When it comes to prayer, do you ever feel overwhelmed…like you don’t know where to start? Or, do you ever feel like there is so much to pray about and not enough time to say it all? Several years ago, I felt the exact same way. Then I read a book by Boa and Anders called Drawing Near: A Guide to Devotion and Prayer. Through that book I learned the value of a prayer plan to divide and conquer my prayer requests.
Through the use of a prayer plan, I can pray for everything on my prayer list within a week’s time, AND have time to pray in more depth than a passing “Oh Lord, please be with them” type of prayer. In fact, having a prayer plan has invaded my life so much that when I wrote, And the Word Became Flesh, I incorporated pieces of my prayer plan within the book via a daily prayer guide that both blended the scripture being studied with a weekly rotation of common prayer requests. As a result, I have had several readers of the book comment that they still use the prayer guide after completing the New Testament study because of the consistency it provides their prayer life. It impacted their life that much.
Creating a Prayer Plan
Not sure where to start with the creation of a prayer plan? Here’s the plan that I started out with many years ago. Hopefully this will give you a starting place to divide and conquer that prayer list. Feel free to add, edit, and make it your own.
Monday
- Personal spiritual growth
- Sensitivity to sin
- Greater love and commitment to the Lord
- Day’s Activities
- Spiritual growth and sensitivity to sin for husband and children
- My church
- My church ministerial staff
- Sunday School Teachers (of all family members)
- Church ministries in which personally involved
- Children’s education or future education
Tuesday
- Wisdom for life and decisions needing to be made
- Annual goals
- Developing an eternal perspective
- Renewal of my mind
- Day’s Activities
- Immediate family
- Relatives
- Children’s salvation
- Health and salvation of family members
- Children’s loyalty and responsibility as a family member
- Children’s future mates
- Future children
Wednesday
Wednesday- Understanding and insight into the Word
- Understanding my identity in Christ (Who I am, Whose I am, Where I came from, Why I am Here, Where I am going, etc.)
- The leading of the Lord and insight into God’s will (for immediate family members and self)
- Day’s Activities
- Friends
- Children’s friends, positive influences
Thursday
- Greater love and compassion for others
- Opportunity to be a blessing to someone today
- Day’s Activities
- Neighbors
- Boldness to reach the lost around me (friends, neighbors, associates)
- Sensitivity to those in need around me (birth of a baby, finances, sickness, etc.)
- Sensitivity as to where I need to serve in my community and/or church
- Sunday School or Bible Study prayer requests
- Children’s obedience, positive spirit and desire to learn
Friday
- Faithfulness with my time, talents, and treasure
- Finances
- Day’s Activities
- Revival in our nation
- City government
- State government
- National government
- Current governmental events and concerns
- Safety and wisdom for our military
- Children’s purity and safety
Saturday
Saturday- The Lord’s Blessing and enablement in my roles
- Discovery, development and use of spiritual gifts
- Energy and enthusiasm for my career
- Husband’s career path and enthusiasm
- Day’s Activities
- Church’s mission focus
- State and National missions
- World missions
- Children’s development of a heart of compassion, service, and prayer
Sunday
- Spiritual victories
- Continuous growth as a person
- Personal discipline
- Physical health and strength of immediate family
- Day’s activities
- World Leaders
- Peace among the nations
- The poor, hungry, oppressed and persecuted around the world
- Moral integrity of our rising youth and the world my children are going to grow up in
- Current world events and concerns
