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- We all have those moments during prayer when we feel perfectly understood. We know that God is listening, that He loves us, and that He hears our pleas. Those are the divine moments that keep us coming back to prayer again and again. However, we've also all had days where our prayers seems to hit the ceiling and come right back down. We begin to wonder if God is really listening and if He even cares.
Always remember, God is listening, and He does answer prayers. Some days we need to put in more effort or accept an answer we didn't want. If you feel like your prayer life needs a lift, here are some suggestions to get you started.
- Prepare to pray
I teach children's Sunday school, and one of my favorite phrases is, "prepare for prayer." This is a verbal reminder to the children that they need to settle down, focus their thoughts, and block out distraction. The same principle works for adults. Before we pray, we need to find a quiet spot free from distractions. Sometimes it also helps to think about what we need to say, or at the very least, keep in our hearts the call to let God direct our thoughts during the prayer.
- Come to prayer often
Prayer life gets stale when we always follow the same routine. While it's good to never leave the house without a prayer for direction and never lay down at night without thanking God for blessings received during the day, we need to expand our repertoire of prayer beyond bedtime and mealtimes. Look for any quiet, uninterrupted time you have during the day, such as during the car ride to work or during a child's nap time, and use it as a time to reconnect with God.
- Think about others more
Do your prayers sometimes feel like a laundry-list of desired blessings? When we get into the habit of only asking for what we need or only praying during times of crisis, our prayers feel hollow. To get back into a compassionate state of mind, dedicate one prayer or a day of prayers to thanking God for what you already have and asking for blessings on the behalf of others.
Source: How to get the most out of prayer - eReporter
