The Habit of Prayer

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

— Acts 3:1

Many people feel vaguely guilty about their prayer life because they compare themselves to others. God is a creative God and wants each person to have his or her own individual prayer life. Your prayer life doesn’t have to be just like anyone else’s.

Yes, there are proven principles of prayer that you can follow. As we see in  Acts 3:1, the early disciples set aside certain hours of the day when they would go to a designated place to pray. That is good self-discipline, but that should be the start of learning to pray and not the finish.

We can discipline ourselves to establish a prayer schedule that is individually suited to us, but we can also learn to pray without ceasing. That means to pray at all times, in all places, with all kinds of prayer. I like to say, “Pray your way through the day.” Let prayer become like breathing, something you do with ease and without effort.

We never have to “wait” to pray. Each time you see a need or think of anything you need help with, pray right away! Prayer is talking to God, and since He is everywhere, we can talk to Him all the time.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of prayer! Help me to be mindful of You throughout the day and form the habit of talking to you about everything, any time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.