"Three times a day [Daniel] got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before" (Dan. 6:10, NIV).

ROM A BIBLE STUDY about prayer came the natural question (for me) How often? The Bible worker I studied with told me that Daniel was an example worthy of our emulation.

Daniel prayed systematically, she said, three times a day: in the morning, at noon, and at night. Of course, she didn't mention the part about his opening the window and praying toward Jerusalem. But as a former Roman Catholic, accustomed to rituals and structured ways of religious practice, I was left with the question: Do Seventh-day Adventists pray three times a day? I was embarrassed to ask, however, so I remained silent.

Praying by the Book
Eager to do what was right, I tried praying like Daniel, three times a day; but it didn't "work." Praying at night was the easiest; it seemed natural to kneel and pray before going to bed. But other times were more difficult. In the morning I was trying to get to work on time, and once I got involved in all my daily responsibilities, I was too busy to remember to pray (with the exception of a quick thank-you before grabbing a bite to eat). I soon gave up.

Since that time many years ago I have occasionally tried to implement Daniel's systematic style of prayer, but it has never worked well. Only recently did I finally admit to myself that my lifestyle is so far removed from that of Daniel's that I'd better try to find other ways to pray.

I found a new approach while designing a project for publication about how to control stress. Many things have to be taken into account when you're talking about combating stress: diet, exercise, relaxation, breathing, relationships, time management, and so on. But perhaps one factor influences all the rest: our thinking habits, how we process our thoughts.

Our minds constantly process ideas. In order to face stress productively, people have to be in control of their thoughts. And this mastery over our thoughts needs to be more than only occasional.

When I outlined these thoughts, it occurred to me that prayer would be just the thing to counteract stress. But I couldn't present this concept openly: my target group was not religious. So I introduced a number of psychological tips from the cognitive/behavioral traditions, such as harboring positive thinking, stopping anxious thoughts, and seeking the right environment. To achieve continuous control over their stress, I suggested hourly appointments with themselves. "When your watch beeps at the hour," I told them, "stop whatever you're doing and spend a couple minutes analyzing the previous hour and your current emotional state. Scribble down your feelings; try to find out why you feel different than before. Learn to detect adverse thinking. Identify the people who create stress in your life."

These tips, in addition to helping me outline strategies for helping to control stress, helped me to relate to God in an entirely different way.

Personal Portions
I decided to implement what I had outlined for managing stress in cultivating a meaningful prayer life. I tried to contact the Lord for brief periods of time-maybe just a minute or two-but frequently, every hour or two at the least.

Within a few days I realized that my companionship with the Lord was reaching a deeper level. I began talking to the Lord as a friend or colleague. Of course, I continued to recognize His infinite power. The exact hour when my watch chimed caught me in all sorts of places, but I welcomed the chance to stop whatever I was doing and direct my thoughts toward God in simple but warm terms: "Thank You for Your reminders, Lord. Talking to You so often prevents me from getting into trouble. . . . In regard to M---, he was quite rude to me. . . . It doesn't come naturally for me to be nice in return, but that's the only way to bridge our differences. You can soothe my negative emotions toward him. Please, Lord, I want peace with myself and others. I'll talk to You in an hour . . ."

Those frequent conversations with God kept me on track and sensitive to His will. How could I be indifferent to someone's need if I had just been talking to God? How could I feel "down" after my previous chat with the Lord? How could I be anxious about the future if I had the all-powerful divine force on my side?

Questions for Reflection or for Use in Your Small Group 1. What prayer methods have you found especially useful in your own devotional life over the years? 2. Is there any merit in varying the times or methods for praying? What would be the reasons? 3. Is God more likely to hear our prayers when we pray one way as opposed to another? 4. Under what circumstances do you feel most like you're communicating with God?

After experimenting with these brief prayers over the course of a few days, I realized that most of my prayers were self-centered. I decided to more consciously bear others in mind when I talked to the Lord, especially those with whom I had been interacting. I mentioned to Him the student who told me she had just broken up with her boyfriend. I prayed about the student who was sometimes late to class because he had to work nights and he often overslept. Sometimes I just prayed for someone who happened to cross my path. These exchanges not only kept me close to God, but also enhanced my interactions with others.

In these hourly appointments I also learned to be much more positive about life. There were many things for which I could be thankful. Even the simplest observations (sun, rain, memories, etc.) were enough to give me reason to thank God. These moments of thankful reflection helped me to enjoy a balanced and positive state of mind.

Of course, my talks with the Lord have not always been ideal. Occasion-ally I've completely forgotten to pray my momentary prayers for hours. I have been discouraged enough at times that I've felt I had to wait a little to be able to pray civilly. Other times I've grappled with problems so intense that I've found it difficult to offer my thanksgiving to the Lord. But the periods of suffering have become shorter and the length of fulfillment has increased.

In the end, God never changes. But we can. One way to change ourselves is to keep our communication with God fresh and meaningful. Minute prayers work for me.

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When he wrote this, Julian Melgosa was a lecturer in educational psychology at Newbold College, in Bracknell, Berkshire, England.