Like reading the Bible, prayer is really important. I’ve never had troubles with praying since I made it a routine as a little kid.
But, I have struggled with this question: What do I pray about?
One of the pastors at my youth group taught me this: The five-finger method.
Thumb – Who does your thumb point to? God! Thank Him for your day and some things He did in your day. Glorify Him.
Pointer finger – Where does that point? To the others around you. Thank God for your relationships. This is the part where you pray for other people.
Middle finger – Well, you know, what happens when you put this out? Pray to God to forgive you for all the sins you committed today, all the sins you’ll commit tomorrow, and so on. Maybe pray for Him to forgive you for a certain thing you did.
Ring finger – What goes on this finger one day? A ring! Pray for your future spouse and all your other relationships.
Pinkie finger – This one is the tiniest. Now you pray for yourself. Maybe it’s something you want. Good school grades, to do good at your game; whatever it is, now’s the time to pray for it.
I hope that makes sense to you. It really did help me with praying and now I hope it will help you.
Now: When should you pray? You don’t have to just pray at night or before you get out of bed. I like to try to thank God in a little prayer whenever I see something that I’m thankful for. But you can do whatever you want – set reminders on your phone to pray five times a day; I don’t care. All that matters is that you DO pray. It’s a time to connect with God, a time to ask him forgiveness when you forgot to unload the dishwasher like your mom asked. A time to ask him to be with your friend who’s going through a hard time, a time to pray for the kids you sponsor. It’s a time to just be with God and talk to him. And, even though he might not talk back to you, he’s listening.
Daily Challenge: All throughout your day, try to thank God when you see/think of something or someone that you’re thankful for.
Comment Below: Do you sometimes have trouble with what to say during prayer? Try the five-finger method, and let me know how it works for you. And, come back later, and say what you saw or thought of in your day that you are thankful for.
I tried out the five finger method, and it helped me SOOOO much, I really hope it helps some other people too.
I tried leaving comments a couple of different times and hopefully this time it will work. I am very impressed with what you shared on prayer. It is such a simple way to be reminded of how to cover the important areas.