Let’s begin with this thought:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6.

Learn to pray every day, all day. Not all prayers have to be long. We can take time during the day to thank God for what He has done and how He continues to guide and protect us as we go about our busy schedule. He listens to us and understands our needs before we realize we need Him. Your prayers may not be answered in exactly the way you expected; sometimes your answer comes in other forms and at other times.

God hears you. Many times, we pray for things outside of God’s will and the answer may be a simple “no.” We must daily take time to focus our hearts on seeking what God has planned for us. Then we can cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

I still ask God to teach me how to pray. When I began asking for intercession from the Holy Spirit to help me pray according to God’s will, things began to happen in my life that I had no control over. Places I’d never traveled and people I had never met began to be a part of my life. I soon realized that I must trust God’s plan.

I have also learned to live in the prayers of other people, past and present. When I was a child, I overheard my mother praying one night. She told God that she was placing all her children in His hands. Hearing that frightened me because I was not sure what that meant. I believed I was about to be severely punished for my past actions. I grew up and better understood God’s purpose for me. I understood that my mother was giving me the best protection I could ever receive to live in this world. I discovered that her prayers for me established a lifetime of protection.

One of the easiest ways to pray is to simply have a conversation with Jesus. Pretend He is sitting with you. He doesn’t need eloquence or elaborate wording. He just wants you to talk to Him. If you’re not sure where to start, one simple format to follow is called “ACTS.”

Adoration – starting your prayers with adoration helps you remember the glory of the God we serve and the blessing it is to be able to talk directly to Him about our needs and desires.

Confession – spending some of your prayer time confessing sin helps you to clear your mind and your heart to be able to hear and feel Him near you. It’s a reminder of the sinful nature of our flesh and the wonderful grace and mercy of our God.

Thanksgiving – there aren’t many more swift ways to remind you how blessed you ultimately are than to take the time to thank the Lord for all He has already given you and done for you.

Supplication (asking God to meet your needs and desires or those of the people around you) – by starting with adoration, confession, and thanksgiving, it puts your mind and heart in a good place to be able to talk to the Lord about the desires of your heart. He wants to hear what is on our minds–we are never a bother to Him.

What a blessing it is to serve a God who desires to hear from us all day, every day.