One of the most important parts of my day is the “quiet time” that I spend reading my Bible, praying, and memorizing scripture. It is what keeps me spiritually fit, by building and growing my relationship with the Lord. Just like when I miss a scheduled workout, I feel “blah”, when I miss my time with the Lord, I can tell that my day is just not right.
Did you know that when Jesus was giving his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, and he gave them Lord’s Prayer (verses 9-13), he did not say “if you pray, then this is how you should pray”, he said “when you pray”. The context of this is so important – there is an expectation that we will pray to God.
For me, I like to be intentional with this prayer time, so I have created a Prayer Calendar (inspired by a friend of mine who does the same thing). There are plenty of days when I pray about more than what is on this calendar, but this calendar helps me to stay focused and intentional.
Weekly
Sunday: Church
On Sundays, I pray not only for the leadership in our current church, but also those where our friends and families serve. I pray also for the people who attend the services and Bible fellowship classes – that the Holy Spirit would speak to their hearts and that their lives would be changed.
Monday: My Family
On Mondays, I pray for my immediate and extended family. If there are specific things going on in their lives, I pray for those. I pray for those in our family who do not yet know Christ – that He would open their hearts and would allow them to know Him soon. I pray for their health, their relationships, and their spiritual growth.
Tuesday: My Husband & Our Child
On Tuesdays, I pray for Phil. For the work that he is doing with the youth at our church, and for his leadership. I pray for our relationship, for his spiritual growth, and for anything that I know is heavy on his heart. I also pray for the little girl that God is knitting together in my womb – that she would be healthy and that she would grow up to know and love Christ.
Wednesday: My Church Staff & Families
On Wednesdays, I pray for each of the ministers on staff. I pray for their families and their ministries. I pray that they will submit to God’s wisdom and that God will knit their hearts together to serve Him well.
Thursday: Close Friends & Colleagues
On Thursdays, I lift up my closest friends as well as the people who I work with. I pray for specific things I know that are going on in their lives and that they would draw close to God. I pray for those who I know do not have a relationship with Christ – that they too would come to know Him soon.
Friday: Prayer Requests of Others
On Fridays, I lift up the prayer requests of others that have come my way throughout the week. If you e-mail me a prayer request, I promise to be praying for you on this day.
Saturday: Our Ministry
On Saturdays, I pray for the youth at our church and the youth at the church where we previously served. I pray for specific requests of the girls in my small group, as well as for changed hearts and changed minds of the youth in our city. I pray that they would have an impact on this world. I also pray for their leadership – that the leaders who volunteer on Sundays and Wednesdays and the youth ministry team would fall more in love with Christ each day, and that they would have the energy and dedication to be committed to reaching our youth.
Monthly
I’ll also have an area to pray for depending on the month:
January: Our Marriage
During January, I will be praying for our marriage – that Phil and I would continue to strengthen our relationship, that I would submit to his will, and that he would lead me well.
February: Phil
During the month of our wedding anniversary, I will commit to praying for my husband
March: Emma Grace
During this month, I will pray for our sweet daughter – that God would keep her healthy and that she would grow up to love Him.
April: Work
This month, I commit to praying for the leadership at my current company and for God’s will in all of my business opportunities.
May: Political Leaders
I will be praying for the current leaders in office & their families.
June: Students
June is such a busy time for our student ministry – with camps and mission trips. During this month, I commit to pray for the students and leaders.
July: Marriages
During this month, I will pray for our friends who are engaged to be married and those we know know who are having marital problems.
August: School
As teachers and school leaders head back to the classroom, I will be praying for them.
September: Myself
As I adjust to the role of Emma Grace’s mommy, I will pray for me and that my actions would align with what God wants for my life – that I would be a strong role model for my daughter and a Proverbs 31 wife to my husband.
October: Missions
During the month of October, I will praying for our friends who are serving as missionaries both here in the US and overseas.
November: Thanksgiving
During the month of November, I will pray for things I am thankful for and that God will be continually cultivating a grateful heart in me.
December: Balance
With the hectic holidays, I will pray that Phil and I are making the most of our time and our abilities and that we are keeping a good balance in our marriage, our relationship with Christ, etc.
I encourage you to take this template and modify it to fit your prayer needs and use it throughout 2013. Be prepared to be amazed by the power of prayer!
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