Let’s be real: life moves fast. Between work, family obligations, and everyday distractions, carving out time for prayer can be an uphill battle. However, as Oneness Pentecostals, we know this world is not our home. We’re called to something deeper. Prayer isn’t just a part of some spiritual checklist your pastor hands out. It’s the lifeline that anchors you when everything else feels uncertain. It’s how you stay connected to God.
Prayer is more than just a spiritual discipline; it’s a lifestyle. For Apostolic believers, prayer is not optional. It is as essential as the air that we breathe. But let’s be honest, there are seasons when prayer feels like a struggle. Maybe you’re distracted, discouraged, or unsure how to begin. If that’s you… you’re not alone. We should all desire to strengthen our prayer life.
Just like there’s no such thing as having too much money, too much joy, or feeling too healthy—there’s no such thing as being too connected to God. No matter where you are in your walk with Him, there’s always room to strengthen your prayer life. And the best part? It’s never too late to go deeper.
Even the fitness world agrees: the best time to start is now. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is filled with good intentions. But today—right now—is the moment to push aside distractions and become the person of prayer God desires you to be.
Just as Nike’s iconic slogan reminds us, we should all “Just do it.”
The Privilege of Prayer
It is a privilege to pray.
One of the most meaningful books on prayer is When Ye Pray by Joy Haney, which is filled with personal stories and biblical insights from an Apostolic perspective. In her book, Haney shares a testimony of a woman who, overwhelmed and worried about her husband’s safety, fell to her knees and prayed. Unbeknownst to her, as she was praying, the Spirit of God stirred someone across town to intervene in her husband’s situation. Haney wrote:
“A simple heartfelt prayer was cried in desperation and God heard. He does care and answer prayer.”
Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated. Haney reminds us that God moves in response to sincerity and importunity. She references Jesus’ parable of the persistent friend in Luke 11:8:
“Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”
She adds:
“Even when things look impossible, don’t give up… Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and ye shall find.”
This is the essence of prayer. It’s a simple, honest, persistent conversation with God. It doesn’t have to be poetic; it just has to be real.
Dr. David K. Bernard, General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), echoes this understanding, defining prayer as a relational and transformative act that aligns our hearts with God’s will rather than trying to change His mind. Bishop Bernard emphasizes that prayer should include:
- Worship
- Submission
- Dependence
- Repentance
- Spiritual protection
- Thanksgiving
At its core, prayer is about a sincere connection with God that changes us, draws us closer to Him, and empowers us to live out His divine purpose.
Psalm 27:8 (NLT) captures the beauty of this invitation from God:
“My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
As you begin to make prayer a priority, the more you will hear God’s voice, drawing you deeper and closer to Him.
Challenge: Schedule a time this week to pray outside your usual routine.
The Power of a Pattern
The Word of God contains many patterns of prayer that help align us with Him. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to approach God as our Father and source, to worship Him, pray for His will, trust Him for provision, walk in forgiveness, ask for deliverance, and pursue His glory.
Anita Sargent describes this model in her book Pray Through the Prayer House: Utilizing the Lord’s Prayer to Pray.
Another biblical pattern is praying through the Tabernacle. G.A. Mangun modeled this in his life, and his son, Bishop Anthony Mangun, teaches this transformative method in his book Heaven to Earth. Beginning at the altar of repentance and ending in the Holy of Holies, this pattern takes us from humility to divine intimacy.
The Tabernacle prayer isn’t just a symbolic prayer, but a spiritual strategy. Each station represents a step closer to God’s heart: from the Brazen Altar, where we die daily to self, to the Laver, where we are washed by the Word, to the Table of Showbread, where we are fed with fresh revelation, and finally to the Ark of the Covenant, where God’s glory descends. This is where the miraculous is birthed.
Psalm 65:4 declares,
“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee.”
The Hebrew word for “blessed” is esher, an interjection meaning “how happy!” How happy is the one who gets to come into the presence of the Almighty!
Radical Prayer Produces Radical Results
In his book Radically Apostolic, Rev. Charles Robinette writes:
“Radically apostolic prayer seeds the natural and spiritual atmosphere with the creative power of God’s spoken word and Spirit.”
