It's a common feeling for your prayer life to begin to feel stale and routine at times. But prayer is a powerful tool to know God more that should be fully utilized. Here are 5 ideas to improve your prayer life based on The Practice of Prayer Bible Study and Devotional.

1. Pray the Scripture.

Choose a passage or verse from the Bible that resonates with your situation and pray in line with God's will as expressed in Scripture.

God always answers yes to prayers that align with His will and purposes. His will and purposes are stated clearly in His Word. So, personalizing Scriptures that speak to God's commands and promises allows you to be teachable, informed, and expectant toward God in prayer.

"20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21 CSB

Here is an example of that with Ephesians 3:20-21.

Prayer: Father, since the very beginning when You created the earth and people, You have acted in miraculous ways that are beyond human comprehension. When your people stood with a sea in front of them and an army of oppressive rulers behind them, You literally parted the sea for them as a way of escape. There is no way to even name every example that proves the truth of Ephesians 3:20. And just as You were able to do the miracles recorded in Scripture, You're still able to do more than I can imagine even now, in my life, in the lives of Your people, and in the lives of those who have not yet received Your gift of salvation in Jesus. So now, as I face this seemingly insurmountable situation, I trust that nothing is impossible for You. Not only that, but Your power is at work in me to overcome it. I'm asking You to do what only You can do, God. Be glorified in my life and in Your Church, forever. Amen.

2. Prayer journal.

Recording your prayers can help you focus, find clarity of thought and belief, gain consistency, and later reflect and remember God's faithfulness.

Journaling your prayers doesn't necessarily mean you must write your prayers like you're completing a writing assignment in English class! To practice prayer through journaling, full paragraphs aren't even needed at all.

3. Change your posture of prayer.

If you normally sit while praying, try kneeling or walking around.

Consider using different postures in prayer as a way of slowing down and entering into God's presence with greater intention. It's true that you can pray to God in any place, with any physical posture. It's also true, though, that your physical posture of prayer can ready the internal posture of your heart.

Some unique posture ideas may include holding your arms up and lifting your eyes upward, standing, or holding your palms up or down.

4. Use a list.

Choose a category of prayer and make your list of prayer requests. Categories could include thankfulness to God, unbelievers needing salvation, health issues, etc. You could even make categories for each day of the week.

  • Sunday—Pray for the week ahead.

  • Monday—Pray for the missionaries you know and the world they are reaching.

  • Tuesday—Pray in thanksgiving.

  • Wednesday—Pray in confession of sins and for personal spiritual growth.

  • Thursday—Pray for your work.

  • Friday—Pray for family and friends.

  • Saturday—Pray for your pastor, church staff, and congregation.

5. Create space to listen.

Silence is an often overlooked aspect of knowing God's power, but we must create silence to hear God.

We tend to jump straight into conversation with God, say what we want to say, then jump straight back out and into whatever is next on our agendas. The benefits of prayer, though, will never peak with a rushed approach. God wants to speak to you, and you need to hear His voice more than you need to speak to Him! Listening to God makes space for Him to direct the conversation in prayer. That's why unrushed periods of silence and solitude with God have such great benefit.

For more ideas like these, check out The Practice of Prayer by Robby and Kandi Gallaty. It is a 30-day guide that will equip and encourage you to broaden your prayer life through prayer practices, prompts, and helpful tools to build the habit of prayer.