I Need to Pray- But How?

It is one of the most honest statements anyone has made to me in a long time.

This beautiful young mom shared her heart recently when she told me:

"I'm just not very good at praying.

I don't really know how.

So, I don't pray... at all.

But, I'd like to change that."

How do I start to pray?

Lately, I am talking to many of you who want to understand more about how to pray.

You desire to pray, but you don't know where to begin.

And, you may be embarrassed to ask for help in this area. You hate to raise your hand in a group and ask for some basic instructions on how to get started.

Or, you may be one of my friends who wants to take your prayer life to the next level. What a wonderful goal!

Whether you are a prayer newbie, a prayer novice, a prayer wimp, or a prayer warrior – you can improve and enhance your prayer life.

There is NO limitation on prayer – except not doing it!

Ready to try praying?

Ready to add more prayer to your day?

Here are 10 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Add Prayer to Your Day:

One – Say "Good Morning" to the Lord.

• Acknowledge Him as you begin your day.
• Look toward heaven and speak to Him.
• Spend a few moments at the first of your day in the Word.
• Talk to Him as you are getting dressed, driving carpool, or driving to work.

To look to heaven and acknowledge God each day is to PRAY!

Two – Share your needs as they arise.

• Make your needs known to the Lord throughout the day.
• As needs arise, pray.
• When you need wisdom, ask for it.
• As you think about problems, present them to God and ask for His help.
• If you worry about one of your kids or grandkids, pray for them!
• Talk things over with Him just like you'd talk to a friend.

To talk to God about your cares, problems, and worries is to PRAY!

Three – Thank Him all day long.

• How has He been sweet to you?
• What has He done for you?
• What are 10 things you could stop and thank Him for right now?
• You can thank Him for the sunshine, rain, life, breath, a car to drive, a place to live, food to eat, friends, a job, children, grandchildren, and so much more.
• You can thank Him as you are driving down the street.

To thank the Lord for His goodness and kindness in your life is to PRAY!

Four – Offer sincere praise to Him for His character.

• Take time to consider how awesome He is.
• Go through the alphabet and thank Him for one of His traits that start with each letter. A-Awesome, B-Bountiful, C-Compassionate.
• Look around you and praise God for His creation.
• Praise Him for making gorgeous sunny days or beautiful flowers or refreshing rain.

To praise God with a sincere heart is to PRAY!

Five – Repent as the Spirit convicts you.

• Agree with God as He puts some sin on your heart.
• Keep short accounts with Him.
• Ask for His help to make things right with others as needed.
• Check in with Him often and ask Him if there is anything you need to confess.
• Think of it as keeping things right and reconciled.

To admit our sin to God and make things right is to PRAY!

Six – Make appeals to the Lord.

• Just as a lawyer would appeal to a judge, you can appeal to God.
• Discuss your concerns and frustrations with Him.
• Talk things over with Him just as you would talk to a close friend.
• Express your deepest hurts, needs, desires, passions, and wishes to the Lord. Share your heart with Him.

To pour out your heart to God & appeal to Him is to PRAY!

Philippians 4:6 encourages us to,

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Seven – Think about Him.

• Silently direct your thoughts to Him during the day.
• Lift your eyes to heaven and focus on Him for a few seconds.
• Think about how much you love Him.

To think about the Lord and tell Him you love Him is to PRAY!

Eight – Sing to Him.

• Raise your voice and sing.
• Turn up the praise music and sing along.
• Singing is a form of prayer!
• If you can't sing, hum the tune and think about the words!
• Or, just listen to the words of a wonderful hymn or inspirational song.

To sing or hum lyrics/words of praise to the Lord is to PRAY!

Nine – Listen for His voice.

• Tune your ears to listen for His voice.
• Allow Him to speak to you through a friend, the Bible, a sermon, music, and even a beautiful sunset.

In John 10:27-28, Jesus teaches, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."

To tune in and listen for the Lord to speak is to PRAY!

Ten – Say "Good Night" to the Father.

• Close out your day with Him.
• Go to sleep thinking about Him and talking to Him.

To tell the Father Good Night is to PRAY!

Mix all of these up. Use them as needed and in any order.

Melanie is a Christian blogger, Motivational Speaker, Author, and Marketing and Social Media Consultant. She's married to Randy and mom to two awesome college students. God's grace never ceases to amaze her. You can find out more about Melanie & her ministry at www.melanieredd.com. You can connect with Melanie at Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.The Ministry of Hope is all about helping others to succeed in ministry and in life. All of our messages, written materials, blog posts, and resources are designed to offer hope and encouragement.