"And after He had dismissed the crowds,

He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray."

- Matthew 14:23

As Pastor Erik pointed out in his sermon last Sunday, "We see clearly Jesus loved the people. The crowds, the disciples. He loved them. But there came time when Jesus knew He needed to grab time to worship His Father alone. To pray. To commune. To grab holy nutrition."

And then the gut grabber: "If Jesus needed time alone with God the Father, do you think you and I do?"

I do. You do. We do. We need time alone with God. But doesn't it also sound a little overwhelming at times? I mean, two minutes praying, no big deal. Ten? 30? An hour or two? What? What would that even look like?

Well, before we jump too far ahead of ourselves and totally throw you into the depths of prayer despair, I wanted you to see this article that helps give you a practical in-road into prayer. As author, Marshal Segal, writes, "We will not do anything of any real and lasting value without God, which means we will not do anything of any real and lasting value without prayer."

And yet: "you probably feel as insecure about your prayer life as you feel about anything. Prayer might be, at the same time, the most pivotal and most puzzling activity in the Christian life."

So, how do you begin? Well, you should probably just click over to the full article right now, but in case you're intrigued at some of the bullet points, here are the seven ways to grow in your time alone with God:

1. Pick a time and a place. (anytime, anywhere! But try to make it consistent)
2. Listen before you speak. (start by reading God’s Word – let it shape your prayer)
3. Prioritize spiritual over circumstantial. (pray the big things, then the physical/circumstantial things)
4. Don’t be afraid to stop and pray now. (plan ahead, but also pray when it is needed)
5. Identify prayer circles (people in your life and people you’re trying to reach)
6. Ask whatever you wish – literally anything. (more than you ask or imagine)
7. Be willing to ask one more time. (God wants us to keep asking).

Intrigued and ready to power-up your prayer life? Head over to Marshall Segal's "Prayer for Beginners" at www.desiringGod.com  to fully understand each point and take those important next steps in prayer.