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.
I was struck with the realization that I had basically said the same things many times
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.
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:
- 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.
- Pray that God will open your eyes to those around you that need prayer.
- Ask friends, family members, neighbors, and acquaintances how you could pray for them…then do it.
- 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”
- 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.
Good post. Sometimes the best prayer is silence: “Be still and know that I am God…” Besides the promise is given that when we don’t have words, that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf. Sometimes our silence speaks volumes. The list could go on. If it did, I’d add brothers and sisters facing persecution. They face many trials in bearing a testimony of Christ. Praying for them is never in vain. There’s lots of good sites but one that lets you leave a prayer that will be delivered to those prayed for is: https://www.icommittopray.com/
These are all good things to pray for. I believe we also need to thank God for the blessings in our lives. Didn’t Paul say something about thanking God for everything? Some say to also thank God for the painful things. So far, I haven’t been able to do that until the pain is past, but I have been able to ask Him to show me the benefit in the pain. (Often, I’m still blind to the benefit for a long time or a lifetime)