After being a Christian for 20 plus years I truly started experiencing a deeper level of prayer in 2009 thanks to a ONEthing Conference in Kansas City. My prayer life up to then had been unfocused, with little fruit and irregular.

At that conference God ignited something: a deep belief that prayer works. God hears and answers my prayers!

So how do I encounter the Lord? In so many ways. God is so big that it's just not possible to reduce Him to one way of encountering Him. This is why I like to multiply the tools, methods and interactions I have with my Jesus.

As I started having a more dedicated lifestyle I developed four pillars of prayer that I still apply today in my personal encounters with Jesus.

Pillar 1: I dedicate to keep an ongoing relationship and connection with God during the whole day. This can look like short prayers (thanking, asking Him for help, praying in tongues, etc). This dialog enables me to stay connected to My Father. It’s like an ongoing spiritual bluetooth wifi connection.

Pillar 2: I commit to having prayer lists and going over them 2-4 times a week. Through this I have discovered the secret of discipline in prayer and the joy of answered prayer. I pray for health, my family, finances, and breakthrough on a regular basis. I proclaim Bible truths and write down all the answers to prayer that God provides. This is powerful! I am so thankful for the tool of discipline and the life found in the practice of prayer lists.

Pillar 3: I commit to praying for people and asking for prayer from others. I would leave a Sunday service after an altar call and think “I'll pray for people next week at the next service.” But now my commitment is to offer prayer wherever I go. When we gather for a meal, when I call the government to figure out my taxes, when I go shopping, when I have a short conversation at the mall. I'm not perfect at it, but I have a mission! God is waiting for me to be bold so He can honor my faith and make miracles. I also want to ask for prayer as often as I can and receive the blessings of the people that God sends.

Pillar 4: Corporate prayer. I enjoy corporate prayer that is full of music, full of the Bible and full of focus. Corporate prayer meetings should be the most enjoyable meetings on earth. I have experienced up to four hours in a row of non-stop intercession, worship and adoration with music and it felt like 30 minutes. Corporate prayer is powerful, uplifting and amazing.

Would you like to encounter God in a more enjoyable way? I encourage you to give these tools a chance and commit to the four pillars of prayer. You will see how much God is eager to answer your prayers. Your own identity of son / daughter of God will grow exponentially as you experience a new level of partnership with your Father.

In Christ.