Whether you realize it or not, consistency will be a major factor in the quality of your prayer life.  A solid prayer life is just like anything else in life.  You get out of it what you put into it.

When Jesus walked the Earth he gave us a great example for consistency in prayer.  These versus record him getting away so that he could speak to and hear from his father in heaven.

Luke 5:16…But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (NIV)

Mark 1:35…In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. (NAS)

Matthew 14:23…Then he went up on a mountain where he could be alone and pray. Later that evening, he was still there. (CEV)

In order to have a measure of consistency in your prayer life, as modeled by Jesus, it will be essential to choose a quiet place that will allow you at least 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted time.  Some people I know choose the ride to or from work as their prayer time.  While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with this practice, I personally don’t believe that driving a car can be completely free of distraction.  I think it is best to choose a location where you can close a door or choose a location without anyone else being present.  Be as creative as you need to be.

You will also need to choose a time that is going to work best for you.  In my personal experience, the earlier in the day you choose, the more likely you are to participate in the practice of prayer.  It seems for me the longer I wait the more things come up that compete with my need to get away and pray.  It may not be the same for everyone else, but my tendency is to forego prayer because it doesn’t always have immediate and visible results.

Often times when I put off prayer until the end of the day I find myself falling asleep in the middle of prayer.  I quietly lay in bed to spend some time with the Lord only to wake hours later or the next morning and realize that I can’t remember a thing about what I was praying for and my bible is on my chest or has fallen in the floor.

So my practical advice is to choose a time as early in the day as possible.  If mornings just won’t work out for you then try and choose the same time every day and don’t let anything infringe on that time.

Let’s begin today right where you are and ask God to prepare you for this 31 day journey.  You may not be in your ideal space but remember that today is just the first day in a life long journey.  Let your thoughts today wrestle with a time and place to pray.

Sharing this information with someone else may help each of us become more accountable for our actions.  I would encourage you to invite friends and family to take this journey with you.  Share the link to this post with them and be an encouragement for one another over the next month.

In the comments below let us know when and where you have chosen to pray.

Written by Larry Westfall.  Copyright © Finding Wonder 2013.