How Often Should We Pray

When and how often should we pray? The Word says to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB. Does that mean literally every minute of the day? No. Again, it’s more about having a heart that is sensitive to the Lord as you go about your day. Prayer is about creating a relationship with the Lord, spending time with Him, becoming familiar with Him, creating or making time during each day to talk to the Lord. Don’t pray only when you have problems or need help. Talk to the Lord as much as you can throughout the day and make it part of your everyday life. For example, when you wake up in the morning, try to keep your first thoughts and the first words out or your mouth focused on the Lord. Resist thoughts like, “Oh, I am so tired. Ugh, I don’t want to go to work…school…or get up and take care of the kids.” Instead, strive to begin your day with thoughts like, “Thank You, God, for this day. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 NASB).

Thank God for good health, the breath of life, and whatever else you are thankful for that day. Continue to dialogue with Him all day long, sharing what is in your heart and on your mind. Pray over and thank Him for every meal you have during the day. Thank Him for the great day you’re having, for the family and friends in your life, for the sunrise, the flowers, the trees, life’s simplest pleasures. Be thankful for running water, electricity, everything you have that is a blessing to you. Pray at the end of the day and thank the Lord for the day, His protection, and your safety. Pray for blessings for your friends and family, as well as anything and everything else you can think of praying about. Create a lifestyle where prayer, and thanking the Lord is always on your mind, always a part of your day. Make it a point to set aside some time when all you do is spend time with the Lord in prayer.

As you go through every day, try taking everything that comes your way in life to God in prayer before you talk with anyone else about it. The next time “life happens” and your first reaction is to talk to a friend and get their opinion, try going to God first and talking to Him about any problems, issues, concerns, or needs you may have. Consider saying, “God, I can’t handle this situation; it’s too big for me. I need Your help. I give this situation to You and ask for Your help. Show me what You would have me do and show me how to get out of the way so You can take care of the rest.”

It seems so often we try to handle everything ourselves, trying to solve things in our own strength or asking friends for their opinions, and trying to figure it all out on our own. When instead of spending all of that time and analysis on a problem, we can give the cares of this life to God to handle in His strength. Second Corinthians 12:9 AMP says we can His strength is enough to overcome our weaknesses. In addition, 1 Peter 5:7 NLT says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” And Paul tells us Philippians 4:6 AMP, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” Casting our cares upon the Lord is a great way to free up our minds and hearts for the more joyful things in life.