7 Ways to Improve Your Prayer Life

These days the way to get eyeballs seems to be to write headlines like these real ones I just pulled off the Web:

• 15 Ways to Stay Productive over the Summer
• 20 of the Worst Marriage Proposals Ever
• 10 Ways to Find More Space at Home
• 4 Perfect Yoga Poses for the 4th of July (what?)
• 6 Snacking Habits that Could Help You Lose Weight
• 11 Tips for Writing Killer Headline Titles

Perhaps I need that last one, but you get the point. Apparently, the gurus of the Internet have seen we are drawn to simple lists or the promise that important matters can be cleanly packaged.

Of course, life is seldom like that, and certainly our spiritual lives never are. The truth is, I don’t have a list of 7 ways to improve your prayer life. I could probably come up with such a list, and there might even be some helpful ideas in it, but ultimately spiritual growth will never be found in short blurbs or catchy sound bites.

So we need to beware of the quick fix or the simplistic answers. Because God wants to give us good gifts (Matthew 7:11), we can always find direction. But that comes to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...even when it is not easy or convenient.

(By the way, if you want to dig into a good book on prayer, I am reading one now that was given to me by my friend, James Gitre. It is called A Praying Life. No simple answers here, but a lot of insight and wisdom.)