How to P.U.S.H. Through: Pray Until Something Happens
Prayer is powerful – there’s no doubt about it. It can give you peace of mind and strength to make it through life’s challenges.
Unfortunately some people don’t know how to pray, and that keeps them from leveraging this powerful practice.
Humans often make religion and spirituality complex, but it doesn’t have to be. The key to building a relationship with God is to talk to Him. He wants to help you and although He knows everything that’s going on in your life, but first He needs to hear from you.
If you’re struggling with your prayer life or you want to strengthen your relationship with God try these 10 tips:
#1 Keep it real with Him
God knows you better than you know yourself, so you don’t have to be anyone you’re not when you pray. Talk to him like you would a mentor or someone you trusted and looked to for advice. Be honest with God and admit where you have fallen short so He can help you.
#2 Be specific and don’t ramble
When praying, ask God to grow certain traits, such as discernment, clarity, strength, kindness and patience. Although He is omnipotent, you have to tell Him what you need help with at the time.
#3 Be thankful during the good and the bad times
Expressing gratitude for what you have is one of the best ways to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. All things work together for them who love the God, so it’s important to appreciate every part of your journey. He never promised that life would be easy, but He did promise that He’d pave a way for you to walk.
#4 Pray for small and large blessings
Got a new job or a promotion? Verbally thank God. Going through a rough patch but still have food on the table and a roof over your head? Give the big homie upstairs a shout out. We all have so much to be thankful for – if you’re alive to read this blog post then that’s a blessing in itself!
#5 Don’t be selfish
The world is hurting and people are broken. Be a light in someone else’s light by praying for other people. And not just when it’s a national tragedy – pray for your best friend when she vents about her struggles or for the homeless man you pass by everyday on your way to work. God is selfless and cares about all people, so when you show that you do as well by praying for others, He’ll want to bless you even more.
#7 Explore different ways to pray
Verbal prayer is therapeutic for me, as it helps me really think through my situation and where I need Him most. But there are also other ways to pray such as reading devotionals, journaling, singing or through thoughts. Do a combination of them all to connect with God in different ways.
#8 Pray consistently
Get into the habit of plugging into the source. It may be when you first wake up, before you eat, when you’re driving to work, before you go to bed or all of the above! God wants to hear from you, so consistently connect with Him.
#9 Know that a large part of prayer is also listening
This is the toughest part for me! Sometimes I have so much to say to God, but I fail to still myself so I can hear what He’s saying to me. Prayer doesn’t have to be a one-sided conversation, God is trying to help us with our request but we have to silence our lives and listen to Him.
#10 Have a few prayers that you repeat frequently
Here’s a daily prayer of gratitude and strength:
Dear God, Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for seeing it fit for me to live the life that you designed for me. I pray that you give me strength to make it in this world. Lord please give me your kindness and grace today – help me shine your light and be more like Christ. You are a mighty God and I know that you have a plan for my life. Thank you for all that you’ve done, all that you’re doing, and all that you will do in my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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How has prayer helped you through hard times?