How many times you should pray isn’t recorded in the Bible. It’s an individual choice that should be continuous. However, it is recommended to be a daily activity.
Christians sometimes wonder if they are praying less or too much and wonder again if something is wrong with their prayer pattern; Thinking that might cause them not to see answers from God.
Here I will share some insightful knowledge with you to get rid of the confusion about the number of times you should pray. Christians haven’t been commanded to pray 5 times a day like Muslims. There is nothing like that in the Bible. The command simply says pray without ceasing, pray so that you don’t fall into temptation…
King David was a prayer ‘machine’ who used to pray and praise the Lord daily. Christians today must also pray daily without any excuse. David wasn’t lazy in terms of communicating with God. He is one of my favorite characters in the Bible when talking about prayers. I have learned a lot from his prayer lifestyle. Listen to what he once said:
“Seven times a day, I praise you, because of your righteous ordinances.” —Psalm 119:164
Think about it; King David used to praise the Lord seven times a day. He was a devout man of God we must learn from. Prayer is one of the powerful weapons God has given us to use in our daily lives. Often, I encourage faithful believers to fan the flame of the Holy Spirit within them through regular prayers. There is an invisible battle going on. Ephesians 6 calls it spiritual warfare.
This war never ends… It is 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You will then agree with me that Christians must pray every day. This is not a suggestion or an opinion but from the Holy Bible.
“With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
The Bible verse above says “praying at all times.” Meaning it is something that has to be continuous. There is no specific time designed for Christians to pray. Again, there is no particular place or designated place for Christians to pray.
God is Omnipresent. Meaning He is everywhere. If God is available in any place at any time —then at any time or any day we can pray.
Usually, I pray early in the morning, and again say short prayers before I handle any task throughout the day. Even before I eat, I have to pray. In the evening I pray and sometimes pray at midnight. It’s hard to keep up with that but I try my best to be prayerful because there is too much darkness in this world. So I have to keep the light and fire within me ablaze always.
The Israelites Pray Three Times
Looking at the Old Testament, we can understand that the Jews worshiped in their temples or prayed 3 times a day. Daniel made prayer part of his life.
And the Bible accounted that he prayed 3 times a day.
“… and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.” (Daniel 6:10)
This is the custom of the Jews and Daniel was faithful to his payer pattern. One particular or important time they used to pray is the ninth hour which is also known as 3:00 pm. It is believed to be a divine hour.
“Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.” (Acts 3:1)
How Many Times Should Christians Pray?
There is no particular number of times a Christian should pray. At least once or twice a day. You must be prayerful. Irrespective of where you are or what the time is —you have to pray.
Pray at all times on every occasion. I know sometimes it feels boring to say some prayers. But hey! Cheer up. Get up on your feet and talk to God.
You can talk to Him when you are about to sleep, at midnight, in the morning, when you are about to have your breakfast, go to work, travel, use any material on your body (the temple of God), etc
The flesh may feel weak, but we still have to pray. Jesus told his 3 disciples (Peter, James, and John) that the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
God is Spirit so we must approach Him in spirit through prayers and other spiritual practices such as fasting.
There is no specific time God instructs his children to pray. He is not affected by time or space. As long as you have breath in you —pray.
In the book of 1st Thessalonians 5:17, it says “pray without ceasing.”
This is a command for everyone who is a child of God. In the morning, afternoon, evening, night, dawn, or whatever hour you find yourself —you can pray.
Prayer has many spiritual benefits that reflect in our natural lives on Earth. It’s a powerful spiritual food. Why would you then starve your spirit? Send your request to the Lord at all times. Have faith and patience and He will answer you. Whatever you need from the Lord —tell Him through prayers.
Discipline Your Prayer Time
You can set a particular time to pray to God. This shows how serious you want to have a relationship with Him. A Father/Friend who loves to hear from us is always waiting for our prayers.
Many faithful Christians set particular times to pray to God. For instance, getting yourself acquainted with your morning devotion or “Quite Times,” helps in your spiritual growth.
It is up to you to set the time. Maybe you can arrange to do your morning devotion at 5:30 am every day. Be committed to it. Let it be part of your daily activities.
At least spend some 15 to 30 minutes with God before you go on with your job or normal activities.
At the end of the day, make sure you have talked to your Maker through prayers. Don’t be lazy. Because without prayers you will always fall into temptation. And the saddest part is —it will wreak havoc on your life because you never called on God for protection.
Finally, praying to God doesn’t mean He will give you an instant answer. Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers for various reasons. But He always has better plans. The Bible has explained a few of them. “My thoughts are not your thoughts” the Lord says (Isaiah 55:8 – 9)
If your prayers meet God’s will —then surely the answer will come quickly. Let a greater part of your prayers give glory to the Lord. Exalt His name like how David walked with the Lord.
The Lord’s prayer says “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” His will for you is perfect. Seek it and you will never be ashamed or disappointed. I believe it is time to say some prayers.
What Time Should Christians Pray? Is It Necessary?
Christians should know that there is no command about a particular time for prayers. Because time and space do not affect God. He is always available to hear our prayers.
God delights in hearing from us any moment. Pray in the morning, afternoon, and night and this will even strengthen your spirit and the relationship between you and the Lord. He is Omnipotent and so sees all things.
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