Try an experiment the next time you pray. Just believe. Jesus said to pray believing. Have faith. Act as if you have trust. Listen for the desires of God. Watch for answers to your requests. Watch for the ways God guides you. Be open to possibilities. Look for opportunities and take action upon them.
In spiritual counseling sessions with people, I often ask them to pray so I can assess their prayer skills and guide them deeper. Prayer is a conversation. Once you have spoken of your desires and expressed your feelings, it’s time to listen and receive. Most people have been trained in church to stop at the “Amen.” I can feel them energetically close the door and walk away from their request. Then they complain that their prayers are never answered. It’s like going to a consultant for help, then leaving immediately after you have explained your need, without waiting for a response or guidance.
After you’ve made your case in prayer, stick around! Linger in that sacred state and listen within for the response. Often when I pray, the response comes immediately in energy, insight, and love. At times, all is quiet on the other end and I must be patient, trusting in divine timing. Sometimes, I am blessed to receive words that carry energy and act as a gateway into higher consciousness.
Plan prayer time into your daily life. Can you sit in your bed and pray for 15 minutes every morning before getting up? Do you pray in the shower? While driving to work? During exercise? While you fold laundry? Can you devote 30 minutes to prayer before bed?
How can you make ordinary tasks more meaningful with prayer? How much time can you find to devote fully to God? Make a plan. Put your plan in your schedule and follow it.