Plan to Pray

Do you pray? Do you have intentional time in conversation with God each day?

If you don’t pray, or if your prayer life is less than you desire, is it because you don’t plan to pray?

When Jesus instructs His disciples about prayer in Matthew 6, He tells them to “go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret…and when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do…pray in this way…” (Mt. 6:6, 7, 9).

With those few words, Jesus exhorted the disciples to be purposeful (have a plan) for the place they would pray (a room that would afford them privacy) and for the words they would pray. They were not to repeat formulaic prayers that they had memorized either as children or as a liturgy, but that they were to use their own words in praying. And by avoiding repetitious prayers, they were also being attentive to their own needs and the needs of others around them.

There are two simple ways to cultivate this in your own life. First, have a plan for a time of day and a place where you will regularly pray. Where might you go that you can have a season of privacy from family members or co-workers or passersby so you can be undistracted in your prayers? Once you choose a place then make an appointment to be there on a daily/regular basis (you might even schedule the time into your calendar to help you remember).

Secondly, develop a means of remembering the kinds of things for which you are praying. You might consider these kinds of lists:

• A list of God’s attributes and character that help you praise Him
• A list of God’s provisions for which you can thank Him
• A list of personal needs (including areas of spiritual change that you desire for yourself)
• A list of needs for family members and close friends
• A list of needs for church members and ministries
• A list of missionaries and their needs
• A church directory that you can pray through over a number of weeks (perhaps taking one or two letters of the alphabet daily)
• A plan to realistically work through each of those lists (perhaps assigning one list, or part of a list, to a particular day of the week)

Prayer is hard work. And it is the result of purposeful planning. Plan to pray.