How to Deepen Your Prayer Life: Tips for a Fresh Start

New Year as an Opportunity to Refresh Your Prayer Life

I love the new year. It’s time of opportunity and hope for me. The year stretches ahead with untapped potential. The new year is a time of fresh start and new beginnings in my world.  

The start of a new year is often seen as a blank slate—a chance to set goals, renew commitments, and strive for personal and spiritual growth. January is the perfect time to reassess and rejuvenate your prayer life. Just as we may set resolutions for physical fitness or financial health, we can also prioritize our spiritual well-being.

Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God, and refreshing your prayer life can breathe new energy into that relationship. The new year provides a natural moment to pause, reflect on our current habits, and realign our focus on communicating with God. Ask yourself:

• Are my prayers consistent and heartfelt?
• Am I truly listening to God, or am I just speaking?
• How can I deepen my connection with Him this year?

By making a deliberate effort to refresh your prayer life, we set a tone of dependence on God and spiritual intentionality for the months ahead.

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Why Prayer Is Essential for a Believer

Prayer is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. It is the primary way we communicate with God, express our gratitude, seek His guidance, and intercede for others. Here’s why prayer is vital for every believer:

Strengthens Our Relationship with God:

Just as communication is key in any human relationship, it is also fundamental in your relationship with God. Through prayer, we draw closer to Him, build trust, and deepen our understanding of His will for our life.

Aligns Our Heart with God’s Will:

Prayer is not just about presenting our requests to God; it is a way to align our desires with His purposes. As we spend time in prayer, the Holy Spirit works within us to transform our heart and perspective.

Provides Peace and Comfort:

Life is filled with uncertainties and challenges, but prayer offers a space to lay our burdens at God’s feet. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us that through prayer, we can experience the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.

Empowers Us for Spiritual Growth:

Prayer is a powerful tool for resisting temptation, overcoming spiritual battles, and growing in faith. Jesus Himself modeled the importance of prayer, often retreating to pray alone, even in the midst of His ministry. Establishing a solid prayer time will help your spiritual journey.

Connects Us to God’s Power:

Through prayer, we invite God’s power into our life and the lives of others. James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Our prayers can impact situations, people, and even your community in ways we may never fully understand.

By making prayer a priority, you acknowledge your dependence on God and open your life to His guidance, provision, and blessings. It’s not just a spiritual discipline—it’s a lifeline for your faith.

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Identifying Prayer Challenges

While many believers understand the need for more dedicated prayer time, common struggles affect us all. Hindrances like distraction, lack of time or routine can all derail us from our good intentions. I understand these challenges as they affect me, too.

Understanding the root of these challenges can help us overcome them, though. First, understand that the enemy does not want you to pray. He knows that prayer brings us closer to God and that’s the last thing he wants. So first pray that God would help you defeat the enemy’s efforts to distract you.

Then look for distractions. Are the kids needing your attention? Does your husband need your help getting ready for work? Do meals need to be made? Do the dogs need to go for a walk? All of these things can pull us away from dedicated prayer time. And while Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing, to pray throughout our day, a dedicated prayer time is a good idea, too. The best way to avoid those distractions during prayer time is to set aside time when no one will be needing you. For me, that’s first thing in the morning.  

What about a lack of time? Same answer. Find a time that you can be undisturbed for prayer time. My kids were always early risers, so for a season the best time for me to dedicate to a consistent prayer life was after they went to bed. It was only then that I could have enough quiet time to actually engage in deep, meaningful prayer. Now the best time for prayer and study is first thing in the morning. But find a time that works best for your family.

As you work to avoid distractions and find time to spend in prayer, you’ll find a daily routine that works for you. That routine is a good way to always remember to pray. Set aside a specific time every day and don’t miss that appointment.

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Building a Consistent Prayer Routine

There are many practical ways to build a powerful prayer life. Building a consistent prayer routine is key to a thriving prayer life. Scheduling a consistent time, as I mentioned above, is the start to a dedicated prayer life. Find a specific time every day and stick to it. Be flexible in different seasons, though, as different family stages warrant different prayer times.

Also consider creating a peaceful prayer space for your quiet time. I have a sitting area in my bedroom with an antique table, rocking chair, and bookshelf. It’s right by a back window so I can look out at nature while I read Scripture and pray. This is my favorite place for quiet prayer time. In a pinch, though, like when my husband is sleeping, I’ll use the kitchen table for prayer time. While this area isn’t as conducive to focused prayer because I can see all the things that need to be done, it’s a workable space. The time is most important, not where we are. But I do find a special place that is beautiful and quiet helps settle my spirit.

Bible study is another prayer routine that brings you closer to God. For me, Bible study and prayer time go hand-in-hand. I pray before my study, while I’m studying, and then again when I’m done. This prayer/study time feeds the rest of my day as I reflect on what I learned during study and continue to pray about it.

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Tools to Enrich Your Prayer Life

There are many simple ways to enrich your prayer life. A prayer journal is a great way to document your prayers and see God’s faithfulness throughout the year. I organize mine by family members’ names and have another section for friends and circumstances that need prayer. I log the prayer, the date I started praying about it, and the date God answered the prayer (even if the answer was no). If I had to say that I use one tool consistently in my prayer life, it would be a prayer journal.

There are also great apps and devotionals to help your prayer life. The apps are a great way to sort and organize your prayers and help keep you focused on them throughout your day. It’s easy to pull out your phone when waiting in line and pray through your list. Devotionals, on the other hand, help you focus your attention to certain areas of prayer life. This focus can help you, especially if you don’t have an existing prayer format or system.

Scripture serves as a foundation for prayer. Memorizing Bible verses helps you hear God’s voice through His word. There are many prayers in Scripture that you can learn and follow the format for, or even pray yourself. My favorites are the prayers recorded from Jesus. Who better to learn from than the Source of all Prayer Himself? Studying Scripture to learn to pray is also a great way to learn God’s plan for your life. Then pray about that in your daily prayer time. The Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father) is also a great prayer when you aren’t sure how to pray.  

Finally, there are literally thousands of prayer books. So get one at your local library and get reading. Remember that reading about prayer is not the same as actually praying. Don’t neglect praying in favor of reading about it.

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Conclusion

Setting aside time for dedicated prayers and building a prayer routine are simple steps to building a strong prayer life. Ask your family and friends for their prayer requests and build powerful prayers around them. You’ll find a deeper prayer life comes from time and dedication to it. Keep at it, though, and don’t be tempted to give up.

Simple prayers are often a good start. No need to be fancy. Just talk with God. Need a start? Here’s one that is based on the format of the Lord’s Prayer (praise, repentance, asking, yielding).

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you that you always hear us and want to know what is on our hearts. I am sorry that I do not pray as often as you would like and that I don’t always come to you first in prayer when I have needs. Help me to know your Word and pray like the men and women in the Bible. Help me to pray for my family and friends according to your will for them. I trust you with my life and my prayers. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

That’s it. A simple prayer to get you started. I know this year can be a year of thriving prayer life for you.

With love,

🌸 Andrea

Want more articles about prayer? I’ve also written about how to pray for your husband’s work, how to pray in a long-distance relationship, how to pray if you are struggling in your marriage, and how to pray before a difficult conversation. I hope these are helpful for you!

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