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appreciation of nature / mindfullness in nature is one of the ways people pray

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appreciation of nature / mindfullness in nature is one of the ways people pray

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Creating a meditative piece of art can be prayer

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Creating a meditative piece of art can be prayer

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for some people doing good works are a form of prayer

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for some people doing good works are a form of prayer

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People pray so that they can connect with god. However, other people pray when they want something or need something. Sometimes it can be in good spirits like when a family member is sick. But then again some people do it when they want money.

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reflecting on a piece of music or an image/moving images can be a form of prayer

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reflecting on a piece of music or an image/moving images can be a form of prayer

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People pray by connecting with the big guy upstairs

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Through music

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They pray by bringing their hands together

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Through quiet spiritual reflection

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if something has happened to them or a friend

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People pray by taking time out of their day to simply reflect and to connect with God.

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Once again, we have started another New Year. A year filled with new things to try and new opportunities to seize. A year to start making some real changes in our lives. Everyone makes the usual resolutions like losing weight, quitting a bad habit, or getting a new job. What about our spiritual resolutions? Maybe we want to attend church more or spend more time reading the Bible. Maybe we really want to jumpstart our prayer life but we're not sure how to really stick with it. Here are twelve suggestions to jumpstart your prayer life right now.

1. Commit to Prayer Time - Our lives get so crazy. We get overloaded at work, the kids have to be shuffled everywhere and then there are the unexpected things that pop up. It's easy to let our prayer life become stagnant. This year, commit to spending 15, 30 or 60 minutes with the Lord on a daily basis. Pencil it in on your calendar so it becomes ingrained in your daily life.

2. Rent The Movie War Room - This is a great move to inspire you to jumpstart your prayer life. It is about a couple on the brink of destruction who learn how to fight 'the right' way. Instead of being at each other's throats all the time they learn to fight through prayer instead. This movie will not only motivate you to take action, it will change your life.

Listen to my prayer O God. Pay attention to my plea. -Psalm 54:2 (NLT)

3. Start a "War Board" - This concept is taken from the movie above. Choose a place in your home that is going to be your war room. Some people have a bulletin board that they use as their war board if they live in a smaller space. Start writing down prayers that are specific to yourself, your family, and those around you. Start writing down Bible verses that correlate with each situation. Start praying and see what happens. Keep a 'prayers answered' journal to go along with it.
SEE ALSO: 10 Christian Virtues We Need to Revive
4. Read Fervent by Priscilla Shirer - Ladies, if you are looking for a book that will teach you to pray more seriously, specifically, and strategically this is it. This book covers where the enemy will hit you the hardest including your identity, your family, your fears, etc. It then teaches you how to craft your own personalized prayer strategies.

5. Read The Battle Plan For Prayer by Steve & Alex Kendrick - Although anyone can read this book, if the gentleman in your life is looking to strengthen his prayer life, this is a great book. It explains how effective prayer works, will inspire the reader to deepen their relationship with God and teach them how to develop both basic and advanced prayer techniques

I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands in prayer. -Psalm 63:4 (NLT)
SEE ALSO: 3 Things to Pray When Life Gets You Down
6. Volunteer to be a Watchman for Your Church - Some churches have people volunteer to be 'watchman' at different times during the week. This means that someone is always praying at all hours of the day and night. There is a lady I know that gets up every morning at 1:00 am to be the watchman for her church.

7. Start a Prayer Group - Gather your friends and start your own prayer group. Meet once a month in each other's homes for a relaxing night of conversation and prayer.

8. Join a Christian Group Online - Search on Facebook and see if any of your local churches have an online prayer group. If not, start your own with a few of your online friends. Set up a private group to share requests, stories, and praises.
SEE ALSO: 4 Powerful Ways to Pray Like Jesus in 2017
9. Pray without Distraction - Sit down with your family and explain that you want to really lean into your prayer life this year. Let them know that from this time to this time each day, you won't be available and that this is your prayer time. Make a sign for the door of your War Room so your young children will know not to disturb you.

