In times like these, we should be drawn to prayer even more than before. However, sometimes the idea and the reality seem worlds apart and we can be discouraged in our prayers, even feeling like they are pointless.

If that sounds like you, here are four things you can do when you need to rediscover that prayers really are full of power and purpose.

Ask yourself whether the issue lies with the request or the outcome
Do you feel as though you're asking God for something silly - "Lord, I pray that my team wins this game"? Or for something that's more akin to a miracle - "Lord, I pray that my friend recovers from this serious illness"? As you've probably already guessed, pleading with God to determine the outcome of relatively insignificant events in our favour is a pointless use of prayer. But asking Him to help us or those we love in serious circumstances is never pointless, no matter how impossible a positive result may appear to be.

It's necessary for us to understand whether the problem lies with the request or the outcome as it enables us to effectively address the issues we have with prayer. With regards to the more serious stuff, just because issues are too big for us to fix, doesn't mean they're too big for God.

Evaluate how you're praying
It's not just the words we say but how we say them. Does your prayer more closely resemble a quiet, unconfident mumble or a faith-affirming, convicted chorus? We know when we're not giving something our all. It doesn't matter what our prayers look or sound like from the outside, it's what's in our heart that matters. However, if our hearts are crying out to God, then this is likely to be reflected somewhat in our external delivery.

God isn't a stranger, we don't need to put a guard up when we talk to Him and we don't need to question our legitimacy to raise our voice, repeat ourselves or release our emotions. The point of petition prayers is to be honest with God, to let Him know our heart's desire and to have faith that He will respond. 

Take your time
There are occasions when we're only prepared to spend a few moments of our time reeling off our requests to God but we expect Him to respond with almost immediate effect. If the outcome that we're praying for is that precious, then we need to make it clear by devoting as much of our precious time to prayer as possible. God might not get back to us straight away, but that doesn't mean we should give up on Him or stop believing in the power of prayer. It actually gives us plenty of time to return to Him with our request.

Study prayers of the past
The Bible is full of prayers for us to learn from. God's people's pleas and praises are recorded so that we can learn how to communicate with Him, that He hears and that He responds. Whether you're a prayer veteran, a first timer or somewhere in between, going back to the Bible before you pray to specifically study prayers of the past can help you find the point in your own. And if you're concerned about your style, you'll be reassured by the various ways that biblical figures worded and delivered theirs.