Prayer is often viewed as a complicated or intimidating practice, but it doesn’t have to be. At its core, prayer is simply a conversation with God, where we share our hearts and thoughts with the Creator of the universe. The power of prayer lies not in the words we use, but in the fact that we are talking to someone who loves us, knows us intimately, and cares about what we care about.

In order to build intimacy with God through prayer, we must make it a regular part of our lives. By initiating conversation with God, we can experience His peace and comfort, even in the midst of difficulty. In this blog, discover how to develop the practice of listening for God’s voice in prayer.

The Power of Simple and Intimate Prayer

The most important conversation we can have today is with God in prayer.

Why do we make prayer so complicated sometimes? Prayer is simply talking to God from our hearts, sharing things like we do with our confidants.

The power of prayer isn’t having the perfect words or being worthy enough to speak them, it’s WHO we are speaking to…the Creator of the universe who knows and loves YOU and cares about what you care about.

Like any relationship, communication is necessary for trust and intimacy to grow. Talking only once per week or a few times per year would not make for a great relationship. So it is with God.

The whole point of prayer is to develop intimacy. He already knows everything about us yet longs for us to come to Him with our real selves. He wants us to WANT to draw near to Him, not out of obligation or a sense of duty. We don’t have to clean ourselves up first, nor do we need to limit our prayers to times of fear or desperation.

I don’t believe we will ever understand the mysterious ways God works through each prayer. Perhaps when we get to heaven, it will all be revealed then. But until then, we must simply pray even when we don’t know how God will answer. To draw closer and experience His peace, you must simply take time to speak to Him.

Hearing God’s Voice through Journaling Your Prayers

I usually don’t have a hard time talking to God. The challenge comes in letting Him talk to me and listening for God’s voice. I have to quiet my busy brain and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening…” and then do just that….listen for God’s voice.

Honestly, the best way I’ve found to really “hear” God’s voice is through journaling my prayers. I sometimes use two different colored pens. One is me speaking and the other color represents whatever God puts in my mind. I’ve learned to write spontaneously and not question if it is God’s voice or mine. I just write. I can’t tell you the number of times I was astonished by what was revealed to me when I read what I wrote.

He is ALWAYS with you, no matter the situation, and longs for you to turn toward Him with everything on your mind…your joy, frustration, confusion, despair, sadness, anger, uncertainties, worries, gratitude, questions…in other words, everything and anything. Nothing is off limits.

I have found the more I pray throughout my day, the closer He seems. His Word says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8, ESV). In other words, He is waiting for us to initiate. He won’t barge in like an unwanted guest. He loves you more than you know and can’t wait for you to turn your attention toward Him.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” -2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)

If you are feeling discontent in some area of your life and longing to discover more of the abundance God has for you, I’d love to have a conversation with you. You can set up a free 15-minute call with me. Together, we will walk through your story and see if my Abundant Purpose: Designed for Significance coaching program is your next best step in your journey toward abundant living.