Dear Prayer Family,
I am so excited to have you join us on this 21-days of prayer adventure. In addition to the daily “Prayer Scriptures”, I will often send an attachment. These attachments will give some practical prayer tools that we will also be using in our 6:30 AM prayer meetings. It is my heart that these tools will encourage you in your prayer time and perhaps give you more tools in your prayer tool chest. I’m convinced that many people don’t enjoy prayer because they have never been taught how to pray. That’s where I hope these outlines can help.
I also want to give you some different scriptural prayer models that help make prayer more personal and engaging. The “Prayer track” below has helped me in my prayer journey. Even if I get interrupted in prayer, I have a place to pick right up and keep going.
STEP ONE
MAKE IT YOUR GOAL TO CREATE A LIFESTYLE OF PRAYER
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
Prayer is most effective when it’s a lifestyle we cultivate, not something that we do every now and then. To understand how to have a lifestyle of prayer, we can look at the example Jesus gave during His life on earth.
A. HAVE A CERTAIN TIME
Jesus got up early in the morning to spend time with His Heavenly Father. Make a daily appointment with God-whether it’s first thing in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening and faithfully keep it.
B. HAVE A CERTAIN PLACE
Jesus had a specific place He went to pray. Having a designated place to pray helps us remove distractions and frees us to worship and pray out loud.
C. HAVE A CERTAIN PLAN
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He gave them a prayer outline. We call it “The Lord’s Prayer.” This prayer outline as with any plan isn’t to mechanically pray a certain way. It is just a guide. The most important thing is to make it a personal conversation with God. As you pray, I want to encourage you to pray leaning on the Holy Spirit. If you come to any point where the Lord wants you to camp out and go deeper, do that. It’s ok if you don’t finish everything.
The first plan I mention is the plan of praying the scripture.
HOW TO PRAY THE SCRIPTURE
During our 21 days of prayer, we are sending you a topic with related Scriptures that we are encouraging you to “pray through”. Praying the Scripture is one of the most powerful ways to grow in your prayer life and to be confident that you are praying according to the will of God. I believe it is key to fulfilling the many commands to “meditate” on God’s Word as well. As we pray the Word it goes out to impact others and goes in to shape and form our heart and character. Praying the Word is taking it from the general meaning to asking God to help that Word become something specific in your life.
Suggestions on how to pray God’s Word
1. Look at the Scripture and try to discern the intended meaning behind why God put this in the Bible. For example, promises in Scripture about answered prayer help us realize God is eager for us to ask Him boldly for things. As I begin praying Scriptures, I will often say, “Lord, your Word says, you want me to ask boldly; thank you that You are so generous and eager to answer our prayers. Help me to really believe that and ask accordingly. So, on the basis of your command to ask boldly, I ask for the nation of Mozambique to experience a great revival…”
2. Observe things in Scripture that might apply specifically; pray those things into your life and for others. Rick Warren gives the acronym S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S. to help us investigate what that Scripture might be saying. The acronym asks the questions:
1. S-sin- Is there a sin to avoid or ask forgiveness for?
2. P-promise- Is there a promise to claim?
3. A-attitude- Is there an attitude God wants me to have?
4. C-command- Is there a command he wants me to ask for grace to keep?
5. E-example- Is there an example he is telling me to follow?
6. P-principle- Is there a principle about how life works that he wants me to learn and apply? 7. E-error- Is there a lie or false belief this exposes that he wants me to remove?
8. T-testimony/thanks- Is there a testimony of something I can expect to see repeated in my life or a declaration of what God says I can be thankful and is my guarantee?
9. S-Specific- Something specific I am reminded to ask God for in prayer.
3. Draw the Circle
In our “Draw the Circle Campaign” we are giving a special focus to “drawing circles around our biggest dreams and greatest fears. I want to encourage you to especially look at the promises and be open to how the Holy Spirit wants to paint a vision of a better future, a coming breakthrough, a place of victory that God is wanting to take you. Then specifically pray with thanksgiving for what you want to ask to come to pass.
We will also be mentioning various “strongholds” such as fear and many others. As we look at Scriptures related to these, ask specifically for these to be broken in your life or in the life of your family. Ask God to help you see yourself free, and begin to give thanks to God for that victory being yours.
Some Examples:
1. Fear or timidity
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Prayer
“Father, I know You have not given me a spirit of fear or timidity, but one of power, love, and self-discipline. When my mind feels out of control, I pray that You will renew my spirit and let power, love, and self-discipline fill me. Help me to look more like You every day. I declare that anything that is not of you has to leave in Jesus’ mighty Name. Right now, I’m claiming victory over fear in the area of my finances. You know how many times I have let my heart be filled with anxiety that I’m not going to have enough to cover my expenses. Right now, in Jesus name I am committing that to you. I’m praising you that You will supply all of my needs according to your riches in glory. I am renouncing the spirit of fear in regard to my finances and I am thanking you for the perfect peace that you promise comes from knowing that my Father in Heaven will take care of all my needs through His riches in glory. In Jesus’ name Amen.
2. Protection. “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalms 91:1-2)
Prayer
“God, I claim that I dwell in Your shelter, the Most-High God, and I rest in Your shadow, the Almighty One. I claim that You alone are my refuge and fortress. You are my God and I trust in you. You know God that I have often let fear take over, especially about something happening to my children. I have let evil imaginations grip my mind, and sometimes I’ve let worry steal my peace for hours at a time. I’m repenting of that today and I am choosing to put my trust in You for my protection and that of my whole family. Lord, I am deciding now that when I face anything that brings me uncertainty or fear such as a hard conversation with a coworker, thoughts about a burglar breaking in... I will trust in You to be my safe place. I will nestle in your arms and give you praise because You are my Protector and Deliver. In Jesus’ name.