How Can I Increase My Commitment to Prayer?

Many Christians struggle to cultivate a consistent habit of prayer, which often leads to feelings of frustration and inadequacy. The truth is, we don’t have to earn God’s love or approval; we can’t pray enough to make God love us more. This takes the pressure off. Yet, we also know that God’s Word urges us to pray. Prayer is about growing our relationship with God and accessing God’s power to resist sin, hear his voice, and share his love with those around us. Prayer is an invitation for an ongoing conversation and honest connection with the One who welcomes us and loves to hear our prayers. 

The seven articles listed below offer encouragement and assurance as we seek to persevere in our commitment to regular prayer. God blesses us as we grow in our spiritual disciplines. Here are a few suggestions to help us pray with confidence.  

Cultivating a Habit of Prayer, by Emily Vanden Heuvel -- Do you want to commit to spending more regular time in prayer? Do you want to pray with more focus? It’s always a great time to deepen your prayer habits. 

Spiritual Discipline: Creating a Habit of Prayer, by Emily Vanden Heuvel -- Spiritual disciplines are practices or habits that strengthen our faith; prayer is a key discipline that takes commitment.

Praying Is Good for You, by Emily Vanden Heuvel -- Prayer can be good for our mental and physical health, but it is essential to our spiritual health.

How to Quiet Your Mind and Heart for Prayer, by Emily Vanden Heuvel -- Quieting your mind to have meaningful prayer time with God isn't always easy. The acronym P.R.A.Y. (Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield), shared by Pastor Pete Greig, can guide our conversations with God.

I Stink at Prayer and So Can You, by Christopher Hunt -- If we pursue God in earnest prayer, whether we pray for 30 minutes every day or 30 times a day for one minute, God nurtures our commitment to prayer.

Pray Without Ceasing, by Emily Vanden Heuvel -- How often should I pray? The answer from the Bible may seem a bit unrealistic, but it tells us we should pray all the time.

Praying with Dependence from Psalm 130, by Emily Vanden Heuvel -- Psalm 130 helps us pray with humility. It gives us words to ask God for forgiveness and mercy, and reminds us that we are not meant to manage everything on our own.

Did you find this article helpful? We’ve put together a short ebook called “How Do I Pray?” which introduces six ways to reinvigorate your prayer life. Download it free right here.