Can I tell you a secret? I feel like recently, I’ve just learned how to pray.

It’s been one of my big discoveries of 2013. Learning to pray.

I was raised with the traditional prayers. I know the Lord’s Prayer, Now I lay me down to sleep, and God is Great; God is Good…

But when I had an issue that wasn’t part of a prayer script, I didn’t know what to say. So I just kind of sat there, thinking I was praying because I was trying to pray. But I am not sure that was effective.

And I think that during those times, God heard my needs and desires and he met them. But I wasn’t properly able to give Him the honor and the praise that comes with prayer.

A couple of years ago, two things happened in my life. I heard my friend Kindralyn pray for others one day aloud and I was amazed. I kind of thought that maybe I was in church, because she did it and she did it well.

And she doesn’t know this, but she became my prayer mentor. I secretly enjoyed the opportunities when we would be in community meetings or events and she was about to lead us in prayer. And then I heard Beth Moore talk about how to pray in a video bible study of hers.

So I took notes from the both. When I was in a place of worship, I studied the people who were praying. And I went home and I practiced.

When I practiced, I wore out Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”

Because I was sure I sounded foolish. Until I decided that He was helping my words and my meditation be transformed into authentic prayer. So I continued to practice praying.

And when someone would ask me to pray for them, I would stop right then and pray aloud (or over email if that was the format) and just pray. I will still do that…now I’ll even do it via text message.

Because they need the prayer, and I need the practice.

And I still take notes, even from Kindralyn.

Last weekend, I even had the opportunity to pray on my friend Chrystal’s blog for women who are a part of the Kingdom Woman bible study. And that was powerful. Women from all over were praying for each other. On the blog. Amazing.

So right here, right now, I want to pray for you. If you need the prayer, I can assure you that I need the practice, so let’s do this together.

Leave your prayer request in the comments section, or email me, or tweet me, or Facebook me. I’ll respond to your prayer request in the format you send it.

Let’s pray!