32 Things I've Learned About Prayer

Ryan Patrick Murphy
June 26, 2026

Yesterday, I turned 32 years old.

One of my favorite things about many heroes of prayer is the way that they are able to capture the depth of wisdom of a life lived with God in short, pithy quotes. While I do not claim to have the expertise of a prayer hero — I am just a beginner in learning how to pray — I thought I would offer 32 things I have learned about prayer to celebrate my 32nd birthday. I hope they provoke thoughtfulness and inspire you to engage with God today!

(Also, long-time readers may remember that I attempted a similar feat last year. On purpose, I did not re-read it to prevent accidental copying, so any crossover is accidental.)

Here we go:

Prayer is as simple as talking to God and hearing him talk back.
Starting a prayer life is as simple as falling in love.
Sustaining a prayer life is as simple as staying in love.
The greatest enemy to a prayer life is not lack of time, but lack of prioritization.
It can be really helpful to set a timer to help bring focus to prayer.
There are times to shout in tongues, and there are times to listen to God as quietly as we can. A holistic prayer life requires lots of ways of talking to God.
Prayer can be as simple as saying thank you.
Prayer can be as simple as saying “I love you.”
The psalms are some of the best springboards for a conversation with God. All we need to pray is an open psalm and some time.
Building a prayer life is rarely about one giant decision to pray and more about a thousand little decisions to keep going when we have fallen off track.
Fasting makes prayer easier.
God is rarely quiet; he is usually just speaking in a way that I am not used to.
God never gets tired of saying “I love you.”
Time with God is never wasted.
Nothing restores longing in my heart for God like fasting.
Praying the apostolic prayers of Paul are the best way to be discipled in a life of intercession (Ephesians 1:17-19, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, Romans 15:5-6 & 13, 2 Thessalonians 3:1).
Fiery group intercessory prayer meetings are simultaneously the heartbeat and the engine room of the local church. A local church is never stronger than her prayer meetings.
God’s preferred method of movement is waiting until we ask him to, because he loves partnership.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
A regular discipline of praying in tongues is the best way to cultivate spiritual discernment.
Having multiple times of prayer scheduled throughout the day is better than one.
“If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in the last place the remainder of the day." -EM Bounds
The greatest and most worthy goal to have in life is to grow in the knowledge of God.
We are great at setting exterior goals, but we are in desperate need to grow our interior life with God.
It is impossible to have a healthy prayer life without also having a healthy emotional life.
Perseverance is more important than discipline when building a prayer life.
Shame and guilt never work as the foundation of a prayer life; a prayer life must be built on desire, love, and delight.
God’s voice is always the kindest voice in the room.
If you give God time, he will use it.
Reading the prayer lives of the greats (from the Apostle Paul to Augustine to Julian of Norwich to Teresa of Avila to John of the Cross to Madame Guyon to Rees Howells to Charles Finney) reveals a wildly consistent experience of God across time, language, and tradition that creates faith that anyone can experience the wild reality of encounter with the living God.
“Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.” -James 5:17-18, NRSVUE
Nothing can satisfy the human heart like God.

Best,
Ryan