10 Ways to Pray More

Most of us struggle with having a consistent prayer life. If you struggle, too, here are some simple options to pray more:

1. Establish a focus for each day’s prayer. For example, you might use today to pray for your family, followed by praying for neighbors tomorrow. Don’t wonder what you’ll pray about each day—plan for it. 
2. Set aside five minutes each hour to pray. Everyone I know can find five minutes. It’s just that we don’t wisely think about what we’ll do with the five minutes. 
3. Pray every time you pass particular places (like a school, a mosque, another church). Let these places trigger you into prayer. Pray especially that the people involved in each place would know Jesus as Savior and Lord. 
4. Pray as you read the Word. Respond to each text that points out sin or gives a promise. Tell God about things you don’t understand. Let your Bible reading become dialogical. 
5. Pray the ACTS pattern. If you don’t know that pattern, it’s pray this way: Adoration (praise) about who God is, Confession of your sin, Thanksgiving for God’s blessings, and Supplication (intercession) for others.
6. Pray as you drive. You can have a strong conversation with God while you’re driving some place. Take advantage of that opportunity. 
7. Pray for your family every day. You’d think this one is automatic, but I’m learning that it’s not. Many believers don’t even pray this way. 
8. Spend one day per week praying for non-believers. If you don’t know any non-believers, pray for people you know, but whose spiritual condition you don’t know. Pray they will know Jesus. 
9. Prayerwalk your neighborhood. Pray for each home, asking God to make that home a “lighthouse” of light in a local community. 
10. Just open your heart to God and tell Him what you’re thinking. He won’t be surprised—and He wants us to trust Him with our emotions, anger, etc. 

What would you add to this list?