10. Pray Spontaneously - A lot of people think you have to be in church to pray but this is not true. You can pray any time, anywhere. It's always good to pray spontaneously. If you run into a friend or hear of someone who needs prayer, don't wait till you can write it down. Pray right then and there. Pray for people whose names float through your mind during your busy day. Pray when you feel a tugging or stirring in your heart. Praying this way is excellent because you never know if the person you are thinking of needs prayer at that very moment.

11. Pray Specifically - Take some time to step up your prayer game. Instead of 'blanket praying' as we all do at some point when we are absolutely exhausted, take some time to write down specifics. If you know someone who needs surgery, write a specific prayer for it. If you know someone who is going through a divorce, write a specific prayer for that. If you know someone who just had a baby, write down specifics to pray over the situation. If you know someone who just got engaged, write a specific prayer for that. Praying specifically for a person or situation not only makes you feel closer to the Lord, it makes you feel closer to the person.

Are you feeling inspired but still a little concerned about not staying consistent? Let us pray.

Dear Lord,
I come to You over my prayer life right now. I know that I have been lax and have been so distracted lately. I want to renew my commitment to spending time with You everyday and to jumpstart my prayer life again. But I'm scared that I will become distracted and fail like so many other times. I pray that You will renew a passion in me for this part of my life. I pray that I will have a fresh, laser like focus on spending time with You and in praying for others. Help me to recognize the stirring in my heart when someone needs spontaneous prayer. Help me to recognize when it's You that wakes me up in the middle of the night to be a 'watchman' and to have the clarity to hear your voice. In Your Name I pray. Amen.

Carrie Lowrance is a freelance writer and author. She has been featured on Huffington Post, She Is Fierce, Parachute, The Frugal Farmer, etc. She is also the author of two books of poetry, one children's book, and she writes her own personal finance blog at www.freelancebylowrance.com.

Image courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: January 12, 2017

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11 ways to jumpstart your prayer life this year

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11 Ways to Jumpstart Your Prayer Life This Year

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Once again, we have started another New Year. A year filled with new things to try and new opportunities to seize. A year to start making some real changes in our lives. Everyone makes the usual resolutions like losing weight, quitting a bad habit, or getting a new job.

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People pray differently depending upon their beliefs and religion. Commonly many pray to their God through word of voice.

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to get closer to go

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by going to church or simply closing their eyes and connecting with God

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People pray for love and help

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People can pray by going to church but you can pray anywhere you are.

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people can pray for forgiveness or in a time of crisis

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how do people pray?                                 at a church and by blessing

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how do people pray?                                 at a church and by blessing

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People pray to spend time with God

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each person has their own way of praying

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They pray so that they do not feel alone

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People pray so they can feel comforted and safe.

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People pray through thoughts and reflection

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People can go to church and say a prayer and light a candle.

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You can pray in many different ways, such as going to temples.

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You can pray in many different ways, such as going to temples.

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people pray to become closer to god.

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They pray so they can feel closer to other people or to their god

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people pray to spiritually connect with themselves and others

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to get a greater connection to god.

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people pray to ask for help with something

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people pray to ask for help with something

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People pray to connect with God

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People pray to spend tim

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for forgiveness, help, love,  reflection, gratitude and to connect with God.

how do people pray?
People pray by simply closing their eyes or entering a quiet space to gather thoughts. They could kneel and enter gods space by the sign of the cross.

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People pray to talk to their God's and to ask God to look over them

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people pray to calm themselves

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People pray to ask for answer's to life struggles and to ask for help for what ever they eneed

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Why do people pray? How do people pray? 

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Why do people pray? How do people pray? 

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People pray for many reasons; to connect with God, to ask for forgiveness, to pray for friends and family, to express gratitude and to receive comfort and reassurance.

People pray by going to a quiet space, making the sign of the cross and then begin taking to God; this can be out loud or inside head.  There are personal prayers as well as common prayers open for anyone to say, for example, Hail Mary.

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People pray to seek help, create comfort and love, to heal their loved ones, express the thoughts on their mind, to fix worries, give them reassurance, ask for forgiveness and most of all express their gratitude.

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people pray to ask for forgiveness

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People can pray in many different ways, it can be as simple as kneeling before their bed or visiting temples on a certain day. People pray to connect themselves to God or their higher being that they believe in

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internally through thoughts and reflection