We all know that we should pray more.

Prayer is the privilege of relationship with our loving sovereign God, who loves to hear the requests of His children. But so often it becomes a task to endure which I am sure is because it is a spiritual battle. So we look for mechanisms to help.

Because I so easily get distracted in prayer, particularly when praying for an extended period, I now take opportunities throughout the day to pray short prayers. I link things I do with people and events to pray for. There are streets I regularly drive on that remind me to pray for people I have selected. There are events that I am part of that remind to pray. There are things I see that remind me to pray. I do this intentionally so that I don't forget to pray.

But there are also the unallocated people to pray for. When I do something, go somewhere, smell something my mind often recalls people from my past that were associated with these things. I think that remembering the past is God's way of reminding me to pray for these people.

It is surprising how often it is that I pray for someone from the past, and then shortly after see them again!

Praying this way keeps prayer happening in a way I seem to manage well.

Using an electronic diary

One new thing I have just begun doing now that I have an electronic diary is to look at the things I had on the same date last year.

As I do this, I can see how much has happened and how God has so often worked in these things over the past year. So my prayers can then turn even more to praise.

Since commencing this a couple of weeks ago I have noticed how pleasurable it is to recall and thank God for his work in my life and the world, and how easy it is to only think about what hasn't happened rather than on what God has accomplished.

Nonetheless, as the Scripture says prayer is always going to be a big battle, as we war not against flesh and blood, so I just need to keep on going, knowing God uses and blesses our prayers.