James 5:16 says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Prayer is our way of connecting with God and developing a relationship with Him. It is something very important that should not be neglected. God loves to hear us when we talk to Him and also loves when we pray and encourage each other! Since prayer is an essential part of our relationship with Christ, I have written my top 5 tips for praying below.
Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Prayer is our way of connecting with God and developing a relationship with Him. It is something very important that should not be neglected. God loves to hear us when we talk to Him and also loves when we pray and encourage each other! Since prayer is an essential part of our relationship with Christ, I have written my top 5 tips for praying below.
Tips for Praying
1. Find a Quiet Place
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus says: "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
When you find a quiet place to pray, you have a better chance of staying focused on God. You don't necessarily have to pray in your room. For example, some other people find it easier to pray while going on a walk or sitting on a bench in a park. These are only some ideas, but you can do whatever works best for you!
2. Hide Any Distractions
3. Start Your Prayer with Thanksgiving
As Philippians 4:6 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Prayer should not be all about asking God for certain things. He is not a genie that will answer our wishes in a snap. Rather, prayer is about growing closer to God.
If you had a friend who would only talk to you when they needed something, then you would probably feel like your friendship is not genuine. In the same way, God is our friend and we should spend time talking to Him each day.
Below is a commonly used prayer method that you may find helpful:
P raise
R epent
A sk
Y ield
[Of course, our prayers do not have to follow this (or any) strict guidelines. This is only an idea of how to pray which is intended to guide others.]
4. Write Down Your Prayer Requests
This makes it easier to remember what or who you want to pray for.
5. Read Over a Psalm
This last tip is mainly for those times when life becomes difficult and you do not know what to pray for. When you do not know what to say, you can read over a passage in the Bible and pray that over yourself and your life. The book of Psalm is a great place to start, and it is filled with encouragement. One great Psalm to read is Psalm 23. You can pray these words over yourself:
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)
Of course, you do not necessarily have to read a Psalm. You can read any other passage that you would like to. Here are some great passages to read over:
- Psalm 31
- Psalm 69