Prayer is the foundation of our Christian walk. It is essential for our survival and I have blogged on this subject in the past. Obviously, whole books have been written on the subject of prayer and it is apparent I cannot cover everything the scripture speaks of prayer in this one blog entry. I simply want to encourage you to pray and give you some simple ideas to assist you in your prayer life.

• Set aside time each day that you can be alone

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

• Use a structure. You may want to use a prayer journal which can be a simple composition book with subject titles such as praise, thankfulness, forgiveness, prayer for the church, pray God's will, pray for your family, etc... Within the journal, you may also consider using scripture such as Psalms 51 (forgiveness). The book of Psalms is filled with scriptures praising God.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

• Sing. It is ok to sing a song in prayer especially when you are praising. The Bible speaks of singing and it is a good tool to assist you enter into the presence of God and relieve your mind of anything that would keep you from giving your full attention to the Almighty.