How do you make time to pray?
It can be difficult to find time for prayer in our busy lives. But if you want a closer relationship with God, it is important that you make the time. Prayer isn’t meant to be an obligation or duty but rather a privilege and opportunity for closeness with God.
How to Make Time for Prayer Every Day
If you’re like most people, your day can get pretty hectic. You have to go from meeting to meeting and at the end of the day, all you want is a little peace in your life. But how do you find that when every day seems to be one thing after another? How do we take time for prayer without it feeling forced or rushed?
One trick is to set triggers, or automatic reminders for yourself to say a quick prayer. There are many ways and times that you can do this. Once the habit has been established, it’s easy to continue and even add others throughout the day.
The first step is to prioritize prayer by making it a daily habit. This means you make time for prayer and put your plans on hold when they conflict with the best plan: God’s will. Start off small – try praying just five minutes each day in the morning or evening – as this can leave room for a quick run-down of prayers at other times throughout the day if needed. You’ll be surprised how much more focused and calm everything feels once you’ve given some space to all things spiritual.
Prayer doesn’t have to mean sitting down cross-legged in an empty room either; find what works well for you.
Make it a part of your morning routine:
A good way to start your day is by reading a passage of Scripture. Keeping Scripture close means you can read it at any time for comfort or guidance. Whether you set a reminder with your morning alarm or take a moment over your morning cup of coffee, it’s quick and easy to incorporate Scripture into your day. Bring a moment of peace and send your loved ones off on their day with a prayer for their health and safety.
You may not have enough free time in the evening, but mornings are usually pretty open (or vice versa). Try waking up earlier than usual and spending some of your extra minutes with God before heading off to work or school.
Whenever you hear a siren:
When first responders are going to a call, sirens blaring, that usually means someone is in trouble. The siren is an auditory reminder that someone is in need and could use some extra strength and prayer. So whenever you hear a siren, take a moment to say a prayer for whoever is in need.
Before Mealtime:
This is a traditional and easy way to remember to thank God for what you have. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all great times to catch up, talk about or contemplate your days, and thank God for your challenges and abundances.
Set aside an hour at night after dinner as a family ritual where everyone can spend some quality time together in prayer (even if it means lying down on the floor!).
Listen to your intuition:
Have you ever just had the urge to reach out to someone, to let them know that you’re thinking about them? The Spirit could be moving you to do this and focus on this specific person. Don’t just reach out, but also say a prayer for them. More often than not they just need some support and a little bit goes a long way.
During physical activity:
It’s important to stay focused during important things like driving, or say, cooking over a hot stove., Certain activities are the perfect time for contemplation and prayer, though, such as during workouts, folding laundry, mowing the lawn, or doing the dishes. Any task that is slightly repetitive and time-consuming works. It’s the perfect time to have a more extensive conversation with God.
Apps and reminders:
Most people have phones on their person these days and there are plenty of positive ways to utilize them. Phone reminders or alarms can be set at intervals throughout the day. Take a quick moment to pause, live in the moment, and offer up thanks when they sound.
Don’t be afraid to use technology to your advantage. Sometimes we have to humble ourselves and admit we can’t just remember to do it all.
Prayer app:
To help make regular prayer part of your daily routine try downloading a free prayer app like “The Daily Prayer App” which provides users with prayers each day based on their particular concerns or needs, or prompts you to pray about something specific at any given moment. It can also be used as a journaling tool where you write out your thoughts and prayers for the day.
“I will rise now and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves.” Song of Solomon
Bedtime:
A habit I have found helpful is when I get into bed, I spend some time just before sleep reading verses that are important to me or about what God has been teaching me lately. This moment helps ground me and gives purpose to my thoughts going over them one last time as they fade off before rest takes over completely.
Saying your prayers before bed can be very meditative and calming for the mind and even help you get to sleep faster.
Conclusion:
Prayer is one of the most important things we can do as Christians. It’s essential for our relationship with God and a way to get closer to him. That being said, it doesn’t always seem like prayer has an immediate effect on us because there are many other distractions in life that take priority (especially if you’re busy). But prayer will make a difference in your day-to-day well-being, especially if you make it a daily habit.
It’s important to take time for prayer daily, as it recharges your spiritual batteries. Leave a comment below telling us how you make time for prayer! 🙂
