And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Most people today describe themselves as “spiritual.” They want to believe that their lives have significance beyond their everyday existence.

When the Bible speaks of spiritual life, it’s talking about living a life of significance through relationship with God (John 15:5). Communication is essential to relationship so when we think of healthy spiritual habits, the habit of prayer is essential.

If you’ve ever felt stressed, anxious, fearful, lost, or uncertain, it’s often a result of being disconnected from God. We were created to commune with our Creator, and not accessing the direct line of prayer causes brokenness in our lives.

When we pray, we feel more at peace because our burdens are no longer our own. We trust that God and will carry those burdens for us as He says He will (1 Peter 5:7). As we connect with Him and His greatness and compassion, in prayer, it gives us hope. We are transformed by time with Him. Richard Foster writes, “To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives.”[1]

Here’s what prayer is and isn’t: it’s not a set of magical phrases nor is it just asking God for stuff. Prayer is simply talking to and listening to God,

spending time expressing our thoughts and feelings–good and bad, to God, sitting quietly, and listening to Him. The Bible says, “Pray on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).

Consistent prayer is essential to a healthy spiritual life.

For a free Bible study on spiritual habits, go to guidelines.org/healthyhabits/.

[1] Foster, Richard. “The Discipline of Prayer.” Celebration of Discipline, Perfectbound, 2003, pp. 33.