Another Idea for Adding Texture to Your Prayer Life
Most Christians struggle with prayer. I’ve never talked to anyone who feels that they pray as much or as effectively as they’d like. Since I’m clearly in that group, I always appreciate getting new insights on how to make my prayer life more robust.
A few months ago, I wrote an article suggesting one way to add some new dimensions to your prayer life. Many of us pray for certain people – usually family members and a few close friends – every day. I suggested segmenting your prayers for those people as follows:
Day 1 - That God would speak to them and they would be listening
Day 2 - For your sense of what their greatest need is
Day 3 - For the important relationships in their lives
Day 4 - For their health, employment and financial circumstances
This practice focuses my prayers on specific aspects of their lives and is something I enjoy doing.
Now I want to share another idea I recently stumbled on.
I’ve been a gym rat for about 30 years. Beyond hitting the weights at the gym 2x a week, I usually get 40 minutes of cardio in 4x a week, either cycling or running outdoors or, if indoors, using the stationary bike or elliptical.
Unlike some people, I’m able to read during the inside cardio activities. So I read for my first 30 minutes but leave the last 10 for prayer. Lately, I’ve started praying for people from various periods in my life: college friends, high school teachers, people at the various jobs I’ve had, old church friends, former neighbors, etc.
Of course, the people from our past are a mix of dear friends and others who may have caused us great grief. Despite the fact that I’ve lost track of most of these people, I can still thank God for the role they played in my life – even if they created problems – and ask him to continue blessing them and working in their circumstances and hearts. For those who were struggling during the time periods our lives overlapped, I can pray that their issues have improved or been resolved.
It’s amazing how quickly these 10 minutes of prayer pass. And sometimes, as more and more people come to mind, I have to devote multiple prayer times to the same group of friends. Besides the pleasure of recalling past relationships, it’s gratifying to know I can have an ongoing role in their lives, as indirect as it may be.
Plus, this practice helps beat the monotony of cardio exercise.
Why not give this a try? You may select a different setting for this type of prayer – doing it first thing in the morning, as you drive to work, while doing the dishes, etc. And you may spend a different length of time. Also, nothing says you can’t pray for the people currently in your life. It’s important to find a way that works for you.
If you implement this approach, let me know what you think!