So, there is no rule of the thumb on how long we should pray. Examples of brief prayers abound in the Bible. Moses cried out to the Lord for mercy at a crucial time, and his prayer takes up four verses (Deut. 9:26–29).
Frequent short prayers are of more worth than a few lengthy prayers. Martin Luther (16th century) recommended prayers be numerous but short in duration. The fewer the words the better the prayer.
Fifteen minutes is a reasonable goal for most lay people who are just starting out. Sometimes with lots of distractions a 15-minute prayer time might yield only a few minutes of heartfelt prayer. It might take five minutes just to set aside your other thoughts so that you can begin to focus on God.
Pray as long or as short as you can or need to, but be concise and meaningful in your prayers. Prayer alone is prayer; devotion, reading, Scripture recitation can all help one develop an attitude of prayer but should not substitute for prayer.
Matthew 26:40-45 New Living Translation (NLT)
He said to Peter, “Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father!
“The psalms confirm that we know God's presence at all times only if we set asidecertain times of prayer,” Boers says. The Gospels and Acts refer to praying at the third, sixth, and ninth hours—respectively referring to about three hours after sunrise, noon, and three hours after noon.
The Prophet said: 'No. Take it off. Let everyone pray when they feel fresh and comfortable. When they feel tired, they should sit down.
Similarly, some may take slightly longer or shorter to perform prayers. The recommended 10-15 minutes includes the act of purification (washing) required before prayer. Prayers should take place somewhere that is clean and quiet. In the office, this can be in a prayer room or a dedicated space.
Daily prayer can bless you, your family, and those you pray for. It can also invite more peace into your life, help you learn more about God's plan for you, and more.
Prayer is simply talking to God, and that's something we can do all the time. Remember, God is our loving Heavenly Father, and He wants us to come to Him and talk with Him.
Yet Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Always be joyful and never stop praying.” Never stop praying even when you're weary, disappointed, and disillusioned. Never stop praying even when your words have grown brittle and cold from years of praying. No matter what, keep praying.
According to the Hanafi Fiqh, it's permissible for a Muslim to pray shortened prayer if he plans to stay less than 15 days. Beyond 15 days he is believed to be a resident and should offer the regular fardh rakats.
Silence and solitude are essential aspects of contemplative prayer, a practice of prayer that waits on God and trusts in God's present love and grace. While silence can be especially helpful in becoming attentive to God while praying, it is hardly an excuse to remain aloof from the needs of our neighbors.
Yes, it is certainly okay to pray in silence. If prayer was always to be done out loud then God would speak to us audibly all the time. However, more times than not, He speaks softly within our hearts. Silent prayer can be just as powerful as audible prayer.
In Christian piety, an ejaculation, sometimes known as ejaculatory prayer or aspiration, is "a short prayer, in which the mind is directed to God, on any emergency." “A sigh, a devout aspiration, a holy ejaculation, will oftener pierce the sky, and reach the ear of Omnipotence, than a long set exercise of prayer...”.
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
The prayer of protection. The prayer of transformation. The prayer of restoration.
So, there is no rule of the thumb on how long we should pray. Examples of brief prayers abound in the Bible. Moses cried out to the Lord for mercy at a crucial time, and his prayer takes up four verses (Deut. 9:26–29).
At minimum, this means making time for biblical meditation and prayer twice daily. Psalm 1:1-2 tells us that the person whom God blesses “meditates on his law day and night.” And in Psalm 88:1-2, the psalmist exclaims, “Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out before you.”
Activities that invalidate wudu include urination, defecation, flatulence, deep sleep, light bleeding (depending on madhhab), menstruation, postpartum and sexual intercourse. Wudu is often translated as 'partial ablution', as opposed to ghusl as 'full ablution' where the whole body is washed.
There's an old adage that if you fall asleep while you're saying your prayer, your guardian angel finishes it for you.
Think about the prayer requests you have for others and for yourself. Ask for God's will to come into those needs. If you have a difficult time keeping track of prayer requests, consider using an app to help you remember what to pray for.