If you could radically change your life in just two minutes a day, would you be able to find that time? Most people know that prayer can radically change a person’s life. What most people don’t know however is that life changing prayer is not simply saying words to God. Rather it’s intimate communication with him. It’s the intimate communication part that is so easily missed, or forgotten. The good news is, that it’s a skill that is easy to practice and learn, and it’s done in 5 simple steps.

COMFORT: Find a quiet place and make yourself comfortable. By comfortable I mean in such a way that no part of your body will be distracting you. Make sure you are happy with where your hands rest, if your legs are stretched out or crossed, even what way your head lies. Be sure your body is comfortable so that it can’t distract you.

PHYSICAL DISTRACTIONS: Next close your eyes. This is so you can’t be distracted by the things in the room around you while you pray. How many times have you sat down to do something (anything) and then saw something in the room that needed done…and it suddenly needed done RIGHT NOW! So close your eyes to prevent this problem.

MENTAL DISTRACTIONS: Next with your eyes closed and body relaxed clear your mind of everything! Don’t let a single thought back into your mind. Now just bear with me, because you don’t have to keep your mind empty. The reason we empty our minds is so that its free to focus on something more important!

FOCUS: Finally, with your body relaxed, mind empty, and eyes closed we can give ourselves something to focus on. In your mind, pull up an image of Jesus that you like. It can be the good shepherd, Jesus on the cross, the resurrected Jesus, whatever image of Jesus you want to focus on. Pull that image into your mind and focus on it. Additionally, ensure your breathing stays rhythmic and steady. Now for the most important part.

COMMUNICATE: All these steps lead up to what is called “putting yourself in the presence of Christ.” It’s truly a withdrawing from your present moment to be with God who is living in you. So with that image of Jesus you have in your mind, start out by sitting and being with God. Stay focused on that image, and if you get distracted, as soon as you are aware of that distraction, clear it and focus again on the image of Jesus you have chosen. If after sitting with God for a bit there are things you want to pray about, converse about them with the Lord, in your mind, with the image of Jesus you are focusing on.

This is by no means the only way to pray, but it is one way. Also note that it may seem like a lot of steps, but with a little practice you can do steps 1-4 in about 10 seconds. If you prayed this way every day for two minutes a day, you would radically change your life. Because when we truly encounter the Lord, we cannot help but be changed. So can you find two minutes in your day?