What is your prayer life like? Do you pray often? Do you find it difficult to pray because you don’t know what to pray for? Is life so busy that finding the time to pray just seems impossible?

I know that with our day to day responsibilities finding time to pray can be hard. And I do understand that just the thought of praying is not as exciting as watching TV, browsing Facebook, or hanging out with friends. We were made for communion with God and the best way to connect with Him is through prayer.

Try these 5 prayer prompts to help you connect with God.

1. Pray Before Making Major Decisions

Before making any major decisions pray for guidance so that you can make the best choices and ensure success.

In December 2019 I took my mother to the Optometrist after she complained of discomfort in her eyes. It was revealed she had a cataract in her left eye. The Optometrist mentioned surgery and referred her to an Ophthalmologist.  But the idea of surgery scared me a lot.

You see, my mom is in her eighties, has hypertension, suffered from a few mini strokes, and has dementia. I was afraid that surgery, even something as simple as cataract surgery would not be in her best interest. So I wrote in my prayer journal a simple prayer asking God for his guidance.

Jesus prayed before making major decisions Himself. Before he chose his twelve disciples, he made sure to pray the night before and spent the entire night praying (Luke 6:12-13).

2. Pray when you are Anxious or Afraid

We all suffer from fear and anxiety at some point in our lives, like in 2020 with the pandemic that wreaked havoc on most of us. It’s times like these we must lean on Jesus, and be assured He will give us the strength to see us through.

Do you remember how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion? The bible records in Matthew 26:36-39 that Jesus’ soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He then fell with his face to the ground and prayed to his Father to take the cup away from him, but only as God willed. Then we see in Luke 22:43 that after he prayed angels came and strengthened him.

I remember after speaking with the Ophthalmologist about my mother’s surgery, he assured me that everything was going to be ok. He said the surgery would only take half an hour, and he had performed surgery on patients with dementia before. I felt so much better after speaking with him. When you take your fear and anxiety to Jesus, He will find a way to strengthen and reassure you.

3. Pray after a Major Achievement

Prayer is not just for when things go wrong, but especially for when things go right! In the bible there are many scriptures where prayer and thanksgiving going hand in hand.

Whenever I read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in Matthew chapter 14, I have no doubt that afterwards, when he went up to the mountain to pray, He thanked His father again for feeding the multitude from such a meagre portion of fish and bread. When you study the habits of Jesus you know this is just what He would do.

After my mother had the surgery everything went well. I thanked God for his guidance and made sure I recorded it in my gratitude journal.

4. Pray when things get busy

Being busy is no excuse for not praying. Jesus prayed when things got busy. In Luke 5:15-16 we read that vast crowds came to hear him preach and be healed of their sickness. But He often withdrew to lonely places to pray. There were times that He and His disciples did not have time to eat (Mark 3:20) or sleep (Mark 6:31-33), but Jesus always found time to pray (Mark 6:46).

5. Find a Quiet time to Pray

 Jesus prayed either early in the morning (Mark 1:35) or at night (Luke 6:12).

For me the best time to pray is early in the morning. I usually wake up at 4.15 am Monday to Friday to pray.  Because I have to get up early to prepare for work I wake up 15 minutes earlier to get in my quiet time with God.  This did not come easy at first. It took a lot of discipline and consistency, but now, it has become routine, and I look forward to my prayer and quiet time with God.

While it may not be practical or even possible to pray for an entire night like Jesus, it is possible to pray something through during the night rather than in the morning. For instance, do you find yourself restless at night and cannot sleep because something is worrying or disturbing you? The best thing to cure this restlessness is prayer.

Many times when I have difficulty falling asleep I get up, go into my quiet space and pray. I remember praying for an entire hour on one occasion and afterward I was able to sleep comfortably.

You can be guided better at night by the Holy Spirit until there is a solution. This may have happened with Jesus when He prayed before choosing the twelve disciples.

Also, the evening time into the night is when I write in my prayer journal.

Pray without Ceasing

We must pray at all times and for all reasons. The bible tells us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). This is how we connect and grow closer to God.