Prayer can help in many situations – especially when you’re at rock bottom and need a change in your life. I should know – I’m a licensed clinical social worker specializing in drug abuse prevention. And I’m a recovering addict myself. I’ve used the lessons I’ve learned both personally and professionally to write my forthcoming book, Life Lessons from Rock Bottom.

In it, you’ll find some of the tips I share with my clients, as well as many other tips on stress management, positivity, and most importantly – prayer. Let’s dig right in:

  • Start small. If you’re not used to praying every day, it’s okay to start small. In fact, some people find it overwhelming to pray for a long time, even if they’ve been doing it for years. Try starting with a one-sentence prayer and then another, and gradually it will become a natural part of your day.
  • Schedule a time to pray. As with everything in life, obstacles can get in the way. So, it’s important you can find a quiet place to pray. Find a time and a place that’s away from the distractions of everyday life.
  • Create a spiritual environment. When praying, go somewhere that’s relaxing and has positive energy. Get as far away from outside noises as you can so you can really focus in on your thoughts.
  • Pray at the same time each day. If you’ve found that mornings work better for you, great! Or, perhaps you’d rather pray at the end of the day. Either way, try to be consistent.
  • Pray out loud. Speaking out loud can help to form more intelligent thoughts and sentences, whereas praying in your mind may make your mind drift off to all kinds of different thoughts. Try praying out loud to better focus your thoughts.
  • Keep a prayer journal. There’s no perfect way to do this – some choose to write down certain things they’ve prayed for, while others prefer to write down the entire prayer. Try both and see which works best for you. If you’d like, you can even return to the journal and write down the times your prayers have been answered.
  • Make a prayer list. We tend to get so immersed in prayer that it’s easy to forget who or what we want to pray with. If you find this happening to you, make a list – it’s okay to reference it as you’re praying.
  • Be patient. One of the hardest things for “newbies” is to have patience. This means patience in learning how to best pray, as well as patience when getting prayers answered – it’s not something that can just happen overnight. Keep at it, and you could be amazed at the results.

Implementing even just a few of these tips into your lifestyle can make a big impact and can go a long way toward helping you add prayer to your everyday life.

About the Author:

Angela Weber’s a licensed clinical social worker specializing in addiction recovery and writing her first book – Life Lessons from Rock Bottom based on personal and professional observations from the past 20 years of her life.