Key scripture – “Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.’” (John 11:41-42).

Want to get to know God better? If so, you may need to change the way that you pray.

Remember, you’re not simply trying to learn more about God, you’re trying to know Him better on a personal level. You need to learn to have conversations with God—just like Jesus did in the Key Scripture, speaking naturally to His Father in the middle of raising Lazarus from the dead as a crowd stood around and watched.

You need to resist the urge to let your prayers be just a shopping list of things you’re reciting, that you hope God will do for you, or saying a prayer that you learned but it means nothing to you on a personal level.

By all means bring your requests to God, but learn to make your prayers more than a shopping list or meaningless repetition. Learn to be responsive to God. When God speaks to you in the Bible, interrupt your reading and respond to Him. When God speaks to you through someone’s preaching, immediately respond to God in your heart and in your prayers.

All other kinds of prayer originate from us; thankfulness, praise requests, and intercession, but responsive prayer is you responding to what God is saying and doing in your life.

Learn to start your day in a conversation with God. As you wake, say, “Good morning Lord!” And then carry that conversation throughout your day. He’s always listening.

When you pray, start with praising God for who He is, thank Him for your many blessings, then make your requests known to God by praying for others and yourself, and always end your prayer by putting on the full armor of God and “In the Name of Jesus”.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, Holy, Holy, Holy is The Lord God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. You are my Strong Hightower, my Refuge and Strength. Thank You for Your Faithfulness, Mercy, Grace, Love, Wisdom, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness. Thank You for being so patient with me and forgiving me of all of my sins. Thank You for giving Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sins. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, who counsels, helps and guides me. (Now make your specific requests for others and yourself known to God). Father, I am going out to battle today so I am putting on the full armor of God. I arm myself by putting on: The shoes of the Gospel of Peace, I will stand firm on my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and no matter what is going on around me, I will have peace and joy; I put on the Belt of Truth, I will speak the truth and live out the truth of God in my life, not what I think or believe, but what You say in Your Word; I put on the Breast Plate of Righteousness, I will live upright and blameless and walk the path of Righteousness: I put on the Helmet of Salvation, fill my mind with wisdom and sanctify me so that I think, see, hear and act like Jesus; and I carry with me the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Word of God so that I can pick these weapons up throughout the day when I am attacked. I will stand firm and fight the attacks against me by the enemy, by taking every thought captive and demolishing arguments and making them obedient to Jesus. (2 Corinthians 10:5). Thank You Father for the strength and power that I have through Your Word. When I am weak You are strong. Your grace is sufficient for me. “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10). In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.