When and Where to Pray
In a previous post, we talked about the why’s of praying and the many reasons for the importance of prayer. This week I’d like to share some about when and where to pray. This by no means is a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts, but rather some food for thought or general guidelines to think about as you establish your own prayer routines.
Pray without ceasing…an ongoing conversation
As far as WHEN to pray, there really are so many options! You can pray when you wake up, when you go to sleep, before meals, during quiet times, in the shower, in the car, anytime, or all the time. The important thing is to find time.
I remember having an epiphany or an “aha” moment in college. I read the scripture 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which states to “pray without ceasing” (some versions say pray continually, pray constantly or never stop praying). Growing up, my regular (and really only) prayer times were before meals and at bedtime. This new insight allowed me to realize that there is really no certain or right time to pray. God wants to talk to me all day! I just need to pray all the time.
That’s when I started having a daily, ongoing conversation with God. I still had regular and more formal times to pray, but more often than not I would just talk to God throughout the day. This idea of an ongoing conversation (kind of like an invisible friend walking beside me all day long) gave me the freedom to have a friendship and real relationship with God. I didn’t even say “amen”—it was literally an unending conversation all day long (sometimes out loud and sometimes silently in my head).
I often tell people, “if people could see me when I’m alone they’d think I was crazy—talking ‘to myself’ all the time.” At least nowadays there’s Bluetooth and earbuds, so as far as they know I might just be on the phone! The point is, you don’t always have to be formal in prayer. Just have an ongoing conversation with God. You don’t even have to say “Dear God” and “Amen”. 🙂
Have a regular prayer time
Aside from ongoing prayer, I think it’s also important to have a regular time to pray. Having a routine can be helpful. I heard Beth Jones say once, “You can pray anytime, but HAVE a time.” A regular, routine time to pray will strengthen your relationship with God. Morning, noon, or night, God wants to hear from you and connect with you.
“Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.” Psalm 55:17 (NLT)
Pray when situations call for it
Much of WHEN we pray goes along with WHY we pray. If there arises a reason to pray, that’s a good time to pray. For example we should pray WHEN we need…comfort, help, guidance, answers, to vent, to give thanks or praise, to make a request, to ask forgiveness, to pray for others, to get out of temptation, etc.
Another good time to pray is when you have a “prayer cue“, something that reminds you to pray for something specific. Prayer cues are simply visual or auditory reminders to pray for something as you see or hear it. These can be specific things or topics that you have a heart for, certain people in your life, emergency or crisis situations, or even things that frustrate or annoy you.
In addition to prayer cues, it’s also very important to pray when we’re prompted or when we just have that feeling that we can’t shake. Maybe you know what I mean? I remember when Eric and I were living in Texas, and I woke up in the middle of the night with just a bad, icky feeling. I couldn’t shake it, and I couldn’t explain it. Not really knowing what else to do, I decided to pray. I didn’t even know what to pray for so I prayed in the spirit (in other tongues)—that’s what I’d always been taught to do when I didn’t know what or how to pray.
That next morning I called my mom in Oklahoma, told her what happened and asked her if everything was okay. She told me that one of my brother’s best friends, Jason, had just died the day before after having been in a severe car accident. She told me Tommy, my brother, was having a really hard time with it that night and that I was probably praying for him and/or Jason’s friends and family.
God will use us for intercessory prayer (i.e. praying on behalf of others) to help others in times of need, so don’t ever neglect that feeling that you need to pray. You never know who or what you may be helping.
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” 1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)
Dr. Seuss inspired prayer places 🙂
Knowing WHERE to pray is pretty easy. Anywhere. Think of it like Dr. Seuss…
You can pray inside your house.
You can pray in your new blouse.
Would you, could you in a car?
Talk to God right where you are.
Talk to Him while in a train.
Pray to God while on a plane.
You could pray while in a chair.
Call to Him from anywhere.
Pray in the kitchen while washing a dish.
You can even pray inside of a fish… 🙂
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.” Jonah 2:1 (NKJV)
Maybe I should write a children’s book on prayer inspired by Dr. Seuss?! 😉
Don’t pray to get attention
You can pray anywhere as long as your intent is not to be seen of man. People who pray in the presence of others just be heard or appear righteous are not going to genuinely connect with God. God does not honor these hypocritical types of prayers.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” Matthew 6:5 (NLT)
“Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.” Mark 12:38-40 (NLT)
NOTE: Though not all, a large number of the Jesus’ prayers mentioned in scripture were when Jesus was in isolation or alone with God during his prayer time. We should model this too and make sure to spend time alone with God when talking to Him.
Examples of Jesus going alone to pray: Matthew 14:23, Matthew 26:36-45, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46, Mark 14:32-39, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:18, and Luke 22:41-44
Spur-of-the-moment prayers
Lastly, in knowing when and where to pray, it’s important to remember that you will probably encounter many instances of spur-of-the-moment prayers. These can be anytime, anywhere.
