Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. Prayer is an expression of faith in God’s power, fueled by a desire for more of him. Prayerlessness is the great enemy of true happiness.

Understanding the Context

If you have set it aside or are stuck in a rut, here are seven simple prayers to pray each day. Being devoted to prayer looks different from not being devoted to prayer. And God knows the difference. He will call us to account: Have we been devoted to prayer?

Key Insights

Is there a pattern of praying in your life that can fairly be called “being devoted to prayer”? “Praying only as crises enter your life would not be a pattern of devotion to ... A deep prayer life is difficult to maintain, but it’s also greatly rewarding. Consider seven steps to take this year to help strengthen your prayers. Jesus never intended for his model prayer (what we call “the Lord’s Prayer”) to be our only guide or counsel for prayer.

Final Thoughts

It is a great place to start, but God’s word gives us so much more material for our prayer lives. Prayer is objectively real — a real God, real communication, real work, real answers. If you want your prayer life to be rich and deep, satisfying and strong, try praying the way Jesus himself would pray to God. Prayer is effective, not because of great men who pray, but because of a great God who in Christ graciously hears his people.