Oct 16, 2019

Want real change? 4 Ways to Power Up your Prayer Life

It can be challenging to be consistent with prayers. The busyness of life and distractions of our never ending “screen obsessions”, can interfere and even prevent us from growing in our relationship with God. The Bible says to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:16-18). There is good reason for that…..we have a real enemy that prowls around “like a roaring Lion looking for someone to devour” – 1 Pet. 5:8. Satan hates to hear us pray. Priscilla Shirer sums it up well in her book Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer - “Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the enemy and to all his ploys against you.” So how is your prayer life? Is it vibrant, strategic, and intentional? Does it bring glory to God? Do you long for more?

Below are 4 Ways to Have a Vibrant, Strategic Prayer Life

Make Prayer a Priority – Have an appointment on your calendar and keep it! If your life is super busy, then you can’t afford NOT to pray. We make time for those things that are most important to us – not what we say is most important to us.

Have a Strategic Plan – We have plans for our vacations, our careers, our finances, but what about talking to the Creator and CEO of the universe? Create strategic prayers for every area of your life and all of the people that you love. Praise God, thank Him, worship Him – He is worthy! Pray for your marriage, your children, and your families. Pray for your neighbors, your city, your state and the nation. Imagine a generation of women committed to praying consistently. And not just committed to but actually doing it!

Find a designated Place – I have a “nest” on one end of my couch – you may prefer your kitchen table or an outdoor patio. The place is not the important part – you can pray anywhere, anytime, but having a special place for our strategic “prayer closet” is a valuable tool. In my prayer “nest” – I have my Bible, my journal, my favorite pens, my planner, and plenty of Kleenex! I also keep a few note cards handy for sending an encouraging note to someone God brings to mind during this precious time with Him.

Bring your Planner – Invariably, during my prayer time, God will remind me of some action that I need to take – calling someone, a new project to start, a reminder of something I committed to, but haven’t begun. Having your planner handy will keep you from derailing your time – you have a place to quickly jot down thoughts, actions, and ideas. Some of my most precious “aha moments” come during prayer and I don’t want to lose them – having my planner close by has proved to be a tremendous benefit. In the Blaze Planner, there is a prayer plan built in, so I can actually use my planner as my strategic tool.

God longs for time with us – He loves us! It is His will for us. The more we spend time with Him, the more this time becomes like the air we breathe. We can’t wait to meet with Him – our Abba Father. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16. If you are longing for more, look no further than your prayer “closet”. He is waiting, and the rewards are breathtaking. Be Strategic. Start today.

Next Steps: Take the next step and download this free printable on praying for our nation to get started! Check out The Blaze Planner for more guidance on powering up your prayer life!!