I used to think that to make your life a prayer required grand gestures. You know, like hours of crying out to Him each day with a list of petitions, or shutting yourself away from the world in a quiet retreat. I’m not condemning those things, I’m saying that’s not the only way to pray. So often the world hears “I’ll pray for you” as an empty promise. If change lies at Christ’s feet, how do we bring others there on a daily basis?
Make your life a prayer. 1Thess 5:17 TPT
As Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc on Jamaica, many of us prayed. As I sat beside a loved one at a doctor’s appointment, I prayed alone. The magnitude of despair around us at times seems insurmountable. It’s not always possible to lock ourselves away from the world to make our lives a prayer.
How to Make Our Lives a Prayer
- Start each day focused on Him: a prayer as simple as “Lord, get into my head before I do” can do wonders.
- Turn ordinary tasks into worship: listening to music or an audio of the Bible while folding laundry or prepping meals helps deepen our connection with Him.
- Use micro prayers: “Lord, be my strength”, “Holy Spirit, speak through me”, or “Your will, Lord, not mine.”
- See disruptions as divine interventions: make room in your day for the unexpected. A phone call, a question in the grocery aisle, or someone cutting you off in traffic could be God’s way of slowing you down.
- End the day with reflection: ask yourself, “Where did God show up today?” “How did I respond to His prompting?”
You see, this is what I’ve come to realize: We need more grace and less gritting our teeth to practice a life of prayer. We grow in a lifestyle of prayer in the small, repeated moments. It’s not about filling pages of prayer requests in a war room notebook. God delights in the breath-prayers whispered while driving, the Scripture recalled while working out, and the song of praise sung while putting away the groceries. He hears our hearts’ cries when we chat with a friend going through a rough time. The “touch that situation, Lord” when we hear an ambulance in the distance. The concerns we lift to Him throughout the day are what turn our lives into a sacred prayer.
*For those of you who prayer walk, ponder this question: Where could I weave small moments of prayer into your daily routine? And for this week’s screensaver for your phone, click here.