Prayer is the foundation and life source of a thriving Christian life. Without it, our faith withers and eventually vanishes, yet so many of us today struggle to understand prayer or carve out time to incorporate it into our daily, frenzied lives. Before we determine the method of prayer that suits our specific spirituality and vocation, it’s valuable to explain why prayer is so necessary for the health of our souls.

When we pray, we are encountering God in a heart-to-heart dialogue that involves both listening and an authentic outpouring of what’s in our minds and hearts. Essentially, prayer is an act of love. Much like any human relationship that grows stronger with regular communication, so does our relationship with God become a wellspring of love through prayer. The more we pray, the greater our love, which increases our desire to be with God more often.

There are several different forms of prayer, all of which are useful at various times in our lives or for specific reasons. They include adoration (or praise), contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication (which includes both petition and intercession). Adoration is our expression of praise that is rightfully due to God, in which we proclaim the wonders He has made (perhaps in creation). Praising God often stems from a deep reverence and fear of the Lord, because the more we recognize our fineness, the greater we appreciate God’s greatness. Contrition includes expressing sorrow and remorse for our sins. Through prayers of contrition, we are acknowledging our need for God’s mercy. When we offer prayers of thanksgiving, we are recognizing everything God has given us. Gratitude fosters deeper love for God when we make this type of prayer more habitual. Finally, supplication includes prayers of petition, which is when we ask God for what we need, and intercession, or asking God to grant others what they need.

The Bible is filled with promises, encouragements and illustrations which emphasise the secret of effective prayer. It is said that James had knees that were worn down by his constant habit of kneeling. If so, we have the testimony of a man who had proved the secret of effective prayer in his life and practised what he preached.

Prayer is primarily our communication with the Lord. Communication has purpose, and the purpose usually determines the mode and relevant details for the communication to be effective. The disciples of Jesus were Jews and they knew how to pray religiously. After walking with Jesus for a while, they realized that Jesus didn’t pray as they did. He actually had results continually in a way that startled them. They finally said to the Master, “Teach us to pray.” Many have had their understanding of prayer distorted by “religion” and wrong teaching. As a result, they have difficulties changing their misconceptions on even fundamental truths about prayer.

We may have learned the basic forms and methods of prayer, but how does it all come together so that we can put it into practice? This application contain some tips on establishing and maintaining a daily prayer life that will enrich your relationship with God and deepen your love for Him.

God can speak to you through your mind, but it comes through your spirit. This is a primary way that God speaks. The ability to tell which thoughts are from God and which thoughts are just from yourself will get easier with experience.

learning how to pray effectively - On this application helps to explore the benefits of praying in the Spirit - Learn the one hour Prayer Cycle. It is a simple tool to help you expand your prayer life. Anyone can learn to grow their prayer life.