Six Tips for Busy Pray-ers

Summer was a blur, y'all. For me, anyway, gone are the days of quieter, slower summers. For many other people I know, too. So now we've slam dunked into Fall and the calendar pages keep on turning.

Last week (which was particular wackadoodle), I was thinking about my last post, about prayer. I realized with horror that, ever since I made that post, I think I've written my prayer list down maybe one or two times. Not that I haven't been praying - I have been! - but my prayers have been quick snatches the last few weeks. Maybe you can relate...?

Over the years of my faith life, I've come to realize that some seasons are just...busier...than others. Long ago, I began to adapt my prayer life during those seasons, so that it's not that I don't pray at all - it's just that my practice of prayer looks different.

This is life sometimes. So - here are Six Tips for Busy Pray-ers:

1. Set reminders on whatever devices. At first, this felt ridiculous. Why do I need a device to remind me to pray?! But my watch reminds me when to drink water, when to take some deep breaths, when to get up and walk around - why not add prayer to the mix? 
2. Set a timer, if needed. There are times when I can set aside an unrestricted amount of time for prayer, but those times are pretty rare. Usually, there's a necessary end time involved. So rather than stress that, I set a timer so I don't lose track AND so I can focus on my praying and not on the time. The other great thing is that the timer can be set for whatever time, regardless of how long or short it is.
3. Use commute time or other travel time for praying. This has a secondary function of helping me not yell at other drivers quite as much. ;-)
4. Find other mini-quiet times in your day. When else might you slow down enough, even for a moment or two, to fit some prayer time into your day? Riding on an elevator, going to the restroom, walking down a hallway to talk with a co-worker, sitting on hold on a phone call? I often pray while I'm exercising, too. Other ideas...?
5. When you can take longer, do! Every so often, I'll find myself with a bigger chunk of time when I'm likely not to be interrupted - and at a point when I can leave the dishes or laundry, set aside the thesis writing or sermon writing, and have some quiet time in prayer. When those rare times happen, I try to grab them and use them for all they're worth!
6. When life becomes less busy again, shift your prayer life accordingly. Sigh. This is difficult because it's so dependent on other factors: job, family, other responsibilities. But sometimes, life does slow down for another season, and we can easily fit prayer time back into our regular practice. 

For people of faith, prayer is important time. Prayer helps connect us to God - it strengthens that relationship just as spending time with friends or family builds those relationships. Prayer can help us remain mindful of other people, and thankful for our own lives. If you're struggling to find time and energy to pray, I hope one or more of these tips will help.

What tips can you share?