How often should you pray as a Christian?

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My story

“How often should I pray?” I asked myself. When I was much newer in my faith I remember wondering how in the world I would pray on a daily basis, as 1 Thessalonians tells us. “What in the world do people pray about all day long?” I wondered.

Then life stepped in. I had marriage that needed help and kids that needed God. I had a home to maintain and a job to attend to. It was clear I could not make it unless I had some set prayer time. I wanted the direction connection to God that I saw other Christians have. But it seemed so complicated. Was there a right way to pray? How would I know?

Why pray?

Before we get to how often we should pray, we need to know why we should be doing it in the first place.

Praying directly connects us with God. It turns our heart to Him so we can see the world, and the people in it, from His perspective. When we do that, we are ready to serve Him and the Kingdom. Praying also allows us to release our stressors and concerns to Him. We leave our worries at the foot of the cross.

When we pray we find our burdens are lighter because Christ Jesus is carrying them. We can also let go of hurts and misunderstandings because Jesus is carrying them.

How should we pray?

There’s no “right” way to pray. Prayer is simply talking with God. When we view it as a conversation it’s much easier to see how we can pray without ceasing. We talk to God when we wake up and ask for a good day, guided by him. The we pray for our kids’ school days. Then we pray for our work as we go about our tasks. We can then pray for our spouse while he works. Then we can pray to have listening ears when we pick up our kids after school. We can pray before bed. Finally, we can pray before all of our meals.

Jesus tells us to pray “this way” and outlines a model prayer – what we call the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. Even more than a rote prayer, however, this is a model of HOW to pray. Here’s a great article that breaks down the prayer line by line to show one way you can pray.

We can also use prayers from others. Christian healing ministries has a great collection of prayers for healing, particularly focusing on the Holy Spirit (and a prayer app!). John and Stacey Eldredge also have prayers for couples that I use often.

I also outline praying for couples who are struggling, praying before a difficult conversation, how to incorporate prayer into your daily life, and listening for God to talk to us.

Regardless of the kinds of prayer you decide to use, the important point is to simply pray an earnest prayer, in Jesus’ name. You may want to join a prayer group to learn from the Lord’s people by modeling how they pray. Be sure it’s focused on Scripture, though.

How often should we pray?

Simply put, the number of times we pray is not what’s important. Nevertheless, Scripture does have a lot to say about prayer. Here are three verses that discuss how often we should pray and what this means for us. At its’ most simple, we want to have a habit of daily prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV):

“Pray without ceasing.” This is the verse that propelled me on a path of prayer. This verse encourages Christians to maintain a continual attitude of prayer throughout the day. Rather than thinking of prayer as something confined to specific times, we should be in constant communication with God in our thoughts and actions. For example, you can whisper a quick prayer of thanks, ask for wisdom before making decisions, or pray for others as you go about your daily tasks. I typically pray before doing something and again while I’m doing my work. I pray for my family throughout the day, especially as God brings them to mind. If it helps you begin to pray by setting aside time, then start there.

Luke 18:1 (NIV):

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Jesus teaches persistence in prayer. Even when circumstances seem like they will never change or are difficult, we should remain faithful in prayer. This Scripture can be applied by making time each day for focused prayer—whether in the morning, before bed, or during breaks—while also remembering to bring every concern or need before God without becoming discouraged if He doesn’t answer right away or the way you would like.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV):

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This verse teaches that prayer should be our response to every situation, especially in times of worry or stress. Instead of letting anxiety take over, turn those concerns into prayers, asking God for help and trusting His plan. This can be applied by setting aside moments of quiet throughout the day to pray over anything troubling you, while also remembering to express gratitude for His blessings. That gratitude is key to prayer. We are called to worship Him and praise Him for all he has done for us.

You can see that there are several prayer guidelines in Scripture. Use God’s word to guide your prayer time and your prayer content. When we pray with the word of God, we are in agreement with God, knowing we are in the will of God. Here’s one example from Scripture:

“Psalm 19 – David’s Prayer in Response to God’s Glorious Self-Revelation

Keep back your servant also from willful sins.
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I will be upright.
I will be blameless and innocent
of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
Lord, my rock, and my redeemer. (verses 13–14)”

This one is easy to pray because it’s already in the first person. You can just pray it directly.

Other verses can be incorporated into prayer. Here’s an example:

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34

This was said by Jesus on the cross. But we can adopt it, as well, when someone has wronged us. “Heavenly Father, you know this situation. You know how this person has hurt me. Please forgive them, for they don’t know how their words cut me. O Lord, please help me to forgive them as you forgive me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Resources for prayer

Regardless of how often we should pray, we all start somewhere. Whether you are starting by incorporating evening prayer or praying before meals or are in that habit and looking to add more prayer to your day, there are plenty of prayer resources. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Start with Prayer by Max Lucado – From one of my favorite authors, you can’t go wrong with this one!
• Common Prayer – Great “churchy” prayers for those who hail from liturgical churches (think Episcopalian or traditional Methodist). These prayers always make me feel warm and cozy, like I’m in church at home.
• Before Amen study guide by Max Lucado – This one is more than a book, it’s a study guide to help you grow in your faith and prayer life. Again, Max Lucado brings the topic alive and makes it super accessible.
• Sacred Prayer by Ann Voskamp – I love Ann Voskamp’s writing. She just feels holy…I don’t know how else to say it. These prayers are designed to bring you closer to God, a goal I’m sure we all have.
• Jesus Calling LIttle Book of Prayers (for kids) by Sarah Young – I don’t know anyone who isn’t familiar with the Jesus Calling series by Sarah Young. She really taps into what God would say to us beyond Scripture. This prayer book is designed to teach young people to pray, in her classic style that seems to get to the heart of God.
• Here’s a list of more resources you may like!

There you have it – the basics of prayer, especially how often you should pray. I promise it gets easier to pray without ceasing. The key is to BEGIN. So start today. Commit to praying one additional time today, beyond what you normally pray. Then keep adding. Before you know it, prayer will be a significant part of your life!

With love,

🌸 Andrea

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