God calls us to pray. By praying, we are obeying what He has called us to do. Prayer is the way we communicate with our Father. When we pray, we worship and praise Him. It enables us to offer confession for our sins, which should lead to repentance. Additionally, it grants us the opportunity to bring our requests to Him.
Christ modeled prayer for us throughout his ministry on earth. It was His lifeline and connection to His Father. He prayed on His own (Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12), with others (Luke 9:28), and for others (Matthew 19:13-14). It was an essential part of every day and equipped Him to face each day.
In the last several years, I felt God moving in me to deepen my prayer life. I wasn’t sure how to go about it, but I came across Val Marie Paper‘s prayer journal through someone I follow on Instagram. I tried out the six-month journal they offer, and really enjoyed it. I could see how having a specific place to write down my prayer requests for the month would be helpful for me. I love that the journal was split into sections for adoration, scripture, world and nation, my church, personal, and God answers, to name a few. I decided to spend the money to pre-order the yearly prayer journal, and have not looked back. It has the same sections as the six-month journal, but also offers space for gratitude and written prayers.
Starting out was hard. I don’t say that to discourage you, but so you know that is normal. But it became easier as I showed up for 10 minutes every day, praying about the things that I felt God laying on my heart. As I prayed, I saw God move and answer some of my prayers. That is what encouraged me to keep going. There have been moments and days where I showed up not knowing how to pray. Seeing God meet me in those moments are some of my favorite. I found that asking God to show me how to pray, and be near to me as I learn, continues to be part of the process.
Now, do you need a prayer journal to have a deeper prayer life? No, I don’t believe you do. But I found that having a place to record what I want to pray for each month very helpful. I also really love how it has helped me pray more specifically. My favorite aspect of the journal is being able to record the ways God has answered prayers and see how He is faithful throughout the year.
I say all that to encourage you wherever you may be in your walk with God and your prayer time, there is hope. You can start with a notebook and writing down prayer requests. Start with just 10 minutes every day, working up to longer. Pray boldly, maybe especially if you are scared. Write down the ways you see God answering those prayers, and watch how He deepens not only your walk with Him but also how sweet prayer time can be. It may not start out feeling like something you want to do, but as you continue to show up each day, it gets a bit easier.
Deepening your prayer life takes more than just wanting to do so. It requires intentionality. It means being willing to show up even when it is hard. God will help you, you only need to ask.
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