Basketball players know the art of automation. If you're fouled in the act of shooting, you are awarded free throws from the line. The great ones then go through a specific ritual prior to shooting. Some dribble three times, some take a deep breath, some even blow a kiss to the sky.

The key is that the best free throw shooters don't have to think about their ritual- they just do it.

So how's your prayer life going? Now that we're post-Easter, it's worth taking a long hard look at the quality, breadth and frequency of your prayer life. For most of us, a quick look will reveal the same results. Like being in physical shape, our prayer fitness is pretty obvious. You know when you're humming nicely with God and when you're about as close as a relative in another state.

It may be time to put your prayer life on a routine just like the NBA players do. If you have to think about it for more than a second, you probably haven't yet put it on auto pilot. To be clear, we don't want to put spirituality on a routine that is so ordered that it's boring or leaves no space for spontaneity. When we say automate, we're putting it in a good light.

Here's the trick:

1. Pick a time and place.
2. Pick your tools. A Bible, a notebook and a pen go a long way.
3. Track your progress. This is why I love Byword for iOS and I number my days. I'm currently on Day 575- all to God's credit.
4. Tell someone about it. A trusted spiritual advisor or friend go a long way. If you have a blog, that will do nicely.

This process has worked for me and it might just work for you. Let me know what's working in your prayer life and how you're automating it to get closer to God.

Photo courtesy of:

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=3062