Tracking Your Prayers

Prayer is a discipline that helps us to check our connection with the Creator, our means of talking it out with God, and our place of hearing His direction for our lives. Some people struggle with prayer, and I would suggest all of us struggle with prayer at one time or another (if not every day).

Here are some habits I bring to prayer, maybe they'll help you in your times of prayer:

1. Pray with a list. I have made use of index cards to list the needs and thanksgivings of my prayer life. I use this method when I need to discipline myself to keep myself on track with God. For instance, Monday I made a commitment to pray for a missionary for the next thirty days. If you know me you know that at some point in the next thirty days I'll forget. But if I'm using my cards/list it helps me remain faithful to the commitment I made. BTW, I've also put their picture by my bed so that our family can pray for them at night when we're having evening prayer.
   
2. Make a list. This is a discipline I use less frequently, but on occasion, like this morning, I take a post-it pad and jot notes of what/who I'm praying for as I pray. I'm interested in tracking what the Holy Spirit is leading me to pray for. I also use this method when I'm confused or unclear on some things, because it is more free flowing. This week we had a door that I thought for sure was opening, close on us as a church. Unclear. So I prayed and made a list to keep notes on what God was leading me to pray about. Sometimes His answers to prayer are in the prayers He leads us to pray.
   
3. Write your prayers. Sometimes I write my prayers. I use this method when I want to make sure I've said everything I want to say about something to God. I also edit them. Should we rely only on the words that come out of our mouth spoken to the air off the top of our head? I think sometimes writing my prayers helps insure that I've put some thought into what I'm saying and asking for.
   
4. Pray with music. I like to pray with music. It helps me. The singers God has blessed feed me prayer lines in the songs that they sing and I can get caught up in praise while I pray. If you are trying to discipline yourself to longer times of prayer I recommend praying with praise music.
   
5. Pray in silence. I like to pray in silence. I know I said earlier that I like music, but there are times when my spirit says, "Turn off that racket." I just want to be quiet and listen. I pray silently, but especially when I pray in silence I pray audibly. It gives me focus.

Those are some tips from my prayers to yours. Jesus modeled for us the way of life that got away to secret places with God. I hope you find Him in your secret place today. He's there waiting.

--Ben