Do you pray every day? Most readers of this article probably do, or at least they make a real attempt to do so. However, praying daily means we run the risk of our prayers becoming repetitious. In other words, our prayers may lack spontaneity and unwittingly become something like a stuck record.

Avoid Repetition

Jesus Christ warned against using vain repetition by saying, "When you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8 New King James throughout).

There are several ways to avoid repetition and add spice to our prayer life. First, Jesus instructed us to begin our prayers by addressing God as Father, "Our Father in heaven" (Matt. 6:9). But to add spice to our prayers, try using other names used in Scripture to identify God. For example, terms such as "Our God," "Eternal," "Yahweh," "Almighty God," "El Shaddai," "Creator," "Designer," "Lawgiver," "Provider," or "Holy, Mighty Majesty" could help us focus on different aspects of God's character and holiness.

Occasionally, we can direct our prayers to Jesus Christ, who sits at the Father's right hand and intercedes for us. Remember, He is our elder brother and Savior, and He wants to hear from us too.

To break from our regular routine of prayer, perhaps we could change how we pray. For example, if we normally pray with our heads bowed, why not look up to heaven instead? Perhaps we could pray with our arms outstretched to God if we find we don't usually do so (1 Timothy 2:8).

JOY

Another way to add spice to our prayer life is to remember the acronym JOY: Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last. You may choose to spend one whole prayer session doing nothing but praising God by reading Psalm 150 on your knees. Perhaps, spend this time thanking God for everything in your life while asking nothing of Him. The point is that there are numerous ways to add spice to your prayers.

Selfish Prayers

Remember to avoid praying only about your own needs. This approach will make your prayers bland and unproductive. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). The following example is of someone "asking amiss."

Once upon a time there was a family whose son left home for college. The family waited anxiously for the first letter from their son. One week passed, then two, then three. Finally, after four weeks, a letter arrived. The young man's father excitedly opened the envelope to find a note with only six words: "NO FUN. SEND MON. YOUR SON."

A week later, the son received a reply from home. He quickly opened the envelope with great expectation. What did he find? A note that said: "TOO BAD. SO SAD. YOUR DAD."

What's the point of this humorous story? Simply that prayers, if they are to be effective, must not be self-centered; they must be seasoned with the spice of love--love for God and our fellow man.

Wholesome Prayer

Wholesome prayer is the process of learning to reason with God. Reasoning with God is not negotiating with Him, or trying to get Him to do our will. Instead, it is sharing our deepest thoughts in an open and honest manner. In Isaiah 1:18 we read, "Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord." Abraham did, and nearly saved Sodom from extinction (Genesis 18). Moses' prayer saved Israel from annihilation (Exodus 32:7-14). Hezekiah was granted 15 more years of life after reasoning with God concerning his particular situation (2 Kings 20:1-6).

In Psalm 30:8-9, King David prayed, "I cried out to you, O Lord; and to the Lord I made supplication: What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare your truth?"

The Bible is filled with examples of people who were bold, yet not self-absorbed in their prayer life. At times, in fact, prayer has saved the lives of thousands of people. In each case their prayers were focused, yet respectful.

Prayer is an extremely important part of our lives, but praying daily can become routine. "Variety is the very spice of life," wrote William Cowper. Let's use these principles of effective prayer to spice up our prayers.