Personal Prayer Practices

[Heather Perkins]

I am interested in hearing from different people about your personal prayer practices.  What do you do?  How often?  How structured or free-flowing?  Are your practices more meditational or intercessional?  What settings do you find helpful?  I'm looking for some fresh ideas for myself.  Thanks.

[Marsha Mundy]

Hi Heather!
Each morning I set aside about a half hour to focus on God's word and pray for specific needs. My prayer list was getting so long that I decided to break it down into 7 days. Now each morning I focus on a different request such as salvation for unbelievers, our government, business and industry leaders, my family members, our church, the military and missionaries.
Throughout the day I speak to the Lord as if he were sitting next to me, asking for His guidance in my decisions, specific needs of others and He often puts someone on my heart who needs a word of encouragement so I'll send off a card or call them.
I have a prayer journal where I record requests and it helps to look back through the journal later and note the ways God has answered prayers.
I guess just staying attuned to God throughout the day is the best way to pray. We have a relationship and He puts His desires in my heart.
(I've often found myself praying for people when I'm shopping or in a setting with a lot of people. I just ask Him to bring salvation to everyone. There are so many people in the world who have never had anyone pray for them that I feel compelled to be the one who prays them into the kingdom. I have also added names of those arrested for crimes to pray for salvation to come to them.)
Hope this helps you.
In Christ,
Marsha

[Phil Miglioratti]

Heather,

Check out this link - It is the search result for "practices" - It is a good way to see if the topic is being discussed by others, too,

Phil Miglioratti
Moderator

http://www.praynetwork.org/forum/topic/search?q=practices

[Lowell Snow]

First thing in the morning I get a glass of orange juice, sit in my usual chair by a window on the east side of the house, read my Bible as long as I what or have time for, study any passage that intrigues me, pray for missions using a prayer guide from our mission board, pray for my family, then sit quietly and listen for the Lord. I've been doing this for years. Sometimes it's ten minutes, sometimes an hour.

I read through the Bible but not on a schedule and not in a hurry. I've read it in several translations and several orders. I think everyone would do well to read it in chronological order at least once. This time I'm reading the apologetics Bible and reading most of the notes. I'm also keeping track of all the prayers and noting the times when God speaks back to the person during the prayer. I've read the Bible many times but never realized just how 'talky' God is.

My wife and I have a more typical devotional time. We do what we have time for, but usually we read from a devotional book that she finds. We've done all kinds. For the past few years we've done books about songs and hymns. If we know them, we sing them together. We pray conversationally back and forth. We pray for 50 or 60 people by name. We don't use a list. When we're done, one of us will say 'In Jesus name.' If the other is ready to stop praying, they say amen. If not, we keep praying.

Hope that helps,
Lowell Snow
www.leadingprayer.com

[Jenni Biegler]

I used to have a key to a church and I loved having the freedom to go there whenever I wanted to pray. I prefer to pray alone because I don't know many people who are seriously committed to praying or who could last more than a few minutes. I would walk through the church and pray through each room and for the activities that would take place in them. I loved the freedom to position myself in whatever way the Spirit was leading me--sometimes sitting, standing, kneeling, walking, prostrate on the floor, etc.

I love to go out for long hikes in the woods when the weather cooperates. It's amazing how God speaks in the middle of nowhere--through the wind and other aspects of nature.

I currently have a spare room that I'm in the process of turning into my prayer room. For me, it has to have a door for privacy, a place conducive to kneeling (a carpet square or pillow), perhaps posters with the names of God or Jesus and/or scriptures that I can pray.

I like to pray outloud at times, and at other times, I like to do journaling prayer--I find this to be a good discipline for listening and writing down whatever God may want to say to me, along with my response to whatever He has said. I have a computer journaling program which allows me to set up dialogue boxes, and another one that gives me devotional prompts. (Life Journal & Journal5).

My focus at this point in my life is making sure that all is well in my own life and on allowing the Holy Spirit to make me into more of an intercessor. I've been praying about growth areas to work on in my own life and have sensed that I need to work on areas like: Forgiveness, Obedience, Steadfastness, Fellowship, Ministry, etc. I usually am up by 4:45 am so that I can spend time with the Lord before I go to work. Part of my process is to submit myself to Him and commit myself and my day and all of my activities to Him. Then I begin interceding.

[Phil Miglioratti]

Consider adding this to a discussion on resources for praying ...

Many thanks,
Phil

[Keisha Kay Colson]

I like to pray using categories (especially if I'm out walking !):

   people;  goverrnment, countries, etc.

That is a great question you had !!

[JANICE REESE]

Dear Heather.Iask the Lord what time he would have me to pray.I heard the 6:00am hour so since 2003.the holy spirit meet me in my prayer closet and give me what he would have me to pray.as a interessor i have being praying for the children of Chicago.and my First Lady being her personal intercessor.i pray for daily and my child.and it the holy ghost move i pray what so ever he declare.later i pray for a healing list i have and I answer the prayerline on monday and friday.and i never seal my prayer until there is no more stirring in my spirit

[Cordria Lovelady]

I am Learning to saturate the atmosphere with worship 1st...then begin to pray.create.birth....Listen...hear...Work...

