Sometimes it’s a whisper… “Thank you, Jesus.”

     Sometimes it’s a gut-wrenching plea… “God! I need help!”

     Sometimes it’s a change of heart… “God fill me with joy and gratitude.”

It’s waves of prayer by believers and nonbelievers alike. I don’t want to take the holy privilege of an invitation to communicate with the Almighty God and toss it to the wind. I also don’t want my prayer to be when I only need something. I desire the holy communion of conversation with the Lord to be everlasting.

     Everyone craves to pray more and experience close communion with God. Everyone who loves God yearns to be led by Him. Sometimes, it’s beyond my understanding that, after experiencing the amazing closeness of God, I can pray in the morning or with my son, then rush through the rest of my day. I’m trying to learn to ask God’s direction about everything I do. Do I need to buy that? Is watching this movie really what You would have me do (even if it’s a clean, wholesome movie)? Lord, I need grace to talk with this person. Lord, please give me peace in this overwhelming situation.

     Many pastors and Biblical leaders have preached on or shared about ways to experience transcending prayer times with God:

• Josh Piper wrote an article on prayer, What Should We Pray For? He listed 35 things to pray to God for… based on what the early churches prayed for.
• Tim Challies wrote a book on Pilgrim Prayers, devotional poems that awaken your heart to the goodness, greatness, and glory of God.
• Charles Stanley wrote a devotional titled, The Fabric of Your Life, sharing how Amy Carmichael made a habit of collecting short prayers written throughout the Bible… One of her favorites is found in Psalm 119:175, “Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; and let Your judgments help me.”

I have extended several prayers using Bible verses. It’s often said that the best way to pray to God is to use His Word. I was blessed to sit on Amy Carmichael’s prayer bench in South India. I could have sat there for days.

Books available on prayer…

• Frank C. Laubach – Man of Prayer.
• Charles Stanley – Prayer: The Ultimate Conversation.
• Tim Keller – Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God.
• C. S. Lewis – How to Pray.
• A. W. Tozer – Going Higher with God in Prayer.
• E. M. Bounds – The Power of Prayer.
• Charles Spurgeon – Prayer & Spiritual Warfare.
• Amy Carmichael – I Come Quietly to Meet You: An Intimate Journey in God’s Presence.

There are hundreds of other books on prayer. I have read many. I need a more disciplined structure, not to make my prayer time legalistic, but to ensure I fully experience the joy that God has for me.. Charles Stanley said, “Prayer is one of the best ways in which we can honor God. When we pray to our heavenly Father, we are acknowledging that He is God, that He truly is the high and exalted One who lives forever and whose name is Holy. God alone deserves glory, and we ascribe honor to Him when we pray continually – that is, maintain a Godword attitude throughout the day, asking Him to govern every detail of our lives.” Let that hit home.

There are also numerous stacks of prayer journals available, but I’ve found them to be quite pricey and limited in writing space. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I want to develop the habit of writing out my prayers to God. While I can’t detail every single prayer due to the many challenges in the world, I definitely have at least thirty minutes each day to devote to writing my prayers. Don’t you?

This is what I’ve come up with for myself, and I would love to share it with you

This form is designed to capture a name or one or two words, which I can then elaborate on in written form below. Since it is a Word document, I have the flexibility to change the titles above the boxes if I feel led in a different direction for my prayer. I can also remove the colored background, but I appreciate the visual distinction it provides. I am happy to email it to you at unwaveringprayer@gmail.com

.

    

Now, with the prayer points, I can write a heartfelt letter to the Lord, or I can create bullet points for specific requests. If you’d like to try this approach, all you need is paper (I’m partial to journals), a hole punch, and a folder to keep everything organized!

Finally, I thought of another way to encourage prayers throughout the day. I will be using a laminated bookmark and a laminated tag to write names on them with an ultra-fine sharpie marker (which can be removed with nail polish remover). I can keep a bookmark on my countertop or kitchen table where it is clearly visible. I can also hang the other tag over the rear-view mirror or on a knob in the car, so it’s within sight when I’m stopped at traffic lights or in the school pick-up lane. Additionally, I can easily carry it in my purse or pocket!

AND! The first 20 people who send me an email at: unwaveringprayer@gmail.com, will receive a laminated bookmark or laminated tag!

I want to pray more. I hope you do too.

• Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you;… (1 Samuel 12:23)
• Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! (1 Chronicles 16:11)
• If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
• I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. (Psalm 17:6)

I would love to hear about the books you have read on prayer or your personal system for prayer. Please feel free to share in the comments so that others can enjoy them as well!