1. Are you happy about your prayer life ?

Do you pray as much as you think the Lord requires of you? Can you testify to others about your prayer life and challenge them to follow your pattern?

2. Do you try to improve your prayer life ?

Have you given up trying to be better in your prayer life assuming this is all you can do? Have you made an attempt to find out the exact cause of the problem? Is it time or lack of interest or sleep or wandering thoughts or a besetting sin? Do you make an effort to overcome the located cause?

3. Do you give excuses for your withered prayer life ?

Do you have a false hope that since so many pray for you, that is enough? Do you say that you have tried so many times and failed, so God cannot possibly find fault with you? Do you assume God is leading you in a “different” way? Beware!
4. Do you kneel and pray ?

Do you excuse yourself that nobody does it in your place ? Kneeling is a Biblical posture. There could be lapses in a person’s life when he/she cannot kneel down—like a sickness, travel or emergencies. But this can never become the set pattern. Pray walking, sitting, working; but all besides kneeling. If you do not kneel and pray it is quite possible you do not pray at all. It may make you complacent by giving you a false feeling that you are “praying always!”

5. Do you really converse with God in prayer ?

By that I mean, when you have ended a session of prayer, are you able to realize you have had a talk with the great God ?

6. Do you have regular times of prayer ?

I mean the serious, systematic, matter-of-fact prayer like David and Daniel. Having set times of prayer in the morning, noon and night keeps us God-conscious throughout the day. A spirit of prayer prevails.

7. Do you pray then and there for everything whether great or small ?

When there comes a sudden problem or an unexpected event, do you habitually look Above? Learn from Nehemiah and Paul. Such telegraphic prayers will give you the necessary guidance and confidence. Tell God the tiff you had with your friend, the way your spouse treated you, the unpaid bill, the irking neighbour’s child, your inability to forgive and so on and so forth. The more details you tell God, the closer you get to Him. Prayer is like talking to a friend. “What a Friend we have in Jesus... Everything to God in prayer.”

8. Do you pray in the Spirit ?

For example, praying in tongues helps you bypass your mind or intellect and blend your spirit with God’s. If you have this enablement, how faithfully are you using it in your private prayer? Do you lean on the Spirit’s help in intercession and allow Him to intercede through you ?

9. Do you claim God’s promises in prayer ?

Keep the Bible open before you when you pray. Develop the habit of reading out Scriptures in prayer or putting your finger on a verse and praying over it.

10. Are you interested in high-flown language while praying or do you just want to talk like a child to the Father ?

Try to use simple but reverential language while talking to God.