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Patterns for Prayer
Prayer is an awesome privilege that we only have thanks to Jesus’s death and resurrection. Through him we can enter the presence of God with confidence, and one day we will see him face to face in glory.
But do you find that prayer isn’t as easy as it sounds? Perhaps you find that you’re too busy to pray, or find it difficult to pray consistently in good times and bad. You’re not the only one! Here are some pointers to help us all to pray more regularly and continually – you won’t find all the answers here, but maybe one or two things to help in your prayer life.
- If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy
If you regularly find that you don’t have time to pray, the simplest solution is to cut something out. Prayer should be an absolute priority every day. The Bible is full of instructions that we should pray regularly. See, for example, Romans 12:12, Philippians 4:4-7, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which tells us simply, ‘pray continually’.
- But do my prayers make a difference?
This is a very sensible question to ask, since we know that God is in control of his whole creation (Psalm 104, for example). What difference do the prayers of a sinner make to an almighty and sovereign God?
There is much to read on this subject, but start with the fact that the Bible instructs us to pray. Even if we don’t understand it right now, that should be enough to get us praying. However, to explore this further, look at passages such as Job 42:7-9, where God instructs Job to pray for his friends in order that he might forgive them. It is Job’s prayer which God answers in order to carry out his own will. Be assured, your prayers make a difference and God loves to answer them. We don’t always get the answer we want, but God knows so much better than we do about what we need.
- Some ways to avoid drifting off during prayer
Most of us find at least from time to time that our thoughts run wild when we’re praying. We’re busy people, and there’s so much to think about! Here are some different ways to avoid this. Try some of them and see what works for you:
- Write down your prayers.
- Keep a prayer diary of what you have prayed for. This will also show you how God answers your prayers.
- Make a list of things to pray for regularly, and work your way through them.
- Vocalise your prayers. Perhaps don’t shout them from the rooftops, but just moving your lips might keep you alert.
- Pray over a Bible passage. Genius.
- Pray for people you love. Praying hard for things that really matter is really important, and will also help you to be a more persistent prayer warrior.
- Pray with other people. This is no substitute for personal prayer, but it really will help you in your personal prayer life.
What to do when you just don’t want to pray
Perhaps you’re feeling spiritually dry, or you just don’t feel like praying. There’s only one solution to this: Pray anyway. Don’t give up (Luke 18:1). Perhaps read a Psalm first, and remember what God has done for you. Remember, prayer is the way that we grasp hold of the blessings God has promised us, so ask him to help you pray!
Further reading:
There are quite a few good books to read about prayer, and how to lead a better prayer life. Here are two of the best, which are usually available on the CU bookstall.
Bold I Approach (Tony Payne)
Six Bible studies on what prayer is and how to pray effectively. This is a really useful book, particularly if you’ve never really thought about how amazing prayer is, or you’re finding prayer difficult.
A Call to Spiritual Reformation (D.A. Carson)
A bit more meaty, but a great read. Carson takes us through several of the prayers of Paul in the New Testament and shows how these should shape our prayers. This is really useful in showing what our priorities should be in prayer. There are also a couple of chapters on leading a better prayer life.