One of the reasons that many people who want to develop a powerful prayer life do not succeed, is that they simply don’t know how to, or they incorrectly believe that people who pray have a special calling.
You might be saying, “But Tommy, we have different gifts, and not everyone can do everything.” Yes, I agree. Not everyone can do everything. But everyone can eat, breathe and drink. That is not something you learn! There certainly isn’t one person who has the gift of breathing, while someone else has the give of eating, right?! That’s because these are basic functions that are in all humans and they work on their own. When a child is born, he breathes and eats without anyone teaching him to.
It is the same way with prayer. It is a basic function that everyone has. You are created to eat and to breathe, but you are also created to speak with God. That is why there is no excuse or reason for you to not start to pray. This behavior, being someone who prays, is in your genes.
But in the same way that a small child goes from drinking a bottle to eating with their fingers to then being able to feed themselves a large dinner with different kinds of foods, you may also have to start praying at a stage where half of your dinner ends up on your bib! But then after several years you will be able to sit at the fanciest of tables, no longer having to concentrate on when to use a knife or a spoon; you simply eat. It doesn’t matter whether you are on the train, in your bedroom, at work or anywhere else. You just close your eyes, and right away you are before the throne, praying and speaking with God.
