The Missing Half: Why Your Prayers Feel One-Sided and What to Do About Itনমুনা

We've discussed prayer as a dialogue - both talking to God and listening to Him. Today, I want to address something crucial that could make or break your prayer life: the importance of community in prayer.

We live in a radically individualistic culture that teaches us to trust ourselves, believe in ourselves, depend on ourselves, and do everything by ourselves. But this runs entirely counter to the wisdom of God's Word.

Jeremiah 17:9 CSB tells us, "The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?" If that's true, then "trust yourself" and "be independent" sound like dangerous advice.

Here's what I know about you: whether you're introverted or extroverted, whether you prefer being in front of people or being alone, we are all incredibly skilled at deceiving ourselves.

When you're praying and asking what God is speaking about, don't answer that question completely alone. I'm not saying you should never pray alone, but don't seek to follow Jesus alone.

Bring what you sense God is saying to other believers and ask, "What do you think? Does this sound like God, or does this sound like my flesh? Does this align with Scripture or with the ways of this world?"

If we could bring the apostles Peter, Paul, and Mary from the first century into the twenty-first century, one thing that would blow their minds is how we try to follow Jesus by ourselves—how we pray so much alone, read and interpret the Bible alone, and say, "I don't need the church or other people."

Prayer is not just an individual activity. It's part of our life with God as a community. Real dialogue with God often occurs in dialogue with one another.

So here are three practical next steps to move from monologue to dialogue with God:

First, experiment with the PRAY acronym. If you're newer to prayer or need more structure, try this out. If you journal, write P-R-A-Y down the side, then write your prayers. If you're a walker, remember PRAY as you go. If you're driving to work, put a sticky note by your speedometer as a reminder.

Second, identify one way you can add silence to your daily rhythm. Maybe it's retreating to a quiet place in your house. Perhaps it's as simple as eating one meal outside without devices. What if you left your phone behind during certain activities?

Third, lean into the community around you as you learn to listen. Find people you trust who are also trying to follow Jesus. Share with them what you think you're hearing from God.

The goal of everything we've talked about isn't just to learn about prayer—it's to pray. It's about moving from studying dialogue with God to having a dialogue with God.

You serve a God who doesn't just want to hear from you—He wants to speak to you. He longs for honest conversation, not just your monologue. He's not waiting for you to get your life perfect or your theology exactly right. He's waiting for you to engage with Him in the beautiful, messy, life-changing conversation called prayer.

Start today. Start simple. Use structure if you need it, create silence where you can, and invite others into the journey with you.

Your prayer life is about to become something far richer than you've ever experienced. Not because you're doing it perfectly, but because you're moving into the dialogue God has always wanted to have with you.

Want to go deeper on this topic? Check out my complimentary resource called "The Listening Guide: 10 Practical Ways to Create Sacred Silence.” I look forward to sharing practical steps you can take to transform your prayer from monologue to dialogue.