How to Make Prayer Most Effective in Your Life

Prayer keeps us connected to God, and with one another.  It is something we all could use, something we all need.  Would you like to enhance your prayer life by praying more purposeful prayers?  Prayer can be so powerful.   There is no wrong way to pray but there are ways to make prayer more effective in your life.  

PRAYER is the very thing that EQUIPS and PREPARES you for what you need.  By giving God your worries, anxieties and fears he is able to do so much more with them than you could ever do on your own.

​Do you ever wonder when you pray if God is really listening?  Prayer is where it all starts.  It keeps your eyes and focus on God and keeps you in close relationship with him.  The furthest God is ever away from you is your knees to the ground.  

“Do Not be Anxious about Anything but in Everything in Prayer and Petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God.”  Phillippians 4:6

5 Prayers to Pray Everyday to give your Prayer Life more Purpose
Sometimes my prayer life gets a little “dull.”  Praying these 5 prayers everyday helps me give more meaning and purpose to my prayers.

1. Pray for those who are closest to you your friends and family–  If there is one prayer I always pray it is for my family and loved ones.  I pray that all of my family and friends will know Jesus in their hearts so one day they will go to heaven.  I pray specifically for their needs if anyone is sick, needs a job, or any of their prayer requests.  If you aren’t praying for your family and friends on their behalf then who is?

2. Pray for leaders who teach you in your community-  I also pray for the chaplains and pastors in our communities.  This can also include your child’s teacher and coaches.  They also need the God’s guidance and support when leading classrooms, teams and whole communities.  I include specific needs as well.  Does the church have an upcoming event, do they need help with childcare?  Pray for their needs to be met so the communities needs will be met.  There is value in building and strengthening communities.

3. Pray for our leaders of our country they need God’s guidance-  If there is ever a time that our country is need of prayer, it is now during election time.  I personally pray that our future president is a Christian.  Even though we live in a country that is the land of the free, it is becoming more and more that our religious freedoms are being taken away.  Pray for a president that will preserve our religious freedoms as well as lead and build our nation in a positive direction.  One that keeps God in our nation.

4. Pray for your enemies and the sick-  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).  Your enemies need prayer too.  Even though it goes against human instincts, pray for those who persecute you.  Evil people need Jesus.  Pray the radical groups who continue to terrorize our world will end their violence and accept the love of Jesus.  Pray for an issue that is bigger than yourself.  Pray to end human trafficking, poverty, world hunger, homelessness, etc.  Pray for those who are hard to love, those who have persecuted you, have done harm to you.  Pray for the unloved and unlovely.  Everyone deserves the love of Jesus no matter how sinful or evil they are.  It goes beyond understanding but God loves everyone no matter who they are or what they have done.  It doesn’t mean he agrees with sin or evil, but that he loves everyone unconditionally.  By us praying for those who cannot pray for themselves, it opens a door of opportunity for them to know who Jesus is and his love for them.

5. Pray for yourself, for your needs-  This will always be changing depending on what season of your life you are in.

  • Pray for your struggles.  Allowing God to have your struggles gives him the opportunity to intercede on your behalf.  Emptying your heart of your sin and struggles to God allows him to fill you abundantly more with what he desires for you.  
  • Pray for God’s desires for you.  God cares about your every need no matter how big or small.  You can go to him in prayer about anything.  
  • Pray for God’s calling for you.  Pray that God will provide clarity over the meaning and purpose of your life.  
  • Do you need healing?  God is the greatest healer.  Pray for whole-hearted healing over every aspect of your life.  
  • Pray to make wise choices, for your heart and minds to be guarded against temptations.

Prayer Tips from my Prayer Page:

  • Pray continually everyday
  • Be specific in your prayers when praying so you know if they are being answered  
  • Give life to your prayers by praying scripture (will cover this in the prayer series)
  • Write your prayers in a prayer journal (will include this in the prayer series)
  • Be faithful in Praying for others let them know you are praying for them

Ask Others to Pray for You
Do you have people you can ask to pray for you who you trust?  Prayers that are being prayed for on your behalf gives power to the cross.  We never know what prayers God will answer.  His plan and timing are perfect.  Just because prayers aren’t answered in the way we want them to be answered doesn’t mean God doesn’t care or isn’t listening.  God hears your prayers.  Only God can make the impossible, possible.  Never stop praying, he is listening!   

Ask your prayer partner/group to pray for areas of struggle in your life.  Keep checking in with them every 2-3 weeks to give a Praise/Progress report.  Exchange prayer requests with one another.  Having prayer partners or groups builds relationship and strong bonds with one another!

Am I missing anything?  Do you have helpful prayer tips?  What Prayers give your prayer life more meaning and purpose?

In the month of March I will be taking a break from periscope.  You can watch the replays on katch.me.  I will return to periscope April 5.  We will be starting our #13DaysofKindness April 7-20 you can follow on bowenshope.com.  Don’t miss the rest of the blog series on prayer.  Subscribe to my blog and receive the most recent posts to be sent to your inbox.

There will be lots of fun and exciting posts and giveaways in the month of April and May!  You can stay updated by liking my Author Facebook page Heather Gillis.  I would love to hear from you!  If you have any prayer requests leave them below!  I am praying that your prayer life will be filled with more purpose and passion!  Have a blessed week!

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