Prayer: Talking with God

Stop whatever you are doing right now and PRAY.

Are you still reading? Stop it. I have a few things to share, but they aren’t as important as your conversation with the God of the Universe.

How was it?

Personally, prayer is tricky for me. During the summers sometimes I have awesome time on restful hikes or sunrise beach mornings to spend with God, but more often then not, I am lacking community and consistent church time and my prayer life suffers. I often feel like my only options are Bible reading and sermon listening to hear from God. Wrong, so wrong.

Slowly I am learning that as my life changes, changes, and changes again, my prayer life should not. As much as I have tried to predict what the next year of college or grad school will bring I am always wrong and Jesus has not decided to start revealing these things to me during my prayer time. Here are a few things, though, that have helped my understanding and experience of prayer.

Prayer is a spiritual discipline and it requires practice to enjoy and be good at. (Careful now, God doesn’t love us more based on how well we pray.) Just like anything else that is worth working for prayer is NOT fulfilling if I just give it a half-hearted effort while I brush my teeth in the morning. After a long period without prayer, I find it SO difficult just to sit and be still in God’s presence. Sometimes it takes me an hour just to filter out all the junk floating around in my mind before I can stop being antsy and just talk to God. As I spend more and more time praying through Scripture, journaling my requests, or confessing my faults, I find it comes more naturally to seek Jesus in prayer for longer periods of time. Just like an old friend I haven’t seen in awhile, it takes a little time to get back into our rhythm of conversation.

We can, and should, pray in our cars, at the grocery store, and while falling asleep. But, I think lately that is emphasized so much that we forget how important it is to also set aside specific and focused time for prayer. Getting completely alone, closing your eyes, and sitting in a way that doesn’t make you want to fall asleep are so necessary to have a good, extended conversation. It takes patience to get used to this, but it is worth it.

Asking is a crazy thing. When I struggle with knowing what to say or I feel far from God I ask the Holy Spirit to help me pray. My sinful nature makes me selfish and anxious even in prayer, but Jesus gives me Grace in everything. I ask God to have mercy on me and teach me to love and know him better. Please Lord, help me hear, see, and know Your heart! I love asking open-ended questions and seeing what Jesus brings up, like, “How do you see this Lord?” and “What is it you want me to understand here?” I am overwhelmed by the fact that I can be so bold as to ask questions of the One who made me. Also, there is no time limit on how long you can pray for something. The Bible promises that God answers all our prayers, so my policy is to ask until it happens, until I gain understanding, until Jesus changes the desires of my heart, or until God specifically says no.

Finally, lack of prayer leads to apathy and anxiety in my life. Consistent, intentional prayer results in my eyes being opened to sins I need to confess. It results in caring about the hearts the poor and orphaned and the lady who cut me off in traffic. Most of all prayer reminds me of my identity in Christ and the life-altering Grace of God.

The good news is we don’t have to resolve to be “better” at prayer. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and we get to communicate with God because of that amazing Love. 


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


I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.- Psalm 66:17 


For more on prayer check out our previous blog- Prayer: What is it? and Why is it important?


Written by Annie Beury, AXO alum