Coming to Prayer
Prayer can be incredibly intimidating for a lot of people. We don't know what to say or how to say it "right." We feel like we are talking to empty air. We get distracted. We put it off. It's hard not to feel self-conscious. Or needy. Whiny. Repetitive.
The challenge really is getting out of our own way and just talking to God, our Heavenly Father. He wants to know what's on our mind, in our hearts. Yes, He already knows but He wants to hear it from us. He wants the connection with us, the relationship, the trust. Prayer is personal - a conversation between us and the God who created us. Talking to God and letting Him talk to us. Sometimes, it's sitting in silence, meditative and open to His voice. Sometimes it's just letting the tears flow from our broken hearts, the release of the emotion witnessed by the One who heals those hearts. Sometimes prayers take time and devoted attention as we lift them up to God. Other times, prayers will be quick "breath" prayers or "arrow" prayers lifted up quickly to our Heavenly Dad in the midst of crisis or swirling activity.
Preparing
Getting started... Take a breath. Relax. It's not as hard as you think it is. Close your eyes, don't close your eyes, light a candle, sit down, take a walk... whatever draws you into a focused place with Your Creator is what you need to do. Some people pray best when walking or sitting outdoors, some enjoy the quiet, dedicated space of a prayer closet.
Prayer Walls
Prayer Walls can be a great place to keep prayer requests up where you can see and pray over them daily (even several times a day). They can be as simple as a list taped to a bathroom mirror or notecards on a bulletin board. I have become a fan of digital prayer walls - I love being able to add requests through my phone and having my prayer list accessible anytime I have free moments (in line, in the waiting room, etc.).
I am currently using the free app Padlet for mine. I've created a sample Prayer Wall on Padlet to help you get started. On this one, the comments are scriptures I like to pray over people for particular needs. On my personal prayer wall, I use the comments section to put the names and specific prayer requests of the people I am praying for. You can click the photo of the Padlet Prayer Wall to visit it directly.
Prayer Journaling
Prayer journals help you write down your prayers and keep track of how they are answered. These are a wonderful way to remind you of how God has moved in your life - and a great resource for you when you want to share the faithfulness of God with others.
RootedandGrounded.com has some great ideas on getting started with a prayer journal. They also have guided prayer journals that they sell (not a plug, they have no idea who I am) if you want to try that route. Click on the image to be taken directly to their site.
Prayer Doodles
I have found that drawing or doodling or creating art while praying can be incredibly beneficial. It helps me stay focused, enjoy my prayer time, tap into the creative power of prayer - and it gives me something I can give to people as I pray for them. For more about prayer doodles and a tutorial on how to get started, please click the red button below to go directly to the Prayer Doodle page here on Nut House Mama!
Prayer Meetings
Meeting with and joining others in prayer can be very encouraging. Most churches have prayer meetings or prayer ministries that you can join in. You can also find prayer meetings online. You can find meetings that focus on specific topics or struggles or specific demographics.
I do recommend really vetting out a meeting, however, or attending with a trusted friend, just to be safe. If a meeting seems to be more about gossip and less about Jesus, don't hesitate to respectfully leave. I also encourage you to step out and start a meeting of your own with a friend or two or three, if you feel led. Meet once a week or once a month and pray for the things on your hearts together. I was part of a weekly prayer group for moms whose kids all went to school with my kids and it was a wonderful way to pray for our kids and their school, teachers, administration.
Here are two that I attend as often as I can. Elevation Prayer with Disciples in Recovery (daily 7am Pacific Time) and 5 Minute Health Care Prayer (daily 11:15am Pacific Time for health care workers). Click on the images to be linked to the Disciples in Recovery page where you can access the Zoom meeting logon.
Names of God
Praying the names of God can be very powerful. On their website, Love Worth Finding Ministries has a fabulous collection of the names of God and their meanings with scripture references. I also recommend the book/study "Praying the Names of God" by Ann Spangler, available on Amazon. Click the images here for links to both resources.
"God reveals Himself to us through many different names in the Bible. No single name can describe all that God is. In fact, God uses each and every one of His names to reveal a different part of His character to us. As shown in the Scripture, each of these names has great significance." (www.lwf.org)
Sample Prayers
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Sometimes the hardest part of praying is just getting started. You feel like you just don't know what to say. I collect prayers through books, online, other Christians, and more to help me increase my "prayer vocabulary." I find that there are many times having a written prayer in front of me helps serve as a jumping off point as I begin to just talk with God. I've included some of my own here for you as well as some that I've found at www.prayersaves.com.