My mind has been on prayer lately, and I’m trying to look at it as an out-of-body experience. In other words, I’m looking at my own prayer life and the prayer life of others from a 3rd person perspective…and questioning…WHY do we pray like we do?

Here are a few examples to clarify what I’m talking about:

• We mostly pray with our eyes closed
• We often bow our heads
• We sometimes hold our hands in a certain position
• We sometimes hold each other’s hands
• When a group prays for an individual, we often wrap our arms around one another and the prayer recipient
• We repeat “Lord, Father, God, Jesus, Abba, etc” over and over AND OVER again

These are certainly learned practices and likely culturally influenced. For example, I see these types of prayer practices consistently in the USA. I’m sure people from other countries could identify practices which are more common in your area of the world (if so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below). So the concept of these prayer rituals applies really to all of us in one way or another.

Now, let me say most importantly here that NONE of these practices or prayer rituals are inherently bad. I don’t believe God judges us for our prayer technique as much as our motivation for prayer and the sincerity of our hearts.

God’s word gives us some suggestions, such as not going on and on with our words…when done so to impress others with our prayer mastery or how amazingly Christian we are. Matthew 6:6 says to go into our rooms, close the door and pray in private. Jesus gives some specific instructions in Matthew 6:9 when he starts off “This, then, is how you should pray:…” But this instruction is more in the form of the content or focus of your prayer life…not so much the technique or ritual/habits.

One suggestion I have is to talk to God like you would talk to another person…with obviously a lot more reverence and respect than we often give to our fellow humans. When talking with a friend named John, do you use his name over and over again, such as: “John, I pray to thee. John, please bless us for…., John…, John…, John…”? Then, why do we find ourselves saying God, Father, Lord, Jesus 20+ times in 2 minutes? God knows you are praying to Him!

My next suggestion is to do whatever you want to do with your eyes, hands, head, etc. There is no perfect positioning for prayer. In a perfect world, when we pray we should be able to shut out all distractions. If closing your eyes helps…great! Just don’t feel like this matters to God. Just don’t think that closing your eyes, bowing your head, or getting on your knees inherently increases the value or validity of the prayer. God hears you regardless.

My last suggestion here is to focus completely on God and who your prayer is directed at, such as the person in need of help, grace, blessings, etc. It’s not about closing our eyes, bowing our heads, or any other culturally learned prayer practices. If you do those things, it’s totally fine. Just remember that it is totally NOT about that. Prayer is about you…connecting with God…on behalf of yourself and others…and building a rich relationship with the Creator…your Lord and Savior.

So, the next time you pray (how about right now?)…try shedding some of these traditional prayer practices and see how it impacts your prayer life. And please do share your culture’s prayer practices and any comments below. It would be fascinating to hear from people in other parts of the world.

It was just a normal day…praying over dinner with the family; same routine as pretty much every day. As I finished my prayer I was struck with the realization that I had basically said the same things many times…maybe even like every day for a long time. I was in a prayer rut.

Now, when it come to prayer, I believe that ANY prayer is fine. IF you are praying, then it is good…no matter how many times you have said the same things. There is no judgment here as long as you aren’t praying for the purpose of making yourself look more religious. God knows your hearts and what you really need.

Matthew 6:5-8 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Now having said that, I do propose that if your prayer life has devolved into the routine, where you heart and mind are on autopilot, it may be time for a change.

Below, I’ve outlined a few thoughts on what you can do to get out of a prayer rut. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments as well.

How to get out of a prayer rut:

1. Pray for other folks that aren’t able to pray for themselves. For example, pray for those that haven’t accepted Christ yet. Pray for children around the world that are suffering from disease and starvation.
2. Pray that God will open your eyes to those around you that need prayer.
3. Ask friends, family members, neighbors, and acquaintances how you could pray for them…then do it.
4. Pray for your enemies…folks you aren’t getting along with or folks that you have recently vented about. Matthew 5:44 says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
5. Pray for your neighborhood, your community, your country, your pastor/church leadership, your local leaders and state representatives in government.

Obviously, this list could go on forever. There really isn’t any shortage of people needing prayer in this fallen world. The key is to be focused and intentional. Before it is time for prayer, take 1 minute and think about who needs to be prayed for. When a name or people-group comes to mind during the day, write it down for your prayer list. Just be mindful that like me, we sometimes get into a prayer rut and lose sight of the goal…to connect with God and present our thanks and requests for ourselves and others. If you are in a prayer rut, just climb out of the rut and start praying for something new.