For a Vibrant Prayer Life
What I'm going to share today is going to seem crazy to some of you. It will seem like just too much. And I get it. I really do. Your life is busy. I know it is. But if you want a vibrant prayer life, I have to tell you. Nothing has helped me as much as this little book.
I love it because it truly is praying scripture back to God. In it are three months of scripture divided into categories:
Adoration - praising God for who he is
Confession - acknowledging your sin before God and thanking him for forgiveness
Renewal - orienting my will around God's Word
Petition - bringing my personal needs before God
Intercession - bringing the needs of others before God
Affirmation - agreeing with God's will and submitting to it
Thanksgiving - praising God for what he has done
Closing Prayer - honoring God and establishing my focus for the day.
Let me show you how I use it.
I'm a writer. And so I literally write out the Bible verses, praying as I write and then tying it together before I move to the next category. You don't have to write it out. It just helps me to focus and to take my time. I'm amazed at how my mind can wander while my eyes are moving across a page. So writing really helps me.
Another thing I do is structure the way I write it. Notice the indentions? I do this to help me better understand what the verse is saying, to see parallel thoughts, dependent clauses.
For me, "SO THATs" are super important. I am SO motivated to see the pay-off. Reaching for the fullness of Christ in our lives is a good thing SO THAT we will grow up. I want maturity in my faith and in my life. And when I pursue the fullness of Christ in my life, I will grow up.
And as I'm writing, if God highlights a word or phrase, I underline it and ask God the significance of this phrase for my life.Do I do this every day? No. There are days I miss. There are days I only do half. And sometimes a verse isn't speaking to me, so I skip it. Just like my chronological reading plan is a guide, this is a guide. If you're ready to order your own copy of Kenneth Boa's Handbook to Prayer, just click on the top picture and it will take your right to his site to order. There's no better resource I can recommend for a vibrant prayer life!So, do you think I'm totally crazy? Can you see yourself trying it? Please join me over on Facebook and let me know what you think.