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You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives. James 4:2-3

I think many of us would agree that it is difficult to form new healthy habits. Whether we are attempting to exercise more, eat less, wake up earlier, or develop a spiritual discipline, there are various impediments that prevent us from doing so. It is not lost upon me that the heading of this post is “Prayer Thoughts”, but as the title of this particular entry implies, I still wonder how many of us are in the habit of spending regular time with the Lord in prayer. This entry is not meant to be judgmental or to create a sense of shame or guilt. There have been many seasons in my own life where praying has felt mechanical, boring, and unfulfilling. And as a result, I would often stop praying for long periods of time.

Prayer can be a complex topic, as indicated in James 4:3 regarding unanswered prayers. However, issues such as motives will be left for another time. Instead, if you can currently identify with the title of this entry or if you have never had a prayer habit, I would like to share one idea to help develop (or redevelop) a prayer routine. 

The goal is as follows: (i) pray for one minute a day, (ii) for the rest of October and (iii) keep a list of those daily prayer/praise items.

Philippians 4:6-7 promises us the peace of God when we present our prayer requests to Him. That passage has provided me with much comfort through the years, and perhaps it can serve as one of your anchor verses as you begin your new prayer habit this month.

Let us put this into action by:

• Following the three steps mentioned above
• Reviewing your list of prayer/praise items next month to see what the Lord has done over that period