Ten Prayer Tips
As part of the One Prayer series we kicked off this weekend I invited our church family to be part of a 40 Day Prayer Challenge. I want to extend the same challenge to this blog family.
I feel like the primary goal of this series is for people to cultivate a prayer habit. And I've found that doing something for forty days can help me break habits or build habits. You can pick your own dates, but I'm beginning a 40 day season of prayer on Monday, June 9, and ending it on Saturday, July 19.
Here are ten ideas, but let me give a warning upfront. Don't try all ten! Keep it simple. Here are ten ideas to consider for the 40 days.
1) Set Prayer Goals--pray thirty minutes five times a week. I know that sounds a little like "punching the clock" but it's a great way to develop a habit and I believe God smiles on those kinds of goals if our heart is to hear His voice and seek His heart.
2) Keep a Prayer Journal--this is a great way to cultivate the spiritual discipline of journaling. Yes, I think it's a spiritual discipline. It's a form of meditation.
3) Put together a prayer list--I think alot of us don't pray because we don't know what to pray for. Why not come up with a list, and add to it over time, that helps you remember what to pray for.
4) Pray through the newspaper--instead of reading about the elections pray about them. Pray about everything you read about!
5) Pray through your calendar--don't just go into a meeting. Pray about it beforehand.
6) Set Your Alarm an Hour Earlier for 40 Days
7) Turn Your commute into a prayer walk or prayer ride--turn off the radio and tune God in.
8) Pray with your spouse before bed for forty days.
9) Pray through the Bible--you hearing God's voice is more important than God hearing your voice. You can go broad and read through the New Testament. Or go deep and read through one book of the Bible.
10) Fast something--I've found that giving something up for 40 days helps me stay focused. Try soda or TV!
I feel like the primary goal of this series is for people to cultivate a prayer habit. And I've found that doing something for forty days can help me break habits or build habits. You can pick your own dates, but I'm beginning a 40 day season of prayer on Monday, June 9, and ending it on Saturday, July 19.
Here are ten ideas, but let me give a warning upfront. Don't try all ten! Keep it simple. Here are ten ideas to consider for the 40 days.
1) Set Prayer Goals--pray thirty minutes five times a week. I know that sounds a little like "punching the clock" but it's a great way to develop a habit and I believe God smiles on those kinds of goals if our heart is to hear His voice and seek His heart.
2) Keep a Prayer Journal--this is a great way to cultivate the spiritual discipline of journaling. Yes, I think it's a spiritual discipline. It's a form of meditation.
3) Put together a prayer list--I think alot of us don't pray because we don't know what to pray for. Why not come up with a list, and add to it over time, that helps you remember what to pray for.
4) Pray through the newspaper--instead of reading about the elections pray about them. Pray about everything you read about!
5) Pray through your calendar--don't just go into a meeting. Pray about it beforehand.
6) Set Your Alarm an Hour Earlier for 40 Days
7) Turn Your commute into a prayer walk or prayer ride--turn off the radio and tune God in.
8) Pray with your spouse before bed for forty days.
9) Pray through the Bible--you hearing God's voice is more important than God hearing your voice. You can go broad and read through the New Testament. Or go deep and read through one book of the Bible.
10) Fast something--I've found that giving something up for 40 days helps me stay focused. Try soda or TV!
10 Comments:
I started doing #6 (set your alarm for an hour earlier) about a month ago. The intensity of my focus has been renewed and my vision enlarged. I'm hearing God's voice not just more often, but clearer.
I Just want to say I will join you starting Today June 9th for 40 Days of Prayer. Especially #1, 2 & 8
johnbehl.blogspot.com
These are great! Thanks Mark
hey Mark great and simple ideas. thanks! don't know if you remember me. we met very briefly at the churchplanters.com conference at Mountain Lake Church. I was the funny looking hispanic guy that's with the Assembly of God in Georgia. anyway just wanted to say thanks for your leadership in the AG and in the church. I pray that next time you're in Georgia we can meet again. God bless my friend.
I just bought a moleskin in order to keep tabs on my prayer life in response to the conviction of how little I pray.
Dan
Good stuff.
I challenged the students in my ministry to prayer through their contact list on their phone. Every time they see a new name--pray for that person!
I have personally found this helpful...
tim
Great reminders, Mark! Fine post.
Mark,
Thanks for the list. I am organizing 40 Days of Prayer for the launch of our brand-new church in High Point. We plan to start our 40 Days of Prayer Tuesday, August 5th. Can you share what books, blogs, or websites have been influential in teaching you this list?
Don't really have any resources to recommend. This list is just a compilation of things I've tried in my own prayer life.
Mark
Thanks for this list... I will be mentioning it to my husband... and journaling more specific prayers for the next 40 days. I feel a fast coming on too. I did that once from my emails and blog... it was really amazing.
Pastor Mark and fellow NCCr's. It was great being back in what I call my Living Room at Ebenezers. I will also take on the challenge of the 40 prayer experiment. I do ask support in this I am weak in this area. Oh by the way that Sunday, June 8th I was attending service at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, lighting hit the bell tower so the bells and organ were not working that day. Everything was sung acapella. I saw that Jesus was givning me an opportunity to sing and sing to glorify Him. I put everythionginto it. My voice was powerfull and pleasant the way Jesus actaullly hears it. I am planning to come back to visit again July 18, 19, and 20th. Boz
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