Like going to the gym, the “muscles” of prayer don’t develop overnight. 

Four Keys to Consistent Prayer

by IHOPKC
10/17/23 Christian Living

Prayer is the Christian’s call, but life is so busy. In our ever-changing world where distractions arise and schedules shift it can be hard to keep a consistent prayer life. The good news is you’re not the only one facing this challenge!

Long before Mike Bickle started the International House of Prayer of Kansas City, he was a young man struggling to pray. He actually didn’t like prayer! But one of his leaders suggested two things that have helped transform his prayer life: scheduling prayer times and making a prayer list.

Let’s look at some tips that can help almost anyone grow in prayer, because the more we talk with God the better we’ll be able to speak about Him to others.

Ask God’s Help

Ask God to help you make time for regular prayer. This may sound simple, but it actually works! The Lord gives wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5), and He will help you as you come to Him.

Jesus knew what it was like to have many things to do and a lot of demands on Him, yet He found time to pray; it was the very foundation of His ministry (Mark 6:30–46). The Lord knows your challenges and will give you grace because He is good (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Schedule It

Put prayer in your schedule. Create a recurring event in your calendar. Actually do this! If you treat prayer like an important meeting or appointment (which it is) then you’ll be much more likely to keep it. You won’t keep it perfectly all the time, but you will pray much more if it’s on your calendar. 

You can use technology as a help rather than a hindrance if you use a calendar on your computer or phone to set a reminder and alert that it’s time to pray. Then turn your phone on silent or airplane mode to minimize distractions. You can even set an alert for the end of your prayer time so that you can remain focused while you are praying. Tuning out distractions will help you engage God and hear His voice better.

Make a Prayer List

A list helps us keep steady in praying for specific people, nations, or issues that God has placed on our hearts. While the Spirit can move at any time, a list will help focus our prayers and make it easier to get started—and stay consistent—while we wait for the answer to come.

Keeping an actual list, handwritten or on your phone, will increase celebration when your requests are answered. Imagine looking over it after a few months or at the end of the year and seeing great change in those individuals or situations because you didn’t quit! God honors persistence as we see from the story of the widow in Luke 18:1–8.

Be Consistent

Stick with it. Like going to the gym, the “muscles” of prayer don’t develop overnight. Every new habit takes time to develop, so be disciplined and “don’t despise the day of small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10). If it would help you to stay more consistent in prayer, why not ask a peer or more mature believer to keep you accountable to your schedule? They may have other ideas to help you grow in prayer.

In his book, Growing in Prayer, Mike Bickle says, “As we come to know God as our tender Father and Jesus as the Bridegroom King, we are energized to seek God with all our strength and to experience new delight in our relationship with Him.”

Prayer is a key part of God’s plan to release forerunner messengers across the earth, preparing the way for Jesus’ return. In an hour of increasing darkness, the Lord is calling believers to draw closer to Him so they can hear His voice, remain steadfast, and help prepare others for what’s ahead. The Church will also partner with the Lord in completing the Great Commission and seeing revival before Christ’s return. 

If you would like to learn more about prayer and the International House of Prayer of Kansas City we invite you to visit our website and social media channels for a variety of free resources: ihopkc.org.

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