Episode 73: Creating a Prayer Routine with Natalie Bogle

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There is not one exact way to pray. We all have different personalities, needs, schedules, and above all, our relationship with our Heavenly Parents is unique. The one thing we all having in common is that we are children of loving Parents who want to speak to us and guide us to become exactly who They created us to be. This is why creating a prayer routine that works for us is so imperative.

Those differences in us also offer the opportunity to learn from one another. I have been able to learn a lot from a friend of mine, Natalie Bogle. She is a wife, busy mom of 7, and business owner. I admire her ability to manage all that she has on her plate and her testimony of the power of prayer. I asked her to join me on the Meaningful Minutes Podcast to share with us her prayer routine and why it works so well for her. Here are three things I took away from our conversation.

1. Find Peace and Quiet

As you know from my instagram stories and posts I love my back patio. I often sit out there in the early mornings to write in my Seeking Personal Revelation Journal. Natalie shared with me that she finds her peace and quiet in her closet. Each morning she retreats to a small space she has created where she can tune out the world and tap into the revelation she needs for that day.

The key element for Natalie in her peace and quiet is to not actually have it quiet.  As she sits in her closet she has soft instrumental music playing and prepares herself to pray.  The music combined with solitude will calm her mind and open the doors to hearing the Lord.

2. Write Down Your Thoughts

Whenever we pray we are speaking to God. We address Him, thank Him, and ask Him for whatever it is that we need in that moment. He too has something to say. He has answers. When we create a prayer routine that includes listening and writing we will receive the answers. This is what I use my Meaningful Prayer Journal for. Even President Nelson gave this same council. 

"Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take."

Writing down your thoughts as part of your prayer routine not only helps engrain the revelation into you mind it also gives you the opportunity for reflection. Often times the answers to our prayers are not meant for the moment we are in. Today's revelation can be the answer to tomorrow's prayers. 

3. Prayer can be Small and Simple

When we talk about a prayer routine it doesn't mean that it has to be a long drawn out process that takes up a significant amount of time. When Natalie was sharing with me her routine she used phrases such as  minutes, short, and quickly. Her prayer routine does not take away from the time she needs to be helping her children prepare for school and get out the door in the morning. It is a short amount of time she spends alone sitting in her closet, meditating, and listening to music while she writes her thoughts and speaks to God.

You have your own situation, life, and relationship with God so create a prayer routine that reflects that. Whatever it looks like for you the key is that you are deliberate with it. If you spend time on your patio, in your closet, or even in the carpool lane waiting for your kids it can all be affective. The point is take the time to commune with your Heavenly Parents offering gratitude, asking questions, and receiving revelation.