Habitual Praying

So last night, I woke up at 1 AM. And after what felt like hours of tossing and turning, I looked at the clock and realized...oh, it's been hours. Two and a half, in fact.
I was very awake, and very uncomfortable, so finally, I got up and logged into my laptop. They say you should never get on a computer or phone in the middle of the night when you can't fall asleep, but at that point, I really didn't care.
You know why you shouldn't? Because the bright screen wakes up your brain. It takes roughly thirty minutes before you can fall asleep, so they say.
Tried and true.
I was awake for a good while after I shut down my laptop. This time, though,  I wasn't counting the seconds as they ticked by, and the night seemed thoughtful. I started thinking about friends that I see only occasionally, and then about old friends that I hardly ever see anymore. And all of a sudden, I realized that I was praying as I thought about these amazing people.
I try to set aside time to pray intentionally for specific people every day. But you can never pray enough, and last night, I prayed for my friends until I fell asleep.
Paul says that we should pray without ceasing, and while that might be hard to get into the habit of, it's easier than you think.
A huge tip that really helped me get into the habit of praying all the time was being aware.
Being aware of where you are, what time it is, what you're doing. Learn to associate different things with praying, so that they remind you.
My wonderful friend Alyssa always says that we should take every opportunity of being alone to pray. So be aware of when you're alone. Like driving alone in the car. I live at least thirty minutes away from pretty much everything, so that's thirty minutes that I can pray.
Another good tip to praying constantly is thinking of prayer as on-going. It doesn't end when you say amen. As you go about the day, or lay down, or whatever you do, continue praying with the "And God," prayer. Just add on whatever comes to your mind. Don't end it. Let it keep going.
I also like to devote different places/times to praying about specific things. Like in the morning, I like to pray about the upcoming day, events that will be occurring in the near future, and anything I'm anxious about.
I pray for my family and friends while I do laundry, during the morning and afternoon.
That time in the car is usually devoted to praying specifically for the man I might marry someday. Ladies, it's never too early to be praying for your man; not just that God will lead the right one to you, but also for him. That he's also in prayer, walking with God and learning, and that he has wisdom and confidence in his decisions.

Prayer should be like breathing. Something that is natural, and something we couldn't live without. When you pray, you are talking to Jesus, and growing in unity with the Spirit. It is so, so important to growth as a Christ-follower. And after you pray...listen. That's when God talks to you.

I hope this encouraged you. Keep praying, my friends.

-Tessa