Prayer doesn’t need to be overly complicated. The goal is simply to be with our Heavenly Father, enjoying His presence, and communicating with Him. Here are a few different approaches to help you pray with more joy and intentionality. Remember, the goal is nearness to God, so try whichever approaches are helpful for you!

Prayer Journaling

Some people find it helpful to write out their prayers in a physical journal or digital document. It can help you stay focused and also gives you a record of what you have been praying so that you can track the ways God has been working in your life.

P.R.A.Y. Scripture

Praying based on Scripture can deepen and expand our prayer life in profound ways. We take a passage of Scripture and use that to guide what we pray for. You can read through the chapter slowly, pausing after a few verses to pray based on what you’ve read. You can also use the P.R.A.Y. acronym to guide your prayers based on what you see in the passage.

P raise : Worship God for who He is based on what you learn about Him in the passage.
R epent : Confess your sin to God based on what you see in the passage and acknowledge your need for Jesus.
A sk : Petition for specific needs in your life and others’ lives as prompted by the passage.
Y ield : Surrender your life to following Jesus wherever and however He leads you.

Prayer Walking

This is as simple as it sounds—walking while you pray. The change of scenery and physical activity can sometimes help to keep you alert and focused while you pray. This is also particularly helpful when you are praying over a specific location. You can also use the environment around you to prompt you pray for specific needs. For example, pray for your neighbors as you walk past their house, or your coworkers as you walk outside your office building.

Intercessory Prayer

Praying for others is one of our most profound spiritual privileges. God invites us to participate in bringing about His will, as we intercede on behalf of people in need. You can keep a list of people you’d like to be praying for during these 21 Days or simply set aside times where you pray for those who come to mind. You could utilize prayer cards, where you keep an index card for each person you’re praying for with a particular Bible verse and prayer requests you want to be praying for that person (see the book A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller for more details on this method). As you pray for people, feel free to shoot them a short text message or email letting them know you prayed for them!

Corporate Prayer

Praying alone is vitally important in our relationship with God, but so is praying together. Spend time praying with your friends, spouse/family, or Church Group. You can invite them to pray with you on a regular basis (e.g. every Tuesday at 6:30am on Zoom) or just take time in prayer whenever you get together.

Praying Other People’s Prayers

Sometimes it helps to use other people’s prayers as a guide to our own prayers. This can include the prayers recorded in Scripture—for example, the Psalms or Paul’s prayers throughout his letters—or written prayers from other believers throughout church history. Valley of Vision and Every Moment Holy are two resources provide written prayers based on a variety of different circumstances and biblical themes.

Breathing Prayer

Deep, intentional breathing is known to trigger your body’s relaxation response. It can slow your heartbeat and lower or stabilize your blood pressure. Coupling this with prayer is an ancient Christian practice that can help us calm our racing thoughts and focus on God’s Word. First, get to a quiet place and find a short phrase from Scripture that you will use to focus on. For example, “Be still and know that I am God” from Psalm 46:10 or “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek You” from Psalm 63:10. Then, begin by taking deep, slow breaths. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. After you get into a rhythm, focus on the first part of the verse as you inhale and the second part of the verse as you exhale. So, using Psalm 63:1 for example, as you inhale slowly, you would pray in your mind, “O God, you are my God…” And as you exhale slowly, you would pray, “…earnestly I see You.” After several minutes, you could transition into a normal time of prayer.

Prayer Retreat

A prayer retreat is when we block off extended time to be alone with God. We see this in Jesus’ life when he gets away from all his responsibilities and distractions in order to spend time in prayer all night (Luke 6:12). You can literally get away and stay in a hotel somewhere over night or you can just block off 4-8 hours and find a comfortable, quiet spot in your home or some place nearby. Spend that time with God in whatever way is helpful and encouraging for you!