As Christians, we should pray. Better said, we get to pray. We are able to approach “the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (See Hebrews 4:16.)
I have mentioned to the church I pastor, that we have a VIP access into God’s throne room. What a privilege!
But sometimes, we don’t pray. I believe it was Spurgeon who wrote, “If you are not praying, it means you are not trusting in God.” Ouch!
I have found that it is very helpful to learn what other people do. I take what is helpful and apply it to my own life. In Disciplines of a Godly Man, a book I highly recommend, Pastor R. Kent Hughes, in talking about the discipline of prayer, encouraged his readers to use a prayer list That advice has helped me tremendously!
Here’s three big ways using a list has improved my prayer life
- Without a list, my mind wanders. There are so many things to think about, so many things going on, that mental focus during prayer can be a challenge. A list brings me back to the task at hand.
- Without a list, I forget. There is much to pray about! I am sure you feel the same way. My prayer list remembers what I need to be praying about.
- Without a list, I would not be praying for certain situations or people. This is more than just helping me remember. This is being proactive in setting up my time of prayer. With a list you are able to decide beforehand what or who you need to pray about.
Here’s how I set up my list.
I have it broken down into several categories:
- Family
- Church
- Sick & Grieving
- Important Events
- Problems & Opportunities
- Ministries
- Sunday Service
- New Believers
- Missions
- Personal
- Pastors
- Government
- Lost People
Under each category, I list people’s names or situations.
I don’t pray for every category every day. Some categories get more prayer than others, for example, ideally, I pray for my family every day.
I used to use a simple text app or note taking app to maintain my list. Now I use an app called Prayer Notebook. Here’s a video about it:
http://youtu.be/HQ7Vv8lLZBE
Do you use a list? What are some other ways you have found to improve your prayer life?