Do you pray regularly? Or do you find it’s hard to stay consistent? Ever notice no one says, “Yah, I pray TOO much. I gotta cut back!” That’s because most people struggle to pray every day and want to learn how to pray more consistently throughout their day. And praying is one of the most powerful ways (besides reading the Bible) that we communicate with God.
Let’s make prayer a daily and lifelong habit in our lives!
3 Ways to Pray More Consistently
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1.) Pray as soon as you wake up.
It takes practice to make this a habit but start tomorrow. Each morning, as soon as I wake up, I thank God for three to five specific blessings in my life. I then, very literally, go over my to-do list with God for the day. I tell Him exactly what I hope and plan to accomplish or do that day. I then ask for Him to remove anything not on His list for me that day (AKA His good and perfect will for me) and to add what is on His list.
If you’ve never prayed over your daily to-do lists it’s a really powerful exercise I recommend. You’ll be amazed at how God changes things up for the better or creates divine appointments to share the Gospel or help someone out that you might have missed. This exercise is great for those who work full-time and stay-at-home moms. I’ve used it during both seasons of my life.
I’ll also add that I do this every day before I check my phone. #ButFirstJesus
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2.) Pray While Waiting
No one hates waiting for anything more than me. Whether it’s waiting to get called in for your doctor’s appointment, waiting on the phone for a real person to pick you up, or waiting in traffic. I’m sure you are much more patient than I am! If not, waiting is a great time to pray instead of mindlessly scrolling your phone…again.
I like quickly pick a topic and start praying. It can be for family, our government, or neighbors. Before you know it, you are called into your appointment or traffic is moving again and you got a great session with God in.
Related: 7 Spiritual Growth Quotes You’ll Want to Write Down
3.) Pray While Folding Laundry.
Everyone needs to wash their clothes and, even if you believe in sharing the daily chores, you eventually will have to fold the clothes. I also chose this particular chore because of a tip I read someone that’s stuck with me. I couldn’t find it again but I remember the writer saying she prays for each family member as she folds their specific clothing items. How perfect is that? Pairing socks is no longer a tedious chore but a divine appointment with God to pray for your family. 🙂
4.) Plan Out Your Prayers.
For instance, every Monday you could decide you’re going to pray for your family, every Tuesday for your friends, every Wednesday for your coworkers, etc etc. It doesn’t matter what you pick; it just matters that you remember to pray over those specific items each day. Soon you won’t even need to think about it!
Some other ideas include praying:
- for our country
- for political leaders
- for your neighbors
- for your marriage
- for wisdom as a parent
- for your future husband
- for your spiritual growth
5.) Find an Accountability/Prayer Partner.
Reach out to a friend and ask if they’d be willing to commit to praying with you for 30 minutes a week. It can be in person (as long as you feel comfortable, as I wrote this Covid is still hanging around) or even over the phone.
I had two friends who used to come over to my apartment every Tuesday after work and we’d pray through each other’s requests for an hour. It’s one thing to say, “I’ll be praying for you!” and it’s another to sit down and actually do it.
6.) Pray Before Going to Bed.
This is very similar to how I start each morning. Many times it’s something as simple as the sunshine and walks around town with my toddler. Other times, I am profusely thanking God for huge blessings in my life. This might also be where you fit in your prayers for tip #4. Lastly, if I have a big day the next day or am nervous about something, I pray that through with God until I (usually) drift off to sleep.
As you practice these five tips they will become a part of your day without you even thinking. If need be, you can always set an alarm to remind yourself to pray until they become routine.
Lastly, I didn’t include this so consider it a bonus tip. But every time you tell someone, “I’ll pray for you” or they ask for it–do it right then and there! I’ve learned to make this a habit and have seen many answered requests that way.
What’s your best tip to pray more and pray more consistently throughout your day?
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I started praying every morning before I did anything else. It’s really helped me to begin my day on a positive note.
Great tips! I like that. And of course, there’s always and app for that! I have one 🙂
haha that’s true!
Praying is so important if you believe…
Sarah, I loved your suggestion to pray over your to-do list! It’s a good reminder that, whatever plans you have for your own day, God might have something better planned for you that is important to recognize. For me, I always find prayer pairs nicely with a walk outside. I like to imagine ‘walking with God’ the way that Adam once did in the garden of Eden. No matter how I was feeling beforehand, I always come back feeling peaceful. Thanks for the tips!
I love prayer walks too!
These are great ideas! I especially like the laundry tip. I don’t know why but it never occurred to me to go over my to-do list with God, but I love that! I am going to try these and see if I can make some new habits.
Great advice! I need to be more consistent about my prayers, and these tips will help. Thank you!
love these ideas. you can literally pray whenever!
Love this! I like to pray while doing dishes. We also pray for rescue workers when we hear sirens, and at stoplights as well. Thanks for sharing!
I do too!