3 Ways To Renew Your Prayer Life
Your thoughts are scattered, your heart is heavy, your eyes are tired.
You want to pray but can't find the words. You start...then stop. Start again...stop again. You want to spend time in God's presence, draw near to Him, hear His voice. But prayer is hard!
It's hard for me too, I've been there so many times.
We all know prayer is important. It was important to Jesus who frequently withdrew to pray. The Apostle Paul says praying without ceasing is the will of God. James 5:16 reveals the prayer of a righteous person has great power. It was in a time of dedicated prayer that the Apostle Peter received a vision of his calling.
Okay, that's all well and good for the heroes of our faith but what about us mere mortals? Where do we start? I've found that a little bit of structure goes a long way.
Here are three ways you can renew your prayer life.
1. The Lords Prayer
If it was good enough for Jesus and His disciples, it's good enough for you and me. A mentor of mine told me he prays through the Lord's prayer every morning. What a powerful practice!
You may be thinking, "the Lord's Prayer is only five verses long. That'll take what, 30 seconds?" But remember, each statement of this prayer is a kind of place-holder. A signpost for a deep and rich doctrine.
Our Father
God is our Father. We are adopted as His children. We are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His inheritance. A home is being prepared for us in Heaven. God has an unconditional love for His children. Even His discipline is for our good.
Before long you've been praying for several minutes and haven't even gotten past 'Our Father'!
Tim Keller taught an excellent series on the Lord's Prayer. If you'd like to flesh out the doctrines held in each statement, this is a great place to start. Find it on iTunes or Spotify.
2. Pray Through Scripture
In your daily Bible reading, write down verses that stand out to you. It may be a verse celebrating the goodness of God. Or a verse asking for help in times of need. Pray these words. Make them your own.
James 4:3 jolts us to attention. "You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly." Praying Scripture helps us ask rightly.
Bible Praying by Michael Perry is a great reference. If you'd like more of an explanation on this process pick up Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney.
I'm currently praying through Psalm 112. Each morning I’ll pray one of the ten verses. It begins, "Praise The Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments."
I'll pray something like, “Lord, I want to be in awe of You. I want to approach you with reverence. Help me to see you more clearly. To sense your presence. To have a fear of you that leads me toward worship. A fear that leads me toward purity and obedience, inspired by your justice and mercy. I don't want to take your grace for granted. Help me delight in your commandments and realize they or for me good and your glory."
3. ACTS
If you're like me there are a lot of things you need. Do you find yourself running through prayers like a grocery list of things you'd like deposited onto the shelves of your life?
It isn't wrong to "make your requests know to God" but we're missing out if this is as far as we get. ACTS, a simple acronym, can help us pray thoroughly, thoughtfully and Biblically.
Adoration
Jesus taught us to begin by praying, "Holy is Your Name". Begin with praise.
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His Name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness" (Psalm 29:2)
When we begin our prayer with praise, all other words find their meaning. All other prayers are colored with the brilliance of His glory. All other requests or contextualized beneath His power and sovereignty.
You can praise God for what He has done but also try to praise Him simply for who He is. Celebrate His eternal attributes. His holiness, power, wisdom.
"Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)
If you'd like to learn more about God's attributes and acquire the language to praise Him for them, I can suggest Knowing God by J.I. Packer or The Attributes of God by Author W. Pink.
Confession
Is there something suspiciously absent from your daily prayer? Many of us will confess a sin after we commit it, but making a daily practice of confession is different.
This allows space for you to reflect on your day. Inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal not only sins of commission but sins of omission.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
Thanksgiving
Now comes a time to thank God. Thank Him for your home, your health, your life, your breath. Thank Him for your family, friends, job. The good things He's done for you.
This is where recalling the Names of God can be helpful.
A Faithful God
A Forgiving God
A Fortress
A Refuge for the oppressed
A Source of Strength
Emmanuel, God with us
The Glorious Father
Author of Life
The Good Shepherd
You can find an excellent list of God's Names in Worship and the Word by Pamela Haddix.
Supplication
Supplication means to ask or beg for something earnestly or humbly.
This is the easy one. No need for prompts here. Pray for what you need. What you desire. What you hope for and dream for. Pray for yourself. Pray for others. Just be ready, you'll find that after praying prayers of adoration, confession, and thanksgiving these prayers of supplication will take on a whole new light.
I hope one of these suggestions can be a launching pad for your prayer life. God has invited you to meet with Him. Jesus Christ has opened the door through His blood. The Holy Spirit is ready to guide you. What are you waiting for? Jump in.