Several years ago Eric and I had gone golfing, and we took our young son along. I made the mistake of letting my son sit on the outside edge of the seat of the golf cart. When my husband rounded a corner on the cart path (a little too fast if you ask me), my son went flying out of the cart. We could hear his head hit the concrete path, and his little body just lay on the ground almost lifeless.
Remembering back, it seemed almost like slow motion. I think that is the most fear that I have ever felt in my life. I jumped out of the cart while it was still moving and ran back to him and scooped him up in my arms. Immediately, I started praying in the spirit (i.e. in other tongues) out loud. I typically never do this in front of other people, especially where they can hear me, but I think I honestly did not care who heard me at that point. I just knew I needed to pray, and I wanted to pray the right thing (God’s perfect will—Romans 8:26-27). Apparently, I freaked Eric out (he had never heard me pray in the spirit before) because as we retold the story later he said, “I almost punched her! I thought she was losing her mind!”
Side note…Now before anyone tries to counsel me or report my husband for domestic violence, just chill. He would NEVER physically harm me nor has he ever intentionally harmed me. I think he knows better. Besides the fact that physical abuse is just flat-out wrong—I’m also pretty spunky, and I’ve seen the movie “Enough” where Jennifer Lopez beats the crap out of her abusive husband! Just for the record, IT IS NEVER OK TO PUNCH A WOMAN. It was just a figure of speech he used to imply his surprise.
Evidently, my prayers had worked quickly because a few moments later another golfer walked up to help. He just happened to be a doctor. He thoroughly checked him over and said that he looked all right. Then, he gave us some care instructions and told us what to watch for in case we needed to take him to the emergency room later (we didn’t—he was perfectly fine with no symptoms). All that to say, that was an example of a rather spontaneous prayer time and place.
Take Some Practical Steps to Know When and Where to Pray:
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First, start having an ongoing conversation with God.
Pray without ceasing. Just talk to Him throughout your day (aloud or silently). Even if it’s just a sentence here and there. Even if it’s just a single word. “Help” is a word I frequently use…hee hee 🙂 . Don’t feel the need to start with a salutation (Dear Lord) or include a formal ending (Amen).
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Secondly, develop a regular/consistent prayer routine.
Here are some examples of good times:
Before you get out of bed
I heard Joyce Meyer say once that you should thank God and/or praise Him for something before even setting your feet on the ground to start the day with an attitude of gratitude.
Before you start your quiet time (read more on having an effective quiet time in this free download offered as a welcome gift to subscribers)
I like to start my quiet times in the morning by praying first that God would give me guidance and wisdom during my Bible reading/devotion time. I also ask God to help me understand what I read and give me revelation. Lastly, this might sound kind of cheesy 🙂 but I also pray out loud “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” to request and give God full permission to speak to me during my time with Him (like Samuel did).
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5 (NLT)
“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45 (NIV)
“The revelation of Your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.” Psalm 119:130 (HCSB)
“And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”” 1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
While you get ready in the mornings (in the shower, during your morning routine, etc.)
I often like to pray in the shower—it’s the perfect time to pray because it’s easy to do, I’m by myself, it’s quiet, and it passes the time while I’m getting ready.
While you drive
This is another favorite and regular time of mine to pray. It’s more productive than just listening to the radio, and it also passes the time. When I was driving my kids to school during the school year, my kids had “morning prayer time” where they each prayed for their day, followed by daily positive affirmations that we would all say out loud together. I also love to pray specifically for my classes that I teach as I drive on the way to teach them—praying for the upcoming class session and praying for each student by name if I can.
Before your meals
Jesus set this example for us (Matthew 14:19, Matthew 15:36, Luke 24:30). Our family takes turns praying before each meal. At restaurants we pray quickly and quietly so as not to disturb others around us or make them uncomfortable. People that pray loud and lengthy prayers at restaurants so that everyone can hear them are annoying and come across as self-righteous. Don’t put your prayers on display.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” Matthew 6:5 (NLT)
On your lunch break
This might be a good time if you dine alone.
While you exercise
If I’m not listening to a podcast, I sometimes like to pray when I go on a walk or hike. This also helps the time to pass, and for me it’s easy to connect with God in nature.
While working or doing chores
It’s an easy time to pray when you’re doing mundane tasks that don’t require much thought—doing dishes, folding laundry, working on the car, mowing the lawn, gardening, etc.
Before you go to sleep
When my kids were young, we had regular bedtime prayers at my house. My kids used to throw a fit if I didn’t come to their rooms to pray with them EVERY night (this was both endearing and sometimes irritating). I miss it now as they’ve grown.
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Then, pray to God wherever you are.
You don’t have to be in a special place to pray. It’s definitely helpful to have a regular place where you can be alone with God, but remember that God is with you WHEREVER you go.
“This is my command–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
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Finally, be obedient to the times when you feel a “prompt” or the need to pray.
God can and will use you to pray for things that you don’t even know about. God will bring people or things to mind sometimes, and it’s important that you pray for them. You never know what your prayers might accomplish.
How do you decide when and where to pray? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.
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*Updated: Originally posted 7/14/2015
