Prayer seems to keep coming back to me as the first topic I’d love to chat about.
So. We know prayer is a conversation with God. Just talking with Him. If you’re not talking to Him throughout the day, it’s hard to feel close to Him. Chatting is good. Praying without ceasing is our command.
But have you ever wanted to be more organized about it? To remember not only your family or friends, but neighbors, friends you don’t always see, those serving in other countries, other ministries?
If so, I have a tip for you. It is not mine, I learned it from a Training Center we were a part of at one time. I take no credit!
Anyway, this particular prayer organization is from when Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in Matthew 6. We typically call this The Lord’s Prayer. Since most don’t think He was giving us a formula or something to memorize, but rather showing us the heart behind addressing our Father, this tip helps explore that heart.
The cool thing is it aligns really well with our church’s heart attitudes. The following is an example spreadsheet using Jesus’ prayer from Matthew 6:9-13:
In all those blank spaces, put in names! Ministries, co-workers, extended family, the persecuted church, those struggling, children’s teachers, pastors & their families, own church & leadership, other churches, your school board, local & national government.
I don’t actually use a spreadsheet, I use this prayer journal (although tweaked from what the author suggests!). I like this because I can stick people’s hard copy newsletters in there to help remember current needs they have.
Now. Do I use this every day to pray? Nope. Do I think everyone should use this particular method of organization to pray? Uh uh.
But if your mind tends to wander and you want a place to start organizing your prayers, have at it!
Okay, now you. What are your biggest struggles in consistent prayer? Do you have any tips for organizing your prayer life?
I really want to know.
Love those ideas – I never would have pegged you for using an Excel spreadsheet to chart your prayers!! 🙂
I find I need regular reminders that prayer can be casual conversations and not these formal dialogues where I am in a quiet room by myself, in the morning, with my prayer journal, and Excel spreadsheet, etc., etc., etc.
I struggle to pray throughout the day. I got into the habit of doing it a few years ago and found that God tended to use my commute home from work to lay things on my heart…interesting. Must have been when my heart was most open to hearing his voice.
I have an informal prayer journal that I write my own prayer requests in about twice a year. I also use it to write down verses that I want to memorize and the prayer requests of the ladies in my small group. I also take sermon notes in it. It’s multi-purpose.
It’s interesting to go back over the years and review the things that were on my heart in the past and reflect on what God has done over time to answer those prayers. The coolest one was when I was (very) single and God laid on my heart to pray for the man that would one day be my husband. I later noted the date I wrote that in my journal was five years TO THE DAY before our wedding date. I love it when God does little things like that!
I didn’t know He did that with the wedding date! Love it. You’re right…not the spreadsheet type. But that’s why it’s good for me. We’re opposite. Praying through the day is not my struggle. Remembering different people and ministries and things that aren’t right in front of my face everyday is. Love the multi-purpose notebook!