How to Improve Your Prayer Life with the Jesus Challenge
You sit down at the dinner table and give your family “the nod.” Everyone quiets down, bows their heads, and closes their eyes. You start your prayer with the usual – “Lord, thank you for this day...” Some prayer requests come to mind, so you ask God for help. Eventually, you run out of things to say, close with “Amen,” and everyone pounces on the warm food.
But your prayer feels so … empty. You’ve uttered these phrases a thousand times, but they’re dry. Uninspired.
You know prayer is supposed to be a powerful weapon and your lifeline to God, but it feels like you’re talking to yourself. Does prayer even make any difference?
And then the guilt sneaks in. 😰
“You should pray more.”
“You should be more intentional.”
“You should sound more spiritual.”
If this sounds familiar, trust me, you’re not alone.
But you don’t have to stay there.
My virtual Jesus challenge is the breath of fresh air you’ve been looking for. It’s a practical, simple, 40-day journey designed to make prayer feel fresh and engaging again. It helps you break out of the monotony and look forward to prayer instead of dreading it. 😍
If you feel stuck or uninspired in your prayer life, my virtual Jesus challenge might be exactly what you need. It’s helped me, and I’m sure it can help you too. Let’s talk specifics.
Why Does Prayer Matter? (Or Does It?)
Prayer sometimes feels like a duty to check off your “Look, I am a good Christian” list. You know you should do it, but man, it can feel boring. 😮💨
Think about your closest friend for a second. You don’t only talk to them when you want something from them, right? You don’t get close by anxiously rehearsing what you want to say to them before you meet up.
You bonded because of countless conversations – sharing your heart, laughing, crying, listening to each other's dreams and ideas, hanging out even when there wasn’t anything “important” to discuss. You just like being around each other!
Prayer builds THAT kind of deep friendship with God. It’s not about finding the right words or perfect formula. It’s about being your authentic, real, messed-up self, and simply sharing all your thoughts and feelings. And listening to Him in return.
He’s not looking for a performance – He’s looking for your presence.
Friend, can you wrap your mind around this? There is SO much comfort here! You don’t have to be someone you’re not, you don’t have to put on a show, you can just BE. You can even sit there and not say a word, and He’s delighted by you. 🥹
When you see prayer this way, it stops feeling like a chore and becomes the most comforting and refreshing part of your life.
6 Common Myths You Need to Know Aren’t True
Myth #1: Prayer has to be long and eloquent to be effective.
- Truth: God doesn’t care about fancy or long words. He cares about the sincerity of your heart. In Matthew 6, Jesus Himself reminds us of what really matters when we talk to God: a humble, open spirit. 🤲
Myth #2: If God doesn’t answer right away, He’s not listening, and you’re wasting your time.
- Truth: God hears every prayer, even when the answers seem delayed or different than you hoped. His timing and ways are always perfect, even when they don’t align with our plans.
Myth #3: Prayer is only for when you’re in trouble or need something.
- Truth: Prayer isn’t a 911 call or a wishlist to Santa. It’s an ongoing relationship and conversation. Whether you’re driving, showering, walking, or lying in bed, God is always ready to listen and speak to you. He’s thrilled to meet you right where you are.
Myth #4: You should FEEL something every time you pray, otherwise it’s not working.
- Truth: Prayer doesn’t always come with emotions. Often praying and trusting God is a choice, not a feeling.
Myth #5: Only “good Christians” know how to pray right.
- Truth: There is no right or wrong way to talk to God. No matter where you’re at in your relationship with God or prayer, all that matters is that you’re talking to God and open to hearing Him speak to you.
Myth #6: I can’t tell God the ugly parts of my life and thoughts.
- Truth: God can handle it all! He already knows that about you, so go ahead and share it with Him. Be honest. Be real. Be raw. He holds it all with grace and love, and He’s not disappointed in you. 🥹
What Changes When You Have a Strong Prayer Life?
What actually happens? How does it practically change your life?
- Alignment with God’s heart. 💞When you constantly check in with God and listen to Him speak, your thoughts, actions, and decisions conform to His will.
- Steady peace. ⚓Prayer anchors you to God’s solid promises no matter how wild your ups and downs may feel. No circumstance can change the truth of God’s faithfulness, and prayer keeps you tethered to that truth.
- Gratitude. 🙌When you’re disappointed, broken, or hopeless, prayer brings your heart back to the solid ground of thankfulness. With God, there is ALWAYS reason to be grateful. Prayer trains your mind to dwell on those things rather than what’s causing you despair.
- Answers to your questions. 🚏Although it’s not only about making requests, prayer is a great way to seek wisdom. God says in James 1:5-8, “Let him who lacks wisdom ask God, who gives to all men generously without reproach. And it will be given to him.”
- Strength to avoid sin. 🙅🏻♀️Inviting Him into your fight to stay pure reminds you of His glorious, overwhelming power against the enemy. He gives you the strength to walk away from temptation.
- Relief from stress and anxiety. 😌It’s impossible to stay anxious when your heart is focused on Christ! His promises and presence make anxiety flee and replace it with peace, trust, and rest.
If you’re reading these bullet points going, “Wow, I really want that!” then this next section is especially for you.
