Prayer is neither a routine nor a rule in a Christian’s life. It isn’t something to be enforced or for which one is punished if they fail to perform. After all, prayer is all about your relationship and communication with God. Friendship, love, communication, and relationships aren’t supposed to be forced—they are developed by process and time, naturally and mutually.
As you are looking for ways to be spiritually strong in prayer, remember that this mutual desire comes from you and God. You are searching to go deeper in your prayer life because it reflects your friendship with God, your desire to be closer to Him, and God’s desire to get closer and closer to you. He is happy about your response, and the Holy Spirit is ready to help you.
Here are some ways to be spiritually strong in your prayer according to the Scriptures:
1. Be rooted in Christ and His Word.
John 15:5
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong in Prayer
To be spiritually strong in your prayer life is all about being rooted in Christ Jesus and His Word. As John 15:5 says, you will only bear much fruit if you abide in the Vine, Jesus Christ. The more rooted and knowledgeable you are in the words of Christ and the Scriptures, the more you can hear and discern God’s voice, and this causes you to have a strong prayer life.
2. Seek God first in all things.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
Praying, much like ministry, is a heavenly activity that advances the Kingdom of God. That being said, your focus is not on the ministry or the act of praying but on God Himself. To be spiritually strong is to seek Him, His righteousness, and His Kingdom before anything else, as Matthew 6:33 says. Then, your desire for a strong prayer life, spiritual existence, and all other things simply follows as you constantly fix your eyes upon the Lord.
3. Delight yourself in the Lord.
Psalm 37:4
“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
Similar to Matthew 6:33, Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight only in the Lord, and He will give us the desires of our hearts. You can delight in the idea that you have a strong prayer life or a prospering ministry; however, that is not the same as delighting in the thoughts of God’s goodness, His faithfulness, His Word, and His righteousness. In spending quality time with God, studying His Words with undivided attention, worshiping and praising Him with your heart, you delight in God alone, as He desires. As you do, you won’t even notice how spiritually strong your prayer life already is, as He also communicates with you at every moment that counts.
4. Love what God loves and hate what He hates.
Psalm 97:10
“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
As Christians, when we say we love God, we must also hate what He hates. As Psalm 97:10 says, those who love the Lord must hate what is evil. As you read God’s Word and study the Scriptures, you get to know God’s ways, principles, and values as well as the things He hates and dislikes. This is vital in prayer life because a prospering relationship is based on mutual trust, thinking, and feeling. There is unity and oneness in thoughts, deeds, and emotions. If you want to get deep with God, love what He loves and hate what He hates.
5. Fill your mind daily with heavenly things.
Colossians 3:1-2
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
To be spiritually strong in prayer, you must fill your mind daily with heavenly things. As Colossians 3:1-2 reminds the believers, you must choose to seek things that are heavenly and set your heart upon them. God will not choose for you because you are given the free will to love, serve, worship, and please. Choosing heavenly things to fill your mind daily will greatly impact your prayer life and, even more, your relationship with God.
6. Stay consistent and disciplined in your walk with God.
Romans 12:12
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
Having a spiritually strong prayer life is not an instant thing. It develops over time as one consistently and persistently seeks God and His Word in discipline, thanksgiving, and rejoicing. Just as a friendship flourishes over time through communication, mutual trust, and love, so our relationship with God flourishes through consistency, patience, and thanksgiving, as said in Romans 12:12.
7. Surround yourself with like-minded people.
1 Corinthians 15:33
“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
Proverbs 13:20
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
A plant that requires plenty of sunlight to grow will die when you place it in the wrong place. In the same manner, a Christian who is on fire for Christ but is surrounded by lukewarm and worldly people will struggle in his relationship with God until he decides to leave that place and surround himself with like-minded folks. 1 Corinthians 15:33 and Proverbs 13:20 are clear that your tribe will affect your soul and your walk with God. If you want to be spiritually strong in your prayer life, find a group of believers who are passionate and dedicated in their prayer life and relationship with God.
8. Obey the Word of God and walk according to His will.
Matthew 7:21
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
James 2:26
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
How To Be Spiritually Strong In Prayer
Prayer without works is dead; having faith in God but not putting it into action is meaningless, as James 2:26 says. To be spiritually strong in prayer also means you are a strong doer of God’s Word and His will. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 that only those who do the will of God shall enter the kingdom of heaven. It doesn’t help to have a prayer routine but yet there’s no transformation in your life after prayer. When God communicates with you in your prayer time, you are radically changed as you obey His voice.
You may also check this article (How to Pray to Christ), which may help you in your prayer life.
Know that you are not alone in this journey. As you seek God and choose to spend quality time with Him in prayer and Bible study, the Holy Spirit is always there helping and empowering you in Christ Jesus.