Lord, learn me to pray!

“I see what the Father is doing and I do it,” says Jesus in John 5:19. I love that verse!

Over the years, the meaning of quiet time has changed a lot for me. As a child, I loved crawling under the covers and talking to God. It always gave me a safe and familiar feeling, but I didn’t yet know that He also wants to answer. I only discovered that much later.

When I came to faith, one of the first things I asked God was: “Lord, teach me to pray.” And with God, you’re never done learning—so I still pray that same sentence from time to time. From that moment on, I encountered various people and ministries that focused on prayer, and I learned that prayer takes many forms. I was used to making prayer lists—and there’s nothing wrong with that—but there is so much more.

At one point, I learned that you can pray the Bible, and I still do that to this day. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me understand what I’m reading. What I receive, I pray back to God. For example, if I read a promise or a truth, I thank Him for that and consciously agree with it. If there’s a command, I ask for help to carry it out. Sometimes, I choose to simply give thanks—that helps keep my focus on God.

I love walking in the forest; it’s also a peaceful place to pray. People, countries, or other things naturally come to mind that I want to intercede for. My car is also a space for quiet time. I love worshiping there and experiencing God’s closeness in that way. During the outbreaks of bird flu and the bluetongue virus, I prayed life and health over the birds and sheep I saw along the road. When I pass truck drivers at their rest stops, I bless their sleep and pray they’ll have encounters with God.