my personal quiet time: prayer. (and my favorite resources!)

Yesterday, I gave you an in-depth look at what my daily time in the Bible has been looking like lately.  Today I thought I'd share what's been helping me grow in the area of prayer, which hasn't come very naturally to me and therefore has required some intentionality.

Prayer

Some people seem to find it so easy to pray consistently; I have had a very sporadic history with prayer that has been closely tied to my emotional state at any given time.  If I'm riding a spiritual high, I pray.  If I'm deep in a spiritual depression, or red-hot angry at God for whatever reason, I pray.  If I'm desperate to find my retainer (hypothetical situation, obviously), I pray.  But on most normal, run-of-the-mill days, I just can't figure out how to do it.  I can't figure out how to even want to do it.

This summer, my friend Monica and I set out to learn more about prayer, and to commit ourselves more intentionally to growing in this area.  While it still isn't easy, it's becoming more consistent for me, at least.  Here are a few things that have helped:

A prayer notebook, in which I keep lists of asked and (as it happens) answered prayers for myself, my family, others, ministry, etc., as well as decisions I need to make that I would like to pray over, instead of just prayer-lessly rushing into stuff like I usually do.

A prayer journal, in which I quickly write out a prayer each day.  This seems to keep my mind focused and helps me remember later what I even prayed for that morning!

A book of prayers written by someone who's better at praying than I am.  I've started reading daily prayers from the book, "Setting Their Hope in God: Biblical Intercession for Our Children" by Andrew Case, which is so very helpful.  The prayers are drawn almost entirely from Scripture, and I like to insert each kiddo's individual name as I quietly read each day's short prayer.

And last, but far from least, is one simple but embarrassingly effective tool for becoming more consistent: the sheet of paper.

This daily prayer chart was printed at the back of the book, "The Heart of a Woman Who Prays," by Elizabeth George.  (An identical chart for Bible reading can be found at the back of the book, "A Woman After God's Own Heart," by the same author, a book which I would recommend to everyone.)  I have found that the accountability (and even self-competition) this simple little print-out provided for me was one of the kicks in the pants I needed to get started.  I just highlight the days I sit down to pray.  Easy peasy.

You can see that I initially didn't do so hot.  I was supposed to have started in April.  Which is blank.  May had five days highlighted; June had six.  But I developed a desire to do better each month, to think in terms of 're-starting' each day, rather than feeling like the whole effort was ruined if I missed a day.  And progress toward my long-term goal is easily seen and kept track of!  Such a simple, useful tool. 

I'll be making a free printable of a similar prayer chart available by the end of the week, so stay tuned.  Do you think something like this could help you become more consistent in your quiet time?  Or, if you're already pretty consistent, what has been something you've found super helpful?