“One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness
was not from lack of time.
― John Piper
I find this quote above very convicting and heartbreaking. I want to grow in prayerfulness this year and always. I want to be a good example to my children and my friends. I have found some helpful tools for praying this year.
My husband and I have always studied God's Word together and we pray throughout the day but it's never been first thing (mornings are so busy) and often it got crowded out. We were challenged by an older couple we greatly respect to start reading and praying together each morning. It has meant sacrifice. I am now getting up at 5:30 AM (which often feels like death in case you're curious). I'm having to be self disciplined in going to bed on time. We've been using Prayermate to organize our prayer requests. I really love this free app. It adds in Scripture to pray and gives Open Door missions requests. It shuffles up all the lists you make and gives you as many to flip through and pray for as you want each day. We decided 8 was a good start and we alternate who starts, each praying for 4.
Sometimes we still pray before he leaves for work. Me, traditionally standing on the first stair step to be tall enough to hug. That time of prayer is more just about the two of us...especially if we have a busy or difficult day ahead.
I enjoy the Echo app for personal use but if you get to where you'd like share groups it does have a fee which is a bummer for me. I'm cheap! Same basic idea as Prayermate but without the extras.
The way I pray personally is via journal. I will tell you that I'm a journal snob. I love Leuchtturm! All the colors and styles...the craftsmanship! *Drool* I find that writing out my prayers keeps me focus, which is half the battle for me. It also helps me process better than I do verbally. Often as I am writing out something I am already correcting or applying God's Word to that prayer.
"We may assent to the fact that we are dependent on Christ, But if our prayer life is meager or perfunctory we thereby deny it." ~Jerry Bridges
1 comment:
Prayer is such a privilege and a blessing! It is precious! But that is also why it is so hard. Like other precious things you have to work for it.
I recently watched a video on Hindu temples and saw a long line of prayer wheels that the people spin as they walk by in the temple. They consider this praying - but it is a pathetic substitute for the communion we have with the true and living God when we pray.
Post a Comment