Rhythms of Prayer

A friend asked me about how to build a habit of prayer. It’s important to embrace the simplicity God desires in our relationship with Him. God never intended for prayer to be elusive or difficult. As one friend loves to say about her favorite quality of God, “He makes it easy to get to Him.”

Core Discipleship Founder, Doug Morrell, says this about prayer:

Prayer is more than words lifted to heaven. It is the life of a heart aligned with God, the rhythm by which we enter His presence, and see His kingdom move in the world. When we read the New Testament, we hear many voices praying—Jesus, the disciples, the early church, and the apostles. Some prayers are long, some are brief. Some rise in moments of crisis, others in quiet worship.

Prayer is not primarily about persuading God to do what we want. It is about drawing near to the Father and aligning our hearts with His purposes. When we place the prayers of Jesus side by side, the picture becomes clear. Matthew 6 gives the structure of kingdom prayer: God’s name, God’s kingdom, God’s provision, God’s forgiveness, and God’s protection. John 17 shows the heart behind that structure: Jesus honors the Father, embraces the mission, cares for His disciples, asks for their holiness, and entrusts the future church to God.

• We come to Him as children.

• We honor and desire His name to be glorified.

• We long for His kingdom to come.

• We depend on Him for every need.

• We ask Him to cleanse and shape our hearts.

• We trust Him to guard us in a broken world.

• We carry others before Him, just as Jesus carried us.

Our creative God invites us to explore fresh ideas and a new perspective about talking with Him and inviting Him into our day, moment by moment:

• Take a walk and let creation spark wonder—ask “Google” for a verse about whatever your little eye spies: the wind, clouds, birds, flowers, cows, rocks, etc. Creation reveals God in so many ways. Allow it to lead you into awe.

• Set a timer for an intentional time to count your blessings as you praise and thank God until the time is complete.

• Watch the sunset or sunrise. Set your alarm to enjoy a few moments with God as you watch the fade of darkness and light. 

• Sip a cup of hot tea or any beverage slowly. Invite the Holy Spirit into the moment as you sip it until it’s completely gone.

Rhythm moments shared from friends:

Becky: For me, I enjoy prayer as I read a Psalm one line at a time.  I read it, and then pause, and read it again as I close my eyes and ask, “What are You saying to me, Abba?”

Donna: For me, prayer during the day is more like “chatting with Him.” I talk to God like I talk to a friend while I am:

• Driving

• Preparing food

• Taking a shower

Basically, during the day, I turn off the noise in my home and walk around AWARE of His presence and blessings!

Every woman’s connection to God looks a little different. God meets each of us uniquely, right where we are. 

What does prayer look like in your world? 

We would love a glimpse of how you talk with God. Comment below…