Hi friend,
Sometimes it can feel like our relationship with God isn’t growing. In those times, I remind myself that my relationship like God is like any other relationship. In some seasons I’ll be facetiming and calling friends all the time to catch up. Other times, I send a quick text to remind them I’m thinking of them. Like any relationship, we need to work at our relationship with the Lord.
There are times when God can feel distant despite our efforts to grow closer to Him. That’s okay! As long as we keep trying to connect with Him we will eventually get past that. Don’t beat yourself up. The Lord is always close whether you feel His presence or not.
For a long time I felt like my prayers were sent into a void with no response. I didn’t see my prayers as intimate two-way conversations with my Creator. I’ve also put a lot of pressure on myself to “hear” from God in prayer. The Lord has shown me that prayer looks like so many different things and His answers are not always what I expect.
Sometimes prayer looks like a conversation with the Lord while I’m making dinner and sometimes His responses come from my friends and family around the dinner table. Every season can be different and you may need a different approach to talk with the Lord depending on where you are in your life. Don’t be afraid to try something new if you’re finding it hard to communicate with God.
If you have been feeling stuck with God recently, here are some ideas to help you reach Him in new ways:
1. Go for a prayer walk!
Some Christians will choose a specific area (neighborhood, intersection, building, etc.) to regularly walk and pray over. This exercise is meant to pray for the people in a specific place. We can pray our blessings over our campus or maybe a hospital or office. Prayer walks can be done alone or with others silently. The goal is not to draw attention to yourself, but to ask the Lord to bless those who inhabit the space in their daily lives and in that moment. This is such a great reminder of the power of prayer because it reminds us that we can pray for anyone, even strangers, at anytime.
2. Try a prayer labyrinth or prayer maze.
Alena talks about some spiritual revelations she has had through labyrinths here and here. Prayer labyrinths are short mazes you can walk through as you pray and meditate. I find it helpful to begin by inviting God to walk with me as I talk to Him about a specific concern. I will then meditate on that and listen to God as I walk. Often, I will feel more at peace or I will find clarity after the prayer. As I leave the labyrinth I will have fully given God that the burden that I entered with and trust Him with it. Sometimes He answers our prayers clearly in the labyrinth and other times the sense of peace is our answer.
While you might not always have access to a labyrinth, you can always use a printed prayer maze. You can find these online or even draw one yourself. Simply trace your finger along the maze to keep you focused in prayer. You can even pray for different things along every turn. This is a great way to pray when you want more structure.
3. Pray the Psalms or write your own!
The book of Psalms is a beautiful part of the Bible that contains praises, lamentations, and songs, mostly written by King David. Search through the Psalms and pick one to pray. I love the Psalms of lamentations. They remind me that great believers questioned God’s plan for their lives, too. This is a great reminder that we are not alone in our experiences. You could also use the format of the psalms to write one yourself. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a prayer lifted up to the Lord.
Example: A psalm of thanksgiving begins with the speaker remembering God’s goodness and how He has helped before. Then, the psalmist tells the experience that shows God’s goodness. Lastly, praise God for what He has done to help. We can use this format to change how we thank God continually for His graciousness in our lives. Look at the different psalms and their format to write one yourself!
4. Try daily prayer.
Many different forms of Christianity have resources to incorporate prayer throughout the day. The Catholic Church uses the Liturgy of the Hours, which priests throughout the world pray daily in the tradition of “praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The Episcopal Church has a similar version of this called the Book of Common Prayer and the Methodist Church has the Book of Worship. All of these resources can be found free online and many in apps, too! This is a beautiful way to structure your prayer life and use the same prayers as Christians around the world. If it seems intimidating to pray all of the daily prayers, try just one a day and work up from there.
5. Find a prayer partner!
Alena and I recently started praying at least once a week together and it has been amazing to see the Lord at work in our lives. Praying in groups has alway been intimidating to me because I did not grow-up with that tradition, but starting out with a close friend has made it easier, and it has become one of my favorite ways to pray. Example: Alena and I usually start by asking each other how the week went and looking at the week ahead. We write down what the other person needs prayers for. We refer back to these lists the following week to see how God has already answered those prayers, if He has changed our perspective or taught us anything new, and then we discuss what we need to keep praying for. We pray over each other about our anxieties about the week ahead. We then record a list of praises we have for God and make a separate list for people who need our prayers. We pray these lists together. It has become a sweet way for us to encourage one another and lean on the Lord together.
6. Pray the Lord’s Prayer and other traditional prayers.
Jesus taught us how to pray by teaching us the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Alena explains how she breaks down this prayer here. There is also the Hail Mary prayer common in the Catholic tradition that asks for Mary’s prayers. Catholics and Protestants may also be familiar with the Apostle’s Creed. These prayers can be used to deepen our prayer life through the tradition of the Church. Take the time to reflect on the meaning of the words in the prayer. It is easy to say these prayers over and over and miss its beauty and what it means in our lives.
7. Use prayer beads.
Did you know Catholics and Protestants have a prayer bead tradition? You may be familiar with the rosary prayed by Catholics. I have found this tradition to be beautiful and a great way to try different types of prayer. When we pray the rosary we ask for Mary to pray for us, just like we might ask friends and family to pray for us. In a similar way, the Protestant tradition utilizes prayer beads but more as a guide for prayer. They are used as a reminder that the Lord is as close to us as the beads we hold.
8. Experience nature alongside prayer.
Admiring God’s creation and experiencing it while praying is a great way to feel closer to the Lord. You can start on a trail with a specific concern or intention and talk to God as you walk. Another way you can use nature to connect with God is to simply enjoy it, being intentional and aware of the Lord’s presence. Sometimes the quiet found away from roads is the perfect way to listen to God.
Prayer life is so important because the Lord wants to hear from us! How blessed are we to serve a God who wants to hear directly from His children? I pray that this post encourages you in your journey to growing closer to the Lord.
What are some of your favorite ways to pray? What is a new way you might try to pray?
Peace and blessings,
Shaina
