How to Organize Your Prayer Life--Part 4

Welcome back Everyone!

I am so glad you are joining us in this series on organizing your prayer life!  If you haven't been reading along from the start, make sure to go back and read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 to catch up!

We have already been working on Section 1 of our Prayer Journal, which is about "Almighty God," and Section 2 of our Journal which is about "Myself."  Today we are going to move to the next two sections--Sections 3 and Sections 4, and these two sections are going to be divided up and used to pray for your immediate family.  Now, each person's immediate family is going to be a little different, so you are going to personalize these two sections to fit YOU and YOUR family.  And don't forget that you can group family members together in one binder section.

In my Prayer binder, my spouse is Section 3 and both of my children share space in Section 4.  If you are not married, you may have Section 3 be praying for your parents, or even a sibling, and Section 4 may be praying for your Grandchildren--really, just think about YOUR life and whomever you could consider YOUR immediate family.  Sometimes "family" may not even be your blood relation, but a close friend who is dear.  

My hubby's name is "Mitch," so I just labeled his name right onto the tab of his section in my Prayer Journal.  On the back side of my divider I chose a Bible verse that is my "theme" verse for this section.

This is a lofty goal, perhaps, but this verse is what I WANT to live up to in my life with my husband!

Then comes my divider section for my kids.  Since I cannot fit both their names onto one tab, I simply decided to label it "Children."  It works!  Inside, I have a full page with my son's name on it, and my pages with prayers for him are right behind this page.  Then there is a page with my daughter's name on it, and following it are the pages with my prayers for her.  You "could" have a separate divider for each child, but I will say that too many dividers can start getting your Prayer Journal a little complicated.  But do whatever fits YOU and YOUR life.

And if you want to, choose a theme verse for that section as well. :)

If you are married, pray for your spouse.

~Praise God for the gift of your spouse and list all of their qualities that you are thankful for

~Pray for their love and devotion to God

~If they are not a believer, pray for their salvation

~Pray that they will spend quality time with God each day, allowing God to shape them into the godly person God has called them to be

~Pray that God will give them wisdom and discernment in every decision they make throughout the day

~Pray for specific needs and struggles in their life

~Pray for their health

~Pray for your marriage

 If you have children (or grandchildren!) pray for them.

~Praise God for the gift of your children

~Pray that your children will come to know Jesus

~Pray for angels of protection all around them

~Pray for hunger and love for God’s Word

~Pray for friendships with siblings

~Pray for them to be a godly leader one day

~Pray for protection from evil traps in this world

~Pray for the ability to make and the discernment to choose good friends

~Pray for specific needs and struggles for your children

If you have parents that are still living, pray for them.

~Thank God for parents that taught you about Him

~Pray for special needs they may be facing as they age

~Pray for them to trust God to meet their needs

~Pray for their health

~Pray for their social needs, especially if they have lost their spouse

~Pray for wisdom in how to help provide care for them

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Just as we did in our Sections 1 and 2, feel free to write down any Bible verses you find that you feel are applicable and you want to remember, or that will be an encouragement as you pray for that person  You can also include other quotes you have found that you want to remember.  I share below three quotes from one of my favorite Christian authors that speak of intercessory prayer.  I forget sometimes, about how important it IS for us to pray for one another, so these quotes help me to remember this!  You are welcome to copy down these quotes as well if they are an encouragement to you--or write down other quotes from reading you do. 

“In private prayer all have the privilege of praying as long as they desire and of being as explicit as they please.  They can pray for all their relatives and friends.  The closet is the place to tell all their private difficulties, and trials, and temptations.  A common meeting to worship God is not the place to open the privacies of the heart.”

Ellen G. White

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, 578

“We should pray to God much more than we do.  There is great strength and blessing in praying together in our families, with and for our children.”

Ellen G. White

Child Guidance, 525

“Nothing will give such clear views of self as secret prayer.  He who seeth in secret and knoweth all things, will enlighten your understanding and answer your petitions.  Plain, simple duties that must not be neglected will open before you.”

Ellen G. White

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 163

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In our class at our church, I shared the following prayer story with our class.  It is a story that touches me, so I thought I would share it here with all of you as well.  It is hard sometimes to not let ourselves get discouraged when we do not see quick and even immediate answers to our prayers.  But it is important that we continue to trust the results of our prayers with God.  Our "job," so to speak, is to pray.

The following is an excerpt from the book “Things God Can Do With Ashes” by Tim Crosby, published by The Quiet Hour, p. 96:

"Sometimes it takes a while for our prayers to take effect.  Josephine Cunnington Edwards prayed for her brother Bill for 50 years, but Bill wanted nothing to do with God.  Josephine even got a small church involved in the act, and Bill’s life slowly began to change.  Still, though, he was not religious.  But then something remarkable happened.

One day Bill’s wife Mary found Bill in tears.  He explained, “I heard the door open behind me.  I turned around, and—Oh Mary, it was the Lord! I knew Him by the nail prints in His hands.  No picture can ever portray the love in His eyes.  He said ‘Bill, I have a special request I have to make of you. I have 50 years of prayer for you to answer for.  Your parents went to their graves believing that they would never see you again in the kingdom.  Bill, I would love to have a grand surprise for them when they get to heaven.  Won’t you give your life to Me so that I can present you to them there?’ “

Within weeks Bill was baptized. “If you had seen Jesus,” he said, “you could never refuse Him anything that He asked of you.”

Friend, if you have a loved one who does not belong to God, never give up.  You have immediate access to a vast reservoir of untapped prayer power.  Claim those promises.  Your persistent prayers can sway the destiny of those you love and perhaps of generations to come."

So there you have it--the end of my "instruction" for Sections 3 & 4 of your Prayer Journal.  Now it is up to you!  It's time for YOU to think about your immediate family and get them written into one of these two sections of your Prayer Journal.  Remember, make this work for YOUR life, for YOUR family.

And your assignment for this week?  Leave me a comment telling me how you used these sections for your family.  Did you list your spouse in one and your children in the second, like I did?  Or did you use a section for your parents?  Or something different?  

Sneak peek!  I will tell you that we will have a section coming up later for "other" family members--so do not feel like you have to fit EVERYONE into these two sections.  But remember--we are trying to simplify our prayer lives as well, so use these sections for whomever you consider your IMMEDIATE family.  And don't forget to leave me a comment and tell me about it!

Have a blessed week with Jesus--and start using your Prayer Journal to help you talk with Him more!

~Susan