“I have often thought about what my greatest surprise will be when I go home to be with the Lord. After much pondering, I have concluded that it will be the tremendous power and peace that was available to me through prayer on this side of heaven — and how infrequently I used it!” – Richard Burr, Principles of Intimacy with God
The first time I read that quote it stopped me in my busy ministry tracks. It hit me that I, too, didn’t fully grasp the power of prayer.
Although I often taught on the importance of prayer, my own prayer life had grown stale, rote and sadly, infrequent.
I was dropping the baton of prayer that had been passed on to me from my prayer warrior dad, who wrote books on prayer, and my grandmother, whose life had been defined by prayer. The irony of that “baton drop” was it was mainly because I was so busy “doing” ministry.
I had wandered into dangerous territory, trying to lead a large and thriving women’s ministry that wasn’t covered in prayer.
So, I began to be purposeful about awakening the wonder of prayer in my own soul by regularly praying the following 6 types of prayers:
Worship Prayers (Psalm 145:1-2)
Setting apart prayer time with Him with praise and worship, instead of jumping into interceding, revolutionized my prayer life. One practical way I do this is through “Alphabet Praise” which includes praising Him through His names and attributes. For example: Almighty, Beautiful, Compassionate, my Deliverer, Everlasting Father, Good, Holy, Infinite, Just, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Word of God Prayers (Psalm 119:92)
Turning favorite Psalms or other Scriptures into prayers is a powerful way to pray over loved ones. I prayed Psalm 139 over my firstborn while pregnant with her, and I am now praying that same Psalm over my first grandchild.
Written Prayers (Psalm 62:8)
Journaling prayers is one of the best ways for me to remain focused when praying. Those written prayers can then be part of the prayer legacy I will leave my family one day.
Wrestling Prayers (Psalm 13:1–2)
It wasn’t until I faced a series of storms in my life that I finally understood the power and beauty of lamenting prayers. The psalmist modeled this like none other. One way I’ve prayed these prayers is to write a psalm of lament as a prayer of my own heart.
Woman-to-Woman Prayers (Matthew 18:20)
As ministry leaders we must have a prayer partner who covers us in prayer and holds us accountable to be a leader who prays. It was my prayer partner who taught me the power of praise in my own prayer life.
Warfare Prayers (Ephesians 6:10–18)
Prayer is actually a strategic piece of the armor as outlined in Ephesians 6:18: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
As ministry leaders, let’s “always keep on praying” together!
→ If you’re a member of womensministry.net, check out Judy’s recent article on how you can best lead by scheduling time away with God. Not a member? Click here to learn more.
LEAVE A COMMENT: What prayers or Scriptures have you used to keep the wonder of prayer alive in your own life?
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