Prayer Closet

Spiritual Burnout and Lack of Motivation

Almost three years ago, I started going to a church called Mount Airy Baptist. I was scared I wouldn't like it, because I didn't know anyone there and it was all new to me. I gave it a chance and I fell in love with it. I have always felt included, cared for, and loved there. For the first year, year in a half, I was on fire for Jesus. I read the Bible everyday, first thing in the morning. I don't know what happened. Just like that, I started experiencing spiritual burnout. My life started getting more busy and I started giving in to other things demanding my attention. This resulted in me starting to neglect my time with God. Now I am at a point where I want to read God's word and spend time with him, but I am struggling with the motivation to even get started in the morning. That is where the prayer closet comes into play. A prayer closet is your own little space to spend one on one time with God. Now if your like me, and don't have much closet space, you can can just find a quiet space in your house and create prayer corner instead.

How to create prayer closet/corner:

1. Choose a space in your home:

• Wherever you put your prayer closet/corner, it needs to be quiet space that is free from distractions. 
• This will be the place where you spend time in God's word and just talk to Jesus about your life. 
• My prayer corner is a little space in the corner of my bedroom. 

2. Make it your own:

• You need to make your prayer corner/closet a place you want to spend time with God in. 
• If you have room, I recommend putting your favorite chair in this space, so you can sit comfortably during your quiet time. 
• If you don't have room for a chair, get a small rug and some pillows so you can comfortable sit in the floor. 

Things needed/recommended for your prayer closet/corner: 

• A chair, or pillows and a small rug if you don't have space
• Blanket 
• Your bible 
• A journal, to jot down notes about what God is telling you through scripture
• Pencils 
• Hand pencil sharpener 
• Electric pencil sharpener 
• Pens and markers 
• Lap desk 
• A cork board 

• Push pins, to put things on your cork board 
• Prayer caddy, or a pencil bag/box to keep pencils, markers, and pens in. 

• Devotional/christian books 
• Highlighters 
• Color pencils 
• Whiteout 
• Lamp, or plug in/battery powered lights 
• Tissues 
• Index cards, write bible verses or christian quotes on to put on cork board  
• Candle or wallflower 
• Prayer photo album, put pictures of people you want to pray for in it 
• Christain coloring book 
• Booklight 

3. Tips to follow through daily:

• Pray and read the Bible first thing when you wake up, even before checking your phone. That way you can start your day with God and you don't have to worry about forgetting. I try to make it a daily habit that after I wake up, I talk to God about my day ahead before doing anything else. 
• Get everything ready for the next day, the night before, so you don't have to rush your time with God in the morning or skip it all together. 
• If you have not been feeling very motivated lately, pray every night for a hunger for God's word in the morning, until you do. It works, but you just have to keep praying that prayer. You'll know God has put that hunger there when you first wake up instead of rushing to the kitchen for breakfast, you will have the urge to read God's word first instead. 
• Another way to increase motivation is to get a new bible. Get a bible that is perfectly suited to you and that is easy for you to understand and fun to read. If you can't purchase a new bible right now, that's okay, you could start reading a new version that you like on the Bible app. 
• Once you sit down in your prayer corner for quiet time, get comfortable. Whether that means lighting a candle or drinking coffee, find a way to get comfortable and read the Bible. When I sit down to read the Bible, I like to plug in my hot fudge sundae wallflower, get my bible supplies ready, grab my lemon water out of the fridge, wrap a blanket around me, and then opening up God's word. I think it's easier to enjoy reading God's word if you make yourself comfortable in your prayer corner. 
• If you get distracted easy, I recommend putting on some light christian music while get comfortable before reading God's word, but then turn it off when you start reading. 
• I recommend also finding time to read from a devotional book everyday. They make little ones that only take 3 minutes of your time each day to read. 
• I also recommend investing in Christain books that fit your needs. I can't seem to stop buying them, I need a new bookshelf. I have a college girl book and other teen books that are full of helpful life tips. *Remember these things aren't replacing your daily reading of God's word, though.*

I hope this helps some of y'all struggling to get motivated again to read God's word and spend time with him. If any of y'all make a prayer closet/corner, send me pictures, I'd love to see them and maybe help improve my own. I am leaving to go on youth trip called Student Life on Tuesday, so keep me in your prayers. I am praying that God will soften my heart and help me surrender all to him. I hope y'all have a blessed week.