The Jesus Challenge: The Solution You’ve Been Looking For
Many of us want the benefits listed above, but we’re stuck in a rut. Our lives are so full that prayer is rushed, shallow, or just repetitive. 🥵We know what we want – a relationship with God that feels alive and real – but we’re just not sure how to get there.
This is where my virtual Jesus challenge comes in. It’s designed to help you break free from the cycle of uninspired, hurried prayers by giving you a structured time to pray every single day. It’s practical and simple, and anyone can do it!
Here’s how it works:
My Walk with Jesus challenge is a commitment to walk or run 1 mile for 40 days. As you walk or run, you read a pre-assigned passage of Scripture. It won’t take you the whole mile, so the rest is for you to reflect on the Scripture you just read and … you got it – PRAY.
With this structure, prayer becomes a consistent habit and a crucial part of your day. No more pushing it to the back burner. My virtual Jesus challenge intentionally protects that time to connect with God’s heart.
And friend, He’s so eager to spend time with you! 😍
As you regularly spend time talking to God, you’ll begin to notice a shift – a sense of peace, clarity, and unity with God that wasn’t there before. This habit becomes a lifestyle, grounding you in the ups and downs of life so your first response in a crisis is to run to God in prayer.
5 Ways the Jesus Challenge Improves Your Prayer Life
Let’s get practical. How does my Walk with Jesus challenge affect your day-to-day life? Why should you choose this as the tool to strengthen your prayer life?
☀️ Start your morning with Jesus. Imagine starting your day without the mad rush from bed to car. My 40-day Scripture challenge already set aside that time FOR you. This allows you to have a peaceful, non-negotiable time for prayer before the chaos starts.
👂 Practice listening instead of only speaking. When you’re out walking and talking to God during the Jesus Challenge, you have the mental space and clarity to listen to God. So often we present a list of demands and call it prayer, but my virtual Jesus challenge builds in time, quiet, and capacity for you to practice listening for His response.
🧠 Reset your mind every day. Instead of plowing through days at a time without stopping, my 40-day Scripture challenge allows you to refresh your perspective daily. This reset equips you to be a better parent, spouse, coworker, and friend.
🫂Join a community of prayer. My virtual Jesus challenge includes a private Facebook community. It’s rich with vulnerability, prayer requests, and transformation stories. Invite them to back you up in your prayer journey. Find an accountability partner who will check in with you.
🙏 Turn prayer into a lifelong habit. The Jesus Challenge builds a rhythm of prayer into your daily life. After the challenge, this rhythm seamlessly transitions into a lifestyle of prayer. If you’re hungry to connect with God more deeply, this is the solution you’ve been looking for.
Tips on How to Pray if You Feel Stuck
We’ve all been there – opening your mouth to pray but feeling like you have nothing to say. Where do you even start? 😅
Here are some simple, practical methods to kickstart your prayer today.
- Pray a Psalm. If you’re lost for words, borrow from the Bible! Open up the Psalms, pick one – don’t overthink it though – and read it out loud to God from your heart. Use David’s words to guide your thoughts.
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer. It’s short, sweet, and straight from Jesus Himself. As you go through each line, don’t simply repeat the words without meaning. Try to rephrase it in your own words and use specific examples for your own life.
- Get on your knees. There’s nothing magical about a certain posture, but getting in a surrendered, lowly position often helps soften our hearts before God. It’s not so much for His benefit as it is to humble us.
- List things you want to trust God with. You can open up your hands 🤲 – literally and physically – and start listing things that stress you out. Picture yourself picking each worry up and handing it over to God. It’s a physical reminder that you’re not carrying these burdens alone.
- List things you know are true about God. Start with what you know – “God, you love me. You are faithful. You are kind.” Keep thinking of things you know to be true about His character and let your heart worship Him as you remember more and more.
- Write God a letter. 📝 Sometimes speaking out loud feels awkward, so write it down instead. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect or sound a certain way. Tell Him everything that’s on your mind and then read it to Him.
- Start talking about your day. Forget the formalities, just start talking like you would to a close friend. Tell God about your day – the good, the bad, the ups and downs. He LOVES hearing from you! He’s a safe place to let it all out, and He can handle anything you say.
I hope these tips help break the ice and get you back into the rhythm of prayer. When you feel stuck, try one – or all – of these ideas to get the conversation flowing again. If it feels awkward at first – that’s ok! Prayer is a relationship, not a performance.
The Jesus Challenge is the Solution You’ve Been Waiting For
The next time you get ready to pray over a meal, you might notice those same feelings arise again – confusion, guilt, emptiness, frustration. 😰
I encourage you to tell yourself at that moment that a real, living, wonderfully loving God is on the edge of His seat waiting to hear from you. Not a rehearsed speech, but a raw, messy, real conversation. Tell Him about your day. How you feel. What you need. Let your words flow out freely, confident that He isn’t judging you and is thrilled to hear from you. 🥳
That, right there, is where you find peace in the chaos, direction when you’re lost, and strength when you’re worn out.
Don’t let those doubts keep you from the incredible relationship that awaits you. It’s the answer to what you’ve always wanted. 🙌
The Jesus Challenge is here to help you break free from that empty cycle and step into a prayer life that’s rich, meaningful, and full of God’s presence. Join us! I’m excited to meet you and witness God transform not only your prayer life, but your mindset, decisions, actions, and relationships. 🤗