Developing Your Prayer LifeSample

The Disciplined Life

It doesn’t matter what day it is or where I am in the world, there are several things I do every single day of my life without exception that help me stay spiritually strong. Today I want to share with you openly and honestly what I do every morning, and by sharing this I believe you will be encouraged to renew your time with the Lord and trust in Him for what you need each day.

When I wake up in the morning, I get out of bed, get a cup of coffee, and walk into the room where I like to read my Bible. As I sit down, I begin to get quiet before the Lord. I’ve found that I need to quiet myself in order to hear the Lord. So before I do anything else, I sit in my chair and get quiet.

Next, I open my Bible to wherever I’m reading, and I begin to read deeply. I used to think it was very spiritual to read a lot of verses at once, but now I don’t read quickly. I read deeply so the Bible can talk to me. I find that when I read this way, the Bible begins to show me areas of my life where I need to change. It gives me direction for my life and supplies me with answers that I’ve been seeking. And sometimes, it gives me questions I need to be asking. It’s better to read slowly and deeply and allow the Bible to talk to you than to simply read a lot of verses without being ministered to.

After I’ve quieted myself and allowed the Word of God to speak to me, I begin to pray. I pray for our ministry partners, our church members, the core leaders of our church, the ministry, and for all those who serve within the ministry.

As I pray, I also get still and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to my mind the faces of specific people He wants me to pray for. I’m listening as I pray because prayer is two-way communication.

I do this routine every morning of my life, and I’ve made a commitment to start every day this way. And you can start the same discipline in your life right now. You could even start tomorrow morning. Start by spending just a few minutes in prayer. It doesn’t have to be an hour! God will open your heart. He’ll remove the things that have troubled you, and He’ll fill and refill you with the His Spirit. Let your time with the Lord grow from those few minutes until you have a personal, intimate relationship with Him.

Study Questions:

1. How would you describe your existing prayer life? Would you say that it’s consistent or irregular? Is it life-giving or exhausting?
2. Do you see prayer as a daily task that needs to be checked off a list or as a privileged opportunity to connect with your Heavenly Father?