[Catherine Gray]

I don't believe prayer should be ritualistic, but what flows freely from the heart. Whether sitting, lying down, kneeling, at work, at home, at the grocery store, at church, in the car or where ever we are...even by writing in a prayer journal, for which is a tool for many of my prayers.  The Bible tells us to be prayerful all the day long. Our faith is in God, for he only, is able to save; not just to save us from our sins, but the power of the enemy in our everyday life.  Prayer is one way in which we express our love for our Father.  Our prayer time should be a time of worship to our Lord.  God already knows everything that we're in need of, but we make petitions to him, offered in faith.  Prayer shouldn't be rehearsed, I don't believe, or something that we simply recite every day, but, unique to each day...to each time we pray.  As we pray and as we listen to the Holy Spirit, the words will come...whether through singing, silent, verbally, in our native tongue or through intercession.  As far as meditative prayer - I believe we are to meditate on God's word throughout the day, for His word is our armor against the wiles of the enemy. 

When I at home praying, I prefer a place...my private little sewing-computer room....'my' room...my own little source of separation from the world, to be the perfect place for me to get alone with my Savior where there are no distractions, no telephone, no TV, etc.

Oh, and of course, there are particular things that I pray for: prayer request, when healing is needed, our government, our nation, our families, our schools, revival across the land, strength to face the trials and storms in our lives, etc.  I also pray when I've seen a car wreck or other tragedy. I also thank God for the prayers He has answered, by faith; even those that we haven't seen the manifestation of...yet...like my little granddaughter that has cerebral palsy, whom. by faith was healed at 3-4 months of age.  She is now 10, but God is faithful.  We don't always understand, but there is a purpose in everything and all things work together for good to them that love the Lord.  So, our trust is in him.  I pray for opportunities to be a witness for him and that I would be sensitive to those opportunities and to open opportunities before me that I may be of help to others. 

[Maureen Dunn]

Hi Heather,

I work and early shift-up by 3:45am.  God had me take like 1year and go pray driving,  I would get up about 1:00am and drive north of the city - Toronto Canada - put on some worship music  and ask the Holy Spirit to lead me eg the community I was driving through or others He brought to mind.  It was awesome some nights, just Father God and I, singing or praying my heart out.   What a way to start the day as well.  I was careful where I drove, not too many people on the road at that hour.  It was alot of fun.

[Caryl Lawrence "Grami" McAdoo]

I love to sing my prayers as I believe David the Psalmist did so often. So of course, often the prayer becomes praise and worship exulting Him for all His wonderful attributes, promises, and love toward me. Singing helps keep me focused and His music bubbles out of my heart. I sing prayers at church, at Prayer Meetings, driving, shopping, cleaning house, milking my goats, in the shower, and almost anywhere : ) When others are praying it provides a soft background. This often leads to new songs that I never forget and can sing again any time. If you are a praiser, try it, you'll like it.

[Merton J. Hershberger]

I use the following pattern of prayer when I go to bed or towards evening: CASTILE SOAP 

 

C.A.S.T.I.L.E. S.O.A.P. originally made in the Castile region of Spain, so called because of the castles in the area. Rather than animal fats, castile soap is made out of pure olive oil. Anointed prayer that forms a castle for the mind and cleanses you in a pure and healthy manner. Philippians 4:6ff talks about the matter of building a castle for the mind through balanced prayer. Psalm 24:3-6 talks about the kind of clean life & heart needed for prayer 

 

PRAYER THAT IS ... (taking the first letters in Caps)

Confessing - 1 John 1:9; Psalm 51 - Admitting sins & weaknesses with a view to receiving help for change. - Jesus received Peter's confession, forgave him, and restored him to ministry. (Luke 5:4-11; John 21:4-19) 

Adoring - Revelation 5:9-14; 1 Timothy 1:15-17 - Honoring the Lord for who He is. God deserves praise and praise makes our hearts glad, thus cultivating faith. - Jesus received the foot-washing by a sinful woman. (Luke 7:36-50)

Supplicating - Matthew 7:7-12; Philippians 4:16-17; Hebrews 4:16 - Asking for specific help which will enable you to effectively serve in daily life. - Jesus answered specific needs for help when asked.(John 2:1-12; Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 17:24-27; Luke 18:35-43)

Thanksgiving - Psalm 136; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; - Honoring the Lord for what he has done or will do for you and others. - Jesus received thanksgiving from the leper for healing. (Luke 17:11-19)

Interceding - Ephesians 3:12-20; James 5:13-20; Exodus 32:30-34:10 - Asking God in a big way for His help in the lives of others. - Jesus is making intercession for us now. (Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 7:25)

Listening and - 1 Samuel 3:1-14 ; Acts 16:6-10; Revelation 1:9-11 - Paying attention to the Lord for specific guidance in how to pray, serve, witness, letting the Lord's plans become your plans. - Jesus heard the Father's voice and had divine authority. (Matthew 17:1-8)

Enduring in prayer while - Ephesians 6:18; Luke 11:5-8 - Continuing to pray until the Lord accomplishes and/or reveals His will. The key to fruitful praying is persistent praying. - Jesus prayed often, early, and late. (Luke 3:21; 6:12; 11:1; 22:39-46)

Seeking Out Abundant Promises - Jeremiah 25:11-12; Daniel 9:2ff; Matthew 18:18 - We are to pray by looking for specific promises on which to base our prayers so that our fasting and asking will not be in vain. - Jesus saw his life as a fulfillment of prophecy. (Luke 4:14-21; 10:5-10)