
- Walked Away from God
- Unconfessed Sin
- Unanswered Prayers
- Too Overwhelmed
- Hiding from God
- Fear
- God Is Not a Priority
Uncovering the Obstacles Will Be Essential to Rekindling Your Prayer Life!
Once you discover what is getting in the way, you can begin working on a solution. Some of the items will be an easy fix. If your obstacle is too distracted – find a quiet place.
However, some of the things which are getting in your way of prayer will carry with them a choice. Maybe you need to surrender something to God or choose to trust him again. Until you clear this up, you may struggle to pray.
Recently I found myself with a considerable WALL erected between God and me. Prayer was a struggle, and God felt so far away. I was disappointed in what God had allowed, and I was refusing to trust him in the midst of the unexpected. You can click here to read my previous post.
Trust was my obstacle. We must choose to TRUST God.
What is getting in the way of your prayer life?
The Simple Answer to Praying the Right Way
We make prayer harder than it has to be. God already knows us, every thought, every feeling, desire, and need. But he wants us to know Him. He desires us to walk in constant fellowship with Him. To draw close to the Lord, we have to spend time with Him.
“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” Soren Kierkegaard
Keep –
Talking with God
Being Present with God
Listening to GOD
Getting to Know GOD
Striving to Be More Christlike
Prayer Is Vital to Our Relationship with God!
There are many methods of praying which can be helpful. However, we don’t have to use a specific formula or have eloquent words. God is more concerned about our relationship than if we do it the right way.
God wants to connect with you in a real and personal way. Maybe it will be on your knees, standing, sitting, or my favorite – riding the ski lift up the mountain.
Does That Mean a Prayer Method Is Wrong?
Not at all. It is not wrong to use a prayer method or to change up your prayer life. Like any relationship, it can get a little boring if we are always saying and doing the same thing. Personally, I like the structure to get me going, but it doesn’t stop me from veering off into a new way to connect with God.
In the next post, I share with you my new prayer acronym for 2019. Hint: My acronym has something to do with what was distracting me from prayer and everything to do with my spiritual goal for the year. Plus, we will walk through a few scriptures which show us how we can pray. It never hurts to try a new way to pray. Click here to take you to the next post, “How to Change Things Up When You Pray.”
However, in the meantime, remember the right way to pray is to spend time with GOD without stopping. Pour your heart out to HIM, and do not be concerned about doing it right. Just do it.
Have you found the right way to pray for yourself?
This powerful prayer packet includes worksheets for using the prayer acronym T.R.U.S.T. and more. For more information, visit our “Embracing Prayer” page.
Prayer is so important, Maree Dee. I’m glad you’ve tackled this subject and I’m pinning to my prayer board! Have a great week, my friend!
Thank you for taking the time to pin this post to your prayer board. I feel so honored. I hope it helps others. Maree
This is a helpful post! I relate to many of these distractions, especially the feeling that I’m too busy. Two things that have worked for me are writing down my prayers, which slows my mind down and helps me focus, or praying while I’m walking, especially somewhere beautiful like in a park or by the sea.
Lesley, Thank you for sharing what works for you. I love to write down my prayers too. I tend to pour out my heart to God when I do that. Now walking has been problematic for me. Once I was praying while walking on the treadmill when I closed my eyes and when right off the back. Thank you for sharing. Maree
This is so important for me. I can get stuck sometimes for so many of the reason you mentioned above, but I know that prayer is for me. It helps me heal so I have to just bring every bit of it to Him, the hurts, the fears, the bitterness over previous unanswered prayers, all of it. #Grace&Truth
Yes, I agree we need to take it all to Him. Thank you for sharing. Maree
Great thoughts, Maree. I especially like the part where you encourage us to change things up in our prayer life now and then. Repeating the same worn out words can get a little stale after a while. We don’t think about what we are saying. I find that I need some variations in my conversations with God.
Laurie, Yes, I am right there with you with needing some variations. I can get so stuck on the same way. Hope you have a great weekend. Maree
I’m so glad God doesn’t have a burdensome list of requirements when it comes to prayer. He just wants my heart and attention.
Thanks for sharing this wisdom, Maree.
Blessings,
Marva | SunSparkleShine
Marva – Me too! We sure make it more complicated than God ever intended. He wants our heart. Blessings, Maree
I loved this post!! I definitely have a prayer method I use (because I squirrel so much LOL) but they should never stop us from “veering off” and having those authentic talks with the Lord and just letting the Spirit lead us. Thank you for linking up @worthbeyondrubies
Diane, I am so glad you liked my post. Thank you for reading and stopping by to let me know. Maree
Good words here. We do complicate prayer, and we love to read about it. Prayer in the moment, praying like breathing–God promises to hear all of it.
