Prayer is one of the most important aspects of my life and the problem is that it wasn’t always easy for me. I knew I had the call of God and I needed to be prayerful for me to activate the call but there were times when I struggled to pray consistently and I needed to develop a consistent prayer life.
After five years of struggle, I have found the ways that helped me to develop a consistent prayer life and I am sure you can do so too. The following are the five ways I was able to build a consistent prayer life.
Have a Time for Prayer
One of the most important things I did was to set a specific time for prayer. Usually, I was praying randomly whenever I felt like or remembered to pray. The problem with this approach was that I was always working so it was hard to not have other things creep into my time during the day and keep me from praying.
There are days when I would be so busy and completely forget to pray.
Then, I listened to Apostle Arome say that it was wise to have a specific time to pray. So, I started to schedule prayer just like I schedule important meetings. After all, talking to God is the most important appointment of my day. I chose a specific time of the day. For me, it was 12am to pray every day.
Having a fixed prayer time helped me develop a routine. I started small. Praying from 12am to 12:30 and before long I could go one hour, two hours, and so on. One time, I even prayed all through the night.
If you want to build a consistent prayer life, I encourage you to choose a time that works for you. It could be in the morning before starting your day, at noon during a break, or at night before sleeping. The key is to be intentional and stick to it.
Get a Prayer Partner to Pray with You
Another thing that greatly helped me was having a prayer partner. There were days when I didn’t feel like praying but because I had someone waiting to pray with me, it made me pray anyways.
When I first started, I reached out to two close friend who also wanted to build a stronger prayer life. We agreed on a time to pray together and we would pray over the phone. Knowing that I was not alone made a huge difference. We prayed for each other, encouraged each other, and kept each other accountable.
If you struggle with consistency, I highly recommend finding someone who shares the same desire to grow spiritually. You can even join a prayer group because the collective strength of believers praying together is powerful.
Read Scriptures on Prayer
There were times I felt unmotivated to pray, but I found that reading scriptures about prayer helped me renew my commitment. God’s Word is filled with encouragement about prayer, and meditating on it gave me strength. Here are some scriptures that kept me going:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.”
- Matthew 21:22 – “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
- Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
- Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
- James 5:16 – “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
- Luke 18:1 – “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
- Psalm 145:18 – “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
These scriptures reminded me why prayer is important. Whenever I felt weak, I went back to the Word, and it gave me strength to continue.
Avoid Sin at All Cost
One major reason why people struggle with prayer is sin. I noticed that whenever I allowed sin in my life, my prayer life suffered. Sin does not only block God from answering us, but it also kills the desire to pray in the first place.
I had to make a conscious effort to avoid sin and stay spiritually alert. I noticed that when I was living righteously, I found it easier to pray. But when I allowed distractions and sinful habits to creep in, I felt distant from God and found it hard to pray.
The Bible says in Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.” This made me understand that sin is a barrier between us and God.
If you want to develop a consistent prayer life, be intentional about living righteously. Confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and seek holiness. A pure heart desires to communicate with God.
Start Small
One mistake I made at the beginning was trying to pray for hours immediately. I would get frustrated when I couldn’t pray for long, and this discouraged me. But then I realized that prayer is a journey, not a competition.
I decided to start small—just 30 minutes a day. Over time, as I became more comfortable, I increased my prayer time. Today, I can pray for longer periods, but it all started with just 30 minutes a day.
If you are struggling with consistency, start with what you can handle. Pray daily, even if it’s for a short time. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. The key is to be consistent.
Final Thoughts
Building a consistent prayer life takes effort, but it is possible. These five steps changed my life, and I know they can help you too.
If you apply these steps, you will develop a strong and consistent prayer life. Prayer is the key to a deeper relationship with God, and it is worth every effort. Start today, and watch how your spiritual life transforms.