“Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”
Luke 5:16

Spend one minute each on the following 12 areas of prayer, and you will have prayed for 12 minutes. Spend two minutes on each and you will have prayed for almost half an hour. Spending five minutes on each area will be one complete hour of prayer.

1. Praise
a. Psalm 63:3
b. All prayers must begin with a recognition of God’s nature.

2. Wait
a. Isaiah 40:31
b. This is the time to forget all your cares!

3. Confession
a. Psalm 139:23—“Search me, oh God, and know my heart…”
b. This clears the way for powerful praying

4. Read the Word
a. Psalm 19:7—“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul…”
b. When we read it is just as if God were standing before us!

5. Intercession
a. 1 Timothy 2:1—“I urge that entreaties and prayers… be made on behalf of all.”
b. This is where a prayer list will come in handy

6. Petition
a. James 4:2—“You do not have because you do not ask”
b. To petition God is to open our needs before Him.

7. Pray the Word
a. Jeremiah 23:29—“’Is not my word like a fire’ declares the Lord…”
b. Praying His word assures us we are praying His will.

8. Thanksgiving
a. Philippians 4:6—“…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving… pray.”
b. This is our gift to God.

9. Singing
a. Psalm 110:2—“… come before Him with joyful singing…”
b. These songs come straight from the heart.

10. Meditate
a. Joshua 1:8—“…the book of the law… you shall meditate on it day and night.”
b. Ponder the meaning of the conversation you have just had.

11. Plan
a. Proverbs 16:9—“The mind of a man plans his ways, But the Lord directs his steps.”
b. Plan specific ways to do God’s will: reaching out to the lost, visiting the ailing, encouraging the fainthearted, etc.

12. Praise

Editor’s note: Except for a few minor changes, this was given to me during a chapel lesson at Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver by Allan Lay. I am not sure if he is the original source or not.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Erynn Sprouse

Erynn is the author of Perfected (A Study of Hebrews). She and her husband, Jeremy serve with the Patrick Street church of Christ in Dublin, TX . Her husband is the pulpit minister and evangelist. Erynn is a stay at home, homeschooling mom to their six children: five young knights-in-training and one sweet princess. They are 2003 graduates of the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Erynn is the creator and a regular contributor form Come Fill Your Cup.

Latest posts by Erynn Sprouse (see all)

• Illuminations: James and Romans - June 17, 2021
• Illuminations: Galatians 4:21-31 - March 31, 2021
• Illuminations: Psalm 46 - February 18, 2021