10 Tips for Prayer and Praise

10 Tips for Prayer and Praise

“There is much need for prayer and much cause to praise. Suffering should elicit prayer. Sufficiency should elicit praise.” (Blue, The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

The fast pace of life can cause prayer to be a last resort. And praise? It’s often reserved for church. God intended both to be part of our normal day. Though Todd White has tagged the phrase Lifestyle Christianity, God put the thought down first in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NIV: 

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Mealtime, drive time, downtime, God wants our relationship with Him to weave throughout our life. Paul speaks to a lifestyle of prayer and praise in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Here are some tips to help incorporate praise and prayer into the day.

Let’s tackle praise first:

  • Tie praise to thanksgiving. When you encounter something you’re thankful for, stop and give thanks. Right then. I’m thankful for hot water and soap. Every day. Cold showers? No, thank you.
  • Often the most mundane chores link to God’s sufficiency and provision: washing dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning house, laundry, folding towels and blankets. Praise Him for your work and His provision. 
  • Keep a praise playlist handy. Listen while getting ready in the morning, driving, or fixing dinner. Track the usual go-to tunes. How do they impact the day?
  • Expand your worship genre. Some of the best worship finds come from the kids. Ask them to share what they like, especially in the car.
  • Nature inspires praise. Pause and take in the sunset. Linger on the wonders that surround you every day. 

Now, for prayer: 

  • Keep a prayer journal. This takes you straight to your chief concerns. No fumbling for forgotten requests. No guilt for having missed someone.
  • Prioritize. Who and what are really on your heart? God often guides us in prayer by giving us compassion for someone or for something.
  • Release the rest. If God brings a specific person or situation to mind, stop and pray, but don’t feel like you have to cover the world. 
  • Set a reminder on your phone for those free moments in the day. 
  • Connect your playlist to your prayer list. Link special music with a specific concern.

James 5:16 NIV says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” The kingdom suffers without prayer and we suffer without praise. Let’s make them part of our lifestyle.

Workout for the Week: 10 Tips for Prayer and Praise

Memory Verse: James 5:16 “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” 

Meditation Passage: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Do It: Make time for prayer and praise this week. 

Prayer resources: Seven Sacred Pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr

1 Comment

  1. Giancarlo Newsome on February 28, 2019 at 1:28 am

    Hi Gayle. Great post. Have you seen the ipray.me prayer app? It was designed to be first a personal prayer journal. There is a great group function where anyone can share corporate prayers but also receive prayer requests that group members can adopt.

    We should catch up I am back in DFW and we feel we have the app developed to the point to go big – some really exciting new capabilities are in work!

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