I know Prayer of intercession is powerful. It works wonders for both for the one we pray and for ourselves. I even want to become a prayer warrior for a good ministry. But the trouble is that prayer still remains a challenge for me. I at times feel bored with the prayers I learned by heart. They are powerful. There is no doubt to it. But I find myself too distracted to complete even a single one. At night, I drift off to sleep in between my prayers. And in the morning, my to-do-list for the day pops up at regular intervals.

Even with all odds against me, I know one thing for sure. God wants me to pray. In fact, he invites us. We see it in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 33, verse 3. ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’. God also promises that he will listen to us; “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29-12 NIV)

Explore as many religious texts as you can find. All of them portray men who pray fervently. Even Jesus, the Son of God prayed to God the Father at regular intervals. These insights lead us to the conclusion; there is no choice. We have to pray. Then, why it is a challenge for us?

The answer may vary from person to person. Still, here is a common analysis.

Prayer is a challenge for most of us because we over-spiritualize it. For us, prayer is a spiritual exercise. And to be effective, we have to be someone like Billy Graham or Mother Teresa. This makes us feel worthless. We also tend to see prayer as a separate activity. We set aside prayers for quiet times or for prayer meetings.

We find it impossible to devote ourselves to prayer. That is one of the advice we see in bible where Apostle Paul talks about prayer. We have our own life to take care of. And dedicating ourselves to prayer is simply out of question. But Apostle Paul when referring to prayer talks about the attitude of heart. It is not a prayer meeting that never ends. We don’t even have to set it aside for a quiet time. Prayer of the heart is an attitude that turns to God for help at every step in life.

Following are a few tips that helped me plunge headlong into my journey with God through prayer.

1. Greet God

We know that it is God who wakes us up at the exact time every morning. You may have the alarm set. Still, God is the giver of life. You will never get up from the bed if it is not his will. Greet him as your friend. Just be slightly humble. Acknowledge that he is the creator. Start your conversation in the same way as you talk to your own father. No child will disrespect a loving father.

(To be continued)