“Radically apostolic prayer is not scripted. It isn’t pretty prayer or professional prayer. It’s not a crowd-pleasing prayer. God-inspired prayer moves mountains and dispatches heavenly forces into spiritual warfare.”
“It’s not about where you start. It’s about being carried into a situation from God’s vantage point.”
Robinette recounts how ten days of sacrificial prayer and fasting led to an outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Belgium. Sixty people were baptized in Jesus’ name, and even the translator, who wasn’t a church member, was filled with the Spirit while interpreting the message. He writes:
“This type of prayer reshapes the atmosphere, breaks through strongholds, and triggers miraculous
outpourings of the Spirit.”
“Radically apostolic prayer is the kind of prayer that shakes nations.”
Radical prayer isn’t trendy—it’s costly. It’s waking up in the middle of the night because the Spirit stirred you. It’s groaning in intercession when words fail. The miraculous is not found in convenience. It is born in the quiet places of consecration, where flesh (our selfish human nature) is crucified and we become more like Jesus.
Consistency Is Key
If you’ve ever asked how to develop a consistent prayer life, the answer isn’t found in perfection—it’s found in persistence. The most significant component of a stronger prayer life is consistency.
Ken Gurley shares his journey in The Book on Prayer, where he was determined to practice and live a prayerful life. He writes that prayer is both easy and hard. It is simple in form, yet difficult in follow-through.
Gurley describes a pattern of effective prayer that mirrors Elijah’s showdown at Mount Carmel. First came repentance; then the offering; the claim of God’s promise, which was made possible by bold faith; and finally, an unwavering expectation. The fire didn’t fall because of eloquence. It fell because Elijah was in alignment with God.
Consistency doesn’t mean you’ll always feel goosebumps. Some of the most potent prayer moments happen when there’s no music, crowd, or immediate answer—just faith that God will honor your consistency.
Inspired by a Legacy of Prayer
You can find inspiration for your own prayer life by reading about those who’ve lived a strong, effective, and consistent prayer life. Many of the biographies offered by Pentecostal Publishing House describe the lifestyle of prayer godly pioneers modeled for us. They decided that nothing was more important than God and His purpose in their lives. These weren’t perfect people; they were consistent people. And that’s what God honors.
Joy Haney reminds us in When Ye Pray that God stores our prayers in golden vials (Revelation 5:8). He treasures our whispered repentance, midnight groans, and morning worship. Every prayer counts—every word matters.
A Life That Looks Like Prayer
We don’t want to be Christians who just talk about prayer, but believers who live it out. Prayer should shape how we think, talk, and treat others. It should be the thermostat of our homes, the language of our hearts, and our first response in every crisis.
Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17–19 is a blueprint:
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation… that ye may know what is the hope of His calling… and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe.”
The Miraculous Follows the Sacrificial
We want to see miracles. We want to see prodigals return, cancers healed, churches revived, and cities turned upside down. And sacrifice positions our minds and hearts in a place to be in tune with God’s will—a place where the miraculous happens.
The early church didn’t just talk about revival, they lived it. And, not coincidentally, they modeled sacrifice.
God still honors sacrifice, responds to consistency, and moves through people who make their lives an altar.
A Call to Action
It starts with determination. A decision. A desire.
Make prayer the center of your day, not just in the margins at the beginning or end of it. Set aside a specific time for daily prayer and Bible study. Train your ears to hear God’s voice throughout your day. Find moments to speak with Him. Pray boldly. As you take these steps, watch as your life begins to align with God.
These powerful tools will teach you how to develop a consistent prayer life:
- When Ye Pray by Joy Haney
- Blessed by Ken Gurley
- Blessed: A Ninety Day Prayer Journal by Ken Gurley
- The Book on Prayer by Ken Gurley
- Heaven to Earth by Anthony Mangun
- Radically Apostolic by Charles Robinette
The time to draw closer to Him is now. Don’t overthink it. Don’t overcomplicate it. Just do it!