When And How Often Should Christians Pray?

When and how Christians pray varies all around the world and for lots of us it changes throughout our lives too. There are seasons of life when we have loads of time to pray and times when it’s all we can do to remember to thank God at the end of the day!

Ultimately, when, and how often you pray, just depends on your life and your relationship with God.

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

In some Bible translations, the original Greek in this verse is translated as “pray without ceasing” so we know Paul is really emphasising his point here but is continual prayer even possible? How do you pray without ceasing while getting your job done, for example?

How to find time to pray

First of all, remember that you can pray anywhere you like. While it’s nice to go to a church building or find a beautiful spot outside, it doesn’t make your prayers any less effective if you say them while you’re in the shower or rushing to the car. An important step in finding time to pray is to remember that you don’t need to be anywhere special to talk to God. He is a loving Father who delights in hearing from his beloved children, so anytime you’ve got a free minute or a bit of headspace then you can turn that into prayer time. Using a resource like Glorify can help you transform any moment of your day into one of connection with God, whether that’s through reading an inspiring blog post or engaging in a daily devotional.

Secondly, don’t beat yourself up about how often Christians should pray. Yes, Paul tells us to pray constantly but as you spend more time reading scripture you see this is part of a bigger picture that the Bible paints, showing us how we can become more and more like Jesus and grow in unity with God. Praying without ceasing is not meant to be an unattainable target that we end up feeling guilty about, but rather an encouragement to invite God into every part of your life.

There's no right way to say your prayers

Prayer doesn’t have to be a formal speech or have a set order if you don’t want it too. At its heart, prayer is a conversation between a parent and a child so relax and let yourself talk as you would to a good friend. If some days you just need to rattle off a list of things that are stressing you out then that’s fine. Or maybe you just want to spend a few minutes praising God under your breath as you drive to the shops.

Is there a correct amount of times for Christians to pray every day?

Here at Glorify, we believe that connecting with God regularly is an investment in your mental health and spiritual well-being. When we pray and when we worship, we are invited to exchange our worries and cares for peace and joy. It’s this beautiful exchange that leaves us feeling balanced and whole after a time of prayer.

So, there’s no right or wrong answer to how often Christians should pray. However, we know that the more we include prayer in our daily rhythms, the more we benefit.

Should prayer look a certain way?

In short, no! God isn’t fussy about how we pray or the words we use. Throughout the Bible we see people pray very different prayers; from David’s passionate declarations of praise to Daniel’s disciplined retreats to pray.

The best way to pray is however you feel most comfortable doing it. So, if you’ve yet to find an approach that feels good then now’s the time to experiment. You could try using a daily devotional from Glorify to focus on during your prayer time, or find a liturgy or blessing to read aloud. There really is no right or wrong way, we can approach our Father with confidence with formal words, informal or even with no words at all.