How to Build a Habit of Daily Prayer

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And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luke 18:1

Prayer is a fundamental aspect of our being because we are spiritual creatures created for a spiritual purpose. Many think that being made in the image of God has to do with just how we look or our qualities, like intelligence, creativity or sense of morality. But some careful study⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ reveals what the Imago Dei (image of God) really means: we are representatives of God, stewards of His creation, made explicitly so that we can engage in a relationship with Him for eternity. Prayer, then, is how we engage in that special relationship and also how we practice getting better at it.

In this article we are going to look at the “Who, What, Where, When, Why and How” of prayer so that you can create a daily, lifelong practice. Our goal will be to focus on individual prayer, but remember that prayer is also something that can be shared with other believers — so use what you learn to broaden those practices as well. We are going to explore all of these areas diligently because they each have important lessons to offer us. The end goal seems simple enough — a personal, regular and fluid communication with God — yet the road there is often mired by several obstacles in our thinking. It is my hope that even if there are things you disagree with that you will glean something to strengthen your journey going forward regardless. Prayer is a revitalizing and wonderful gift we have directly from God and I am grateful to share what I’ve learned with you as we explore how to grow in it together.

What is Prayer?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

At its core prayer is just communication with God, however I’d like to give you a better standard to hold yourself up to. Many communicate to God about the things that they are unhappy with, or the things that they want to get or create in the world. When things aren’t going the way we want them to we often complain and throw our frustrations at our heavenly Father. And while certainly the bible encourages us to offer our requests to God, as well as put our worries before Him, the way you are going to get the most out of your prayer time is through the practice of three important virtues, which we will cover in more detail a little later.

They are: humility, gratitude and surrender.