Hopefully one of our goals for 2015 is to be more consistent and persistent in prayer. But just like exercising our physical muscles, we could benefit from a coach in helping us exercise our spiritual muscles. James Nicodem is here to help.

Pastor Nicodem returns to Connecting Faith to talk about the principles in his book Prayer Coach, and guides us through practical, attainable plans to engage our prayer life in a fresh, new way. It’s encouragement to get off of the sidelines and get engaged in prayer for the New Year. Here’s where that conversation takes us:

At its heart, what is the purpose of prayer? Pastor Nicodem says we need to pray for the sake of our relationship with God. It’s a way to deepen that relationship and meet with God.

What about praying scripture? Are we called to pray God’s Word? And what are the potential spiritual implications if we do?

Why is it important that we have a plan for our prayer life? If we don’t intentionally lay out a route to success, we’re setting ourselves up to be ineffective.

If we’re setting out to frame a plan for prayer, Pastor Nicodem offers two helpful pieces of advice. First, set aside a time when you’ll pray. Then, start keeping lists of praise items and items for which you’d like to pray.

It can be very easy to neglect the praise and thanksgiving elements of our prayer lives, but we hear that those items are essential. Confessing our failings is also key.

It’s undeniable that God knows all of our needs before we communicate them, so what does His call for persistent prayer teach us?

When God responds to our prayers, He answers in one of three ways:

•  No
•  Slow
•  Grow

Learn more about Pastor Nicodem’s Christ Community Church here.

Highlight: CHAT

Principles of prayer