Creating Prayer Practices

Although prayer is relational—it doesn’t mean it’s not practical. There is both the mystery of prayer and the mechanics of prayer. The mystery is the “wow” of prayer, and the mechanics is the “how” of prayer. The P.R.A.Y. model is a great step-by-step guide to prayer, but there’s also an even more practical side to prayer—the when and where.

In Mark 1:35, we read, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” 

In other words, Jesus had a regular habit of prayer. He had a time and place. As you aim to make prayer a holy habit in your life, consider these practical steps:

Set a Time

Jesus got up early in the morning to spend time with His Heavenly Father. Make a daily appointment with God—whether it’s first thing in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening—and faithfully keep it. 

Set a Place

Jesus had a specific place He went to pray. Having a designated place to pray helps us remove distractions and frees us to worship and pray out loud. Consider a place where you could easily keep your Bible and a journal. 

Set a Plan

As we pray every day, our plans for our prayer time can vary, maybe including worship music, Bible reading, and quiet time to listen to God. It does not always have to look the same; it just helps when we have a plan for connecting regularly with God. 

Set Reminders and Build Habits

Although it’s important to set a time, place, and plan for prayer, it also doesn’t mean your prayer life has to end in that time and place. 

In the busy world we live in, setting reminders and building prayer habits can be a practical way to keep us on track in our prayer life. You can set calendar reminders on your phone to help you remember to pray, wear a bracelet that reminds you to pray, set up a text thread with your small group or a friend where you send each other prayer requests, or engage daily in our Christ Fellowship app, which prompts you to pray for others and share what you’re praying for. 

What’s your time, place, and plan for prayer?

For more Teach Us to P.R.A.Y. series resources, click here.