4 Tips to Improve Prayer – The First is the Most Powerful

1- Pray as if it is Your Last Prayer
We’ve heard the Imam saying: “Pray as if it’s your last prayer”, but it’s rare that people actually internalize what that means.
What this means is that this prayer itself could be the very last time you get an opportunity to pray to Allah. It could be the last time that you’ve gotten a chance to ask Allah for forgiveness.
And if you can imagine that this is the last prayer that you will ever pray, you find yourself slowing down and taking your time in your prayer.

2- Physically Let Your Body Come to Rest in Each and Every Position in the Prayer.
So when you go into ruku’ (bowing), let your bones and your body settle. Make your dhikr at that time. Say what you’re supposed to say and then move on.
When you’re in your sajdah (prostration), let your body come to a rest, be at still, be calm, say Subhana Rabbi al A’la and so on and so forth, then move on from there.
In each and every position, what you can start doing right now with your prayer is to make sure that your body is at rest in every position of your prayer.

3- Say “A’udhu Bi Allah Min Ash-Shaytan Ar-Rajeem”. (I Seek Refuge in Allah from the Accursed Satan).
We know that Satan actually attacks us in our prayer. And one of the easiest and quickest ways to get Satan out of our head, to get those whispers and distractions out of our head is to say:
“O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the accursed Satan.”
And in this moment, we’re asking Allah to protect us from the influence of Satan.

4- Understand What ‘Allahu Akbar’ Means
What you can do to stop rushing through your prayer is that when you say “Allahu Akbar” (which we say quite often in our prayer, in the opening of prayer and moving from one position to the other.), ponder on what “Allahu Akbar” means. What does “Allahu Akbar” mean?
Allahu Akbar means that Allah is greater. Meaning that anything we were doing before our prayer, anything that we want to do after our prayer, anything that is making us to rush through our prayer, Allah is greater than that.
So every time you say “Allahu Akbar” in your prayer, remind yourself of one thing: That Allah is greater than.
You can immediately apply these four tips so you stop rushing through your prayer.