Almost hate to keep harping at this but, do try a search here on prayer. There is just a tremendous resource that I am sure will be helpful to everyone and anyone.Prayer is a battle often times, maybe most of the time and any number of reasons for that. Sometimes a struggle to start, a struggle to stay, quieting the mind, subduing the flesh, being still, silent even...But even in recent days have found the same as mentioned here. I must be in prayer, upon awakening or forget it. The marked difference as the day progress's, it is sheer foolishness. Will get by alright and the prayer is still 'ceaseless' in the right sense, but the closet is a must, if I neglect that, I have betrayed the Lord His opportunity and my own possibilities of being of any use to Him.But it is not duty. And it is not rote. It is a compelling and a must, a desire and thus far an understanding, even if difficult to express.I know this is towards the question "Do you struggle to pray?" Yes and no would be the reply. Generally it amounts to rebellion and a denying of what the Holy Spirit is calling to. I think we know it deep down inside, the promptings and calm drawing that is never coerced. There are those times when I choose to go ahead and do that which is more pleasing in the moment, to read Scripture or even to come here first and glean or to trick myself into believing that is what I think I am doing. When I know the prompting is to be on my face. We can be quite clever in our choosing even while recognizing or subduing that which we know is there. Still fall into the trap.Mostly though, would say the only method is not one. Just to begin. To ask. Where to go? Where to start? What is the Lords thought? Sometimes it is to read scripture and pray or some bits of a book or devotional, what have you. But always keeping the thoughts towards the Lord and attentive to His leading. To stop where you sense to and just pray silently, drawing out things, people, places, concerns ... It's endless. I just cannot fathom how we could every exhaust our praying. One of the most important is to get the chattering of the mind under control and that takes work. How often do you find yourself going off on a tangent, peaching whole sermons in your head and suddenly realizing that you are not talking to anyone but yourself? I still do it often enough and it will dawn on me, ah here I am bound up in my own thoughts and proscriptions. The difference between 'saying' prayers and praying. Praying to God and actually longing to hear from Him. Here is another, simple request; "I don't want to hear myself" and then be silent. Pouring out your heart without words, groaning in the Spirit.This is a vast topic, no it's is not a topic, it is life and blood and soul and spirit. It is a crushing and an exposure of the innermost substance of ourselves. Nothing is hidden and we know it and feel it and mourn for the sins and the omissions and the displeasing elements to the Lord. There has been times when the Lords hand was so heavy, not even in a necessarily specific item or area that I would have thought there would be nothing left, just dust back to the earth. Sounds extreme but have no other way of expressing it. Groaning for this world and it's inhabitants, bound up in an endless falsehood. For the strife and envy and slanderous, anger, hostility towards God and His creation and His love. For the same things that creep up even here in the members that participate on this forum. For my own folly and foolishness in attempting to hold to just some order and contemplation. And failing by doing the exact same thing.You got me going now... It is immense. It is often a warfare with the very demons of hell though they may be far from your conscience mind. Times when a creeping thought from the pit will attempt to intervene amidst praying, the audacity, it's amazing. Surely that in itself sounds super spiritual but it is so. What is it besides our own flesh that would make us reluctant to pray? Why is it that we really don't believe in it's effectual working and the power inherent that causes us to not do it? The subtle "Oh what's the worth in it?" Not something you would say out loud, but it's there, underneath all the coverings and rationality. If there wasn't something to it, why the struggle?There is also great, tremendous times of unspeakable peace and would say that any combination of all these things is possible. Am finding that the Lord is just as He said He is; Beyond our thoughts and our programmed responses and imaginations. Unpredictable. That is the joy of discovery and anticipation that awaits every moment of true praying.Just touching the tip of the whole thing here.