Michele – Yes, we do complicate prayer. Glad God loves us any way we pray. Maree
Wonderful message on prayer. There are things that hinder our prayers or keep us distant from God. But, like you, I’m learning to draw near to God in reading His Word, worship in His presence and by prayer…talking to Him and pouring out my soul to the Lord.
The Lord showed me a few years ago, how when disappointment came or hardships, I reached out to my husband or a friend…first! I talked the whole ordeal out in detail, pouring out my soul and heart-cry. Then, I shot some short, non-detailed, prayer up to the Lord to please help me or move in that situation. And the Lord pointed the difference out to me! Ouch! He DOES provide close relationships with people in our lives, but they were never meant to be the first or the only ones we communicate with.
I’m learning more and more to be intentional to develop an intimacy time with God through prayer. Looking forward to the next post and your acronym. Your neighbor today on #momentsofhopelinkup
Karen, You are so right about going to friends first when God is where we need to go. I have a few friends who will ask, “Did you go to God first.” I love it when they do that because sometimes I haven’t. Thank you for leaving such a wonderful message and reminding all of us GOD FIRST!. Blessings, Maree
Enjoyed this, Maree. You wrote a thorough list of distractions that can negatively affect our relationship with God. We just need to be aware, and yield our heart to Him anyway. He will meet us when we draw near to Him. I like structure to get me going too, but like your point that we can veer from that. We have a relationship with God, after all, and our methods aren’t a “one size fits all.”
Kelly, I love what you said about “yielding our heart to God.” When we do that it is amazing. I hope you have a great weekend.Thank you for stopping by. Maree
So helpful, Maree! I absolutely love spending time with Jesus, and I specifically love soaking prayer, where I am quiet before Him, and simply soak Him in. But I have found that my simple prayers uttered throughout the day, are effective too. I try to remain in constant communication with Him. Sometimes that looks like a “help God.” And nothing more.
Thanks for sharing these great tips!
Rachel – You have inspired me to spend a little time today “soaking him in” today. Simple prayers are great! There is nothing like walking with Him all day long. Blessings, Maree
A much-needed reminder today! I hit so many things on that list of why my prayer life isn’t what it should be. That’s actually something my Bible study ladies are helping keep me accountable for – taking the time for dedicated prayer each day. Enjoyed being your neighbor on #MomentsofHope today. 🙂
Emily – I am so glad we were neighbors. Don’t you love having ladies who keep you accountable? I just got off the phone with a good friend who reminded me of a prayer I need to be saying. Glad you are putting a priority on taking the time for dedicated prayer each day. We are on the same page. My hardest part is the sitting still with God. I talk too much and need to listen to him more. Maree
Love this! It is so encouraging for those who may be struggling with their prayer life or do not have one at all. I always used to over think prayer. Know that seeking a better relationship with God helps to continue to grow my prayer life has been such a blessing.
Yes! The most important part is our relationship with God. It is pretty amazing to sit back and think about that. He loves us so much. Maree
A breakthrough in my own prayer life was when I stopped trying to “do it right”. The right way to pray is to just pray! 🙂 What a freeing truth. Living the Christian life without communion with our Father is not the vibrant life we’ve been promised. Thank you for your encouragement in this, Maree.
Jana – I love what you said, “Living the Christian life without communion with our Father is not the vibrant life we’ve been promised.” What a beautiful true statement. Thank you for joining in the conversation and adding your wisdom. Maree
Maree Dee, you share such wisdom here. You’re right. One of the most important things for a vibrant prayer life is trusting God to act in the ways He knows is best . . . even when it’s not what we want. Isn’t He amazing that it’s more important to Him that we come to Him in relationship than that we “do prayer” in a certain method?
Jeanne, Thank you for your encouraging comment. Oh yes, trusting God when it’s not what we want has been my struggle this past year. It took me by surprise.
I agree God is amazing in how he wants us to be in a relationship with him any way we can. Blessings, Maree
Maree,
Thank you so much for these insights and truths about prayer! It’s good to root out those things that keep us from getting to the heart of prayer. Trust has been a big one of mine, too. It’s so important to know that prayer looks different for all of us. I’m like you – I really get going with some structure, but I veer off for long periods of time in other ways. God created us as creative individuals, but for all of us He desires connection and a relationship with Jesus and time spent in prayer is how we develop that connection. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Leslie,
You have no idea how much your comment meant to me. When I first started to write about prayer you were the one who came to mind. You write so eloquently with such wisdom when you speak of prayer. So your encouraging post means more than you will ever know.
I love that we both like the structure but veer off at times. Yes, Trust this year has been a hurdle. It honestly took me by surprise and required a little work to uncover.
Blessings,
Maree