Coming to Prayer
Prayer can be incredibly intimidating - but it shouldn't be. I spent years hung up on not knowing what to say or how to say it "right." There are many times when I've struggled with feeling like I was talking to empty air. So I'd I get distracted. I put it off. I'd be overwhelmed by feeling self-conscious, needy, whiny. Repetitive.
The challenge really was getting out of my own way and just talking to God, my Heavenly Father. Reminding myself that prayer is a conversation with Him - He wants to know what's on my mind, in my heart. Yes, He already knows but I think a lot of the time, He knows that I need to hear me say it out loud. He wants the connection with me, the relationship, the trust. Sometimes prayer is sitting in silence, meditative and open to His voice. Sometimes it's just letting the tears flow from my broken heart, the release of the emotion witnessed by the One who heals my heart. Sometimes my prayers take time and devoted attention as I lift them up to God. Other times, my prayers are quick "breath" prayers or "arrow" prayers lifted up quickly to my Heavenly Dad in the midst of crisis or swirling activity. Many times, my prayers take the form of scripture being spoken aloud over situations or people, reminding myself of His promises and trusting in His wisdom and timing.
Preparing
Getting started... Take a breath. Relax. It's not as hard as you can overthink it is. Close your eyes or leave them open, light a candle, sit down, take a walk... whatever draws you into a focused place with Your Creator. Sometimes I pray best when walking or sitting outdoors, other times I enjoy the quiet, dedicated space of my studio/office, or a cozy chair in the corner of my backyard.
Prayer Walls
Prayer walls are a great place to keep prayer requests where they can be seen and prayed over 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 recently 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.).
For anyone interested in a digital prayer wall that they can either keep private or share with a few friends or a small group, the free app Padlet is a resource. To see my sample Padlet Prayer Wall, click the photo.
Prayer Journaling
Prayer journals are awesome ways to keep track of prayers and how they are answered. I have one for each of my children that I have written prayers for them in over the years and have started them for my grandkids now, too. I love looking back over them and seeing how God has moved in their lives - and have found them to be a great resource for sharing the faithfulness of God with others.
I found the Prayerful Planner gave me all the benefits of a planner with a focus on prayer. There are lots of areas to track prayer requests, write my own prayers, sermon notes, and other thoughts. Thankfully, they also have several options to choose from. Click on the image to be taken directly to their site.
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
As an artist, I love drawing or doodling or creating art while praying. 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 button below to go directly to the Prayer Doodle page here on Nut House Mama!
Prayer Meetings
There are many scriptures about praying together with other believers. Matthew 18:20 tells us "For where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am among them." James tells us in chapter 5, verse 16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Joining others in prayer can be very encouraging. Grab a trusted friend or two and get together once a week/month and pray over your families and any requests you might have. When my kids were in school, 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. 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.
Names of God
I am currently learning about praying the names of God. 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 & Prayer Collection
Sometimes the hardest part of praying is just getting started. I love to collect prayers through books, online, other Christians, and more to help me increase my "prayer vocabulary." Most of the time, it's the perspective in a written prayer that I find somewhere that really fits for me, so I write it down and make it my own - letting it serve as a jumping off point as I begin to just talk with God. I've assembled some of my collection here for you to browse for yourself. Click the button below to go to my Prayer Collection.
Powerhouse Pray-ers in the Bible
There are MANY powerhouse pray-ers in the Bible - this is not an exhaustive list by any means - but this is a starting point for your own exploration. I encourage you to look up these references for yourself and begin your own journey exploring prayers in the bible! I've included links to my favorite online bible resources, Bible Gateway and Bible Hub, for you below.
Nehemiah, an Israelite who was a cup bearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes, faced an impossible task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He covered the entire project in prayer and action. He models the elements of prayer (praise, thanksgiving, repentance, specific requests, commitment) as he fasted and prayed over the nation of Israel and their sin, before rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:5-11). Nehemiah also often prayed in the heat of things, even in the middle of a conversation with someone. (Nehemiah 2:4-5; 5:19). It is also important to note that Nehemiah didn't JUST pray. He combined prayer with thought, preparation and effort. (Nehemiah 4:9)
The great king of Israel, King David, composed many of the Psalms and prayers himself. David’s prayers range from thanksgiving (2 Samuel 7) to lamentation (Psalms 13, 41, 61) and praise (2 Samuel 22 and 1 Chronicles 16) and provide excellent examples of heartfelt (albeit long) prayer.