Integrating Prayer into Daily Life: Following Jesus' Example

“Prayer is talking with God about what we are doing together.” - Dallas Willard

In Christian spiritual formation the goal is Christlikeness; to become like Christ.  One of the main ways we become like Christ is to order our days as Jesus did. Simply put, we do what Jesus did. For Jesus, prayer was an integral part of everything he did. Jesus lived his life connected to the Father, talking with him about what they were doing together. 

The Essence of Prayer in Jesus' Life

Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus’ prayer life on full display. Often Jesus was going away to spend time with the Father. We see Jesus’ need for constant communication with the Father. That’s because relationships can’t be cultivated apart from communication. Communication creates intimacy and connection. Listening to God was a key part of Jesus’ ministry and prayer practice which he modeled to the disciples by only doing what he heard from the Father (John 5:19). In Mark 4:24, Jesus says, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given.” Prayer provided connection to the Father that empowered him to live in accordance with what the Father wanted.

The Simplicity of Prayer

Hearing God speak is a crucial part of the life of a disciple. As we cultivate a life of prayer, we slowly overcome the illusion of separation from God and grow in our awareness that God is always with us. A life of prayer is a life of paying attention to God. In other words, it is a life of listening.

But many of us feel that hearing God speak is difficult or unfamiliar, and we struggle with knowing how to grow in this key area of discipleship. Often we make prayer into something much more than it is. Ultimately, it is as simple as Dallas Willard says, “talking to God about life together.”

Countless books have been written on “how to pray,” “what to pray,” and even, “what prayer is,” but undoubtedly the best way to learn about prayer is to simply begin. Begin talking to God and creating space to listen for his voice.

Practical Steps to Integrate Prayer into Everyday Life

One practical way to begin to pray throughout your day is the simple practice of taking a “pause.” Begin by setting aside a time (or a couple of times) to intentionally pause and breathe. You can even do this by setting an alarm on your phone at different times throughout the day. As you pause to breathe, allow your attention to turn to God - you can do this by repeating a simple prayer like: “Jesus have mercy on me” or “God be with me” or even recite a simple bible verse.

 In those moments of simple pause, we turn our attention to the reality that God is with us. From that place, simply begin to talk to him as you would talk to any friend. Simple steps of inviting God into your day and turning your attention to him is a great way to begin to cultivate a life of prayer.