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What if all you needed to experience God was 5 minutes?
According to Fox News, patients are experiencing significant relief from pain and anxiety after just 5 minutes of prayer with those in-person. While spiritual disciplines should never be capped or contained to the minimum time spent with God, a recent study led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine aims to show the effectiveness of direct prayer, no matter how long participants pray.
As revealed through a randomized controlled trial of 180 adult patients, the effects of direct prayer have been compared to those of listening to music. As noted by the study, prayer has provided greater and more significant relief for anxiety and pain than music.
“Prayer is powerful and beneficial on many levels,” Jesse Bradley, pastor of Grace Community Church in Washington, told Fox News Digital.
If this is true, here are 4 simple daily habits that may help you pray more and reduce stress, anxiety, and pain as a result:
1. Set a Daily Schedule
One of the most effective ways to receive the value of prayer is by making it a consistent part of our routines. While it’s true that God is always listening and we can talk to Him any time, setting a daily schedule for prayer, such as setting a consistent time to talk to God in the morning or evening, builds the foundation for deeper intimacy with Him. Just as we schedule appointments and breaks, try adding prayer to your calendar.
Author Sarah Forgrave, who’s written two leading books on prayer, explains that three traditional daily times work for her: upon waking up, after reading the Bible, and when she goes to bed.
“Before my feet hit the floor or I reach for my phone, I linger in bed for a few minutes and pray through the day ahead,” said Forgrave.
Focus, a leading Catholic missionary group, adds that creating prayer as a routine doesn’t have to be chaotic and stressful. Starting with just five or ten minutes a day, one can increase time as the habit becomes more natural.
“Prayer is not just an action; it’s the source of strength and clarity. Daily prayer reminds us of our identity as God’s children and enriches our lives with Christ’s Spirit.”
2. Pray Without Distraction
It sounds simple, but one of the most challenging parts of maintaining a consistent prayer life is shutting out the noise and learning to focus. And this is why focusing on just a few minutes of prayer can be so powerful! You might not be able to have 30 minutes or an hour of solitude, but can you wake up five minutes early and sit in the fold of your prayer closet? Can you create a small area in your home as a prayer corner? Can you commit to setting the alarm early?
Praying without distraction might mean using a physical Bible, not checking your phone until you’ve read Scripture, or physically putting yourself in a different environment from your devices. Keeping a “Brain Dump” notepad in your prayer room can also help. Before prayer, write down your worries and concerns. Or, while praying, if concerns arise, write them down, and then immediately return to prayer.
According to the Gospel Coalition, there are many ways to fight distraction, but praying with purpose can top the list. Author, pastor, and apologist for the Christian faith, Gavin Ortlund, says it this way:
“Distraction flourishes with the amorphous, the ambiguous, the underdefined. I find it helps me maintain focus if I structure my prayer time in specific ways. For instance, I might structure a prayer around one particular aspect of God’s character. “Lord, today I have seen your faithfulness through. . . .” Or I might focus on a particular area of need: “Father, lately my heart has been cold because. . . .” It’s hard to drift off when there’s a theme or some kind of orienting structure to the prayer.”