We have all been there. You start praying and run out of things to pray about after 30 seconds of listing off your family members and close friends. We all want to be able to pray more, but the reality is that sometimes, it can be really difficult to actually know what to pray. This acronym is a really good place to start as you embark on this journey to deepen your prayer life.
P = Praise
It is good practice to begin your prayer time with praise and gratitude. It is easy to skip ahead to asking for what we need. But stopping to thank God and praise Him for who He is can help us be encouraged and empowered even before we get to asking.
R = Repent
Always take time when you pray to look inward and consider if there is anything you need to repent of or surrender to the Lord. This could be a specific sin, but it could also be something you are generally struggling with that day. Admitting where we are having trouble trusting God is the first step in actually trusting Him.
A = Ask
After centering your heart through the previous two steps, it is time to move into asking the Lord. We ask the Lord for our own personal needs, emotional, spiritual, and physical. But we also pray for others. This is a good time to intercede for family, people in your community group, or any other group of people.
Y = Yield
Finally, it is important to recenter our attention on God before closing out our prayer, as well. Take some time here to express your trust in the Lord and yield all of the things you prayed for to Him one last time.