How to Pray

So many people think that when they pray, they have to be very formal with God. I’ve even heard lots of people using Elizabethan English to address Him. They throw in a few “Thees,” “Thous” and “Thys,” apparently thinking that they will sound more spiritual to the Lord. Huh?!? Since when did the language of Shakespeare become the spiritual means of communication with our heavenly Father?

James 5:16 (AMP) says, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available – dynamic in its working.”

So, from this verse we see that it’s not the words we use that make our prayers effective. Instead, it’s whether or not the prayer we pray is coming from an earnest, sincere heart toward the Lord. If someone is just rattling off a prayer from their head instead of speaking to the Lord from the depths of his or her heart, then that is not an effective prayer.

Prayer is simply talking with God from your heart. Prayer is your avenue for communicating with Him. And it is very important that you cultivate the daily habit of talking to the Lord. This is something you must schedule into your day right from the beginning.

It’s important to remember that because prayer is such a vital time for each Christian, this is one area the enemy works especially hard to hinder or destroy.

In just a couple of weeks you can develop the habit of daily prayer so that talking to God will become as natural to you as breathing.

What is your plan for daily prayer?

It is helpful to schedule a specific time each day when you will meet with the Lord and share with Him from your heart. You may want to start your prayer life by using some of the suggestions listed below.

To get into the habit of daily prayer, you may want to start a systematic program and keep a prayer journal. As you become more comfortable in prayer, you will depend more upon the Holy Spirit and less on lists and programs. However, many times in the initial stages of developing your prayer life, some prayer tools can help you develop discipline and consistency in your prayer life.

Daily Prayer Suggestions:

  • Praise & worship God for Who He is. (Ps. 107: 1)
  • Thank God for what He has done & for what He will do. (1 Thess. 5:18)
  • Confess any known sin. (1 Jn. 1:9)
  • Make specific requests for yourself & others. (Phil. 4:6)

You may also want to make a list of those you want to pray for. Your list might include the following:

  • Government leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-3)
  • Ministers (pastors, missionaries, leaders) (2 Thess. 3:1)
  • Fellow Christians (Jms. 5:16)
  • Enemies (Mt. 5:44)
  • Non-Christians (Ps. 2:8)
  • Personal needs (Phil. 4:19)

God has given us anointed prayers in His Word. We can pray these prayers for ourselves and others, and we are guaranteed to get results. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul and others to pray certain prayers that are recorded in the New Testament. Use them as a pattern for your own prayers. To pray them for yourself and others, simply insert your name (or another’s) in them. You will see dynamic results!

These prayers can be found in:  • Ephesians 1:17-20 • Ephesians 3:14-20 • Philippians 1:9-11 • Colossians 1:9-12 •


How to pray for a specific need or request:

  1. Decide what you want from God. (James 1:6-8)
  2. Read scriptures that promise the answer you need. (Josh. 1:8)
  3. Ask God for the things you want – praying to the Father in the Name of Jesus. (Mt. 7:7-8; Mt. 16:17-18, Jn. 14:14, Jn. 16:23-24)
  4. Believe you receive when you pray. (Mk. 11:24)
  5. Forgive when you pray. (Mk. 11:25-26)
  6. Meditate on the promises. (Pr. 4:20-22)
  7. Give God the praise. (Phil. 4:6)
  8. Depend upon the Holy Spirit in your prayer life. (Rms. 8:26, 1 Cor. 14;4)
  9. Pray the prayer of intercession. (Rms. 8:26)
  10. Edify yourself by praying in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 20)

This post is excerpted from my book, A Life That Flourishes. Click on image below to purchase.

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