Scheduling In Prayer

I have been struggling recently with remembering/ finding time to pray for each one of our children individually. I have no excuses, life has just become very busy and my prayer life needs to adjust. So, I have developed a simple plan for myself that has been working very well and I thought I would share it with you. I figured there must be at least one person out there that is having the same problem. I hope that my plan inspires you to develop a plan that works great for you and your family.

Our family currently has seven children living in our home. It is quite busy, but most days are great blessings. When I thought about the seven children, I noticed that they have very specific needs that I should be praying for, but praying for all of those specific needs everyday became overwhelming. My plan assigns each child one day. I start with our oldest child on Sunday and end each week with our youngest child on Saturday. Seems easy enough, why hadn't I thought of that before?

Each day in my prayer time I devote some time to praying specifically for that day's child. It really has been working great. I pray for their faith walk, for their future, for their character, for any specific needs they have, for their relationships, and whatever else God lays on my heart for them. I would love to pray for each child everyday, and maybe one day my life with return to a speed where that is possible. But for now, I am content knowing that God knows my heart and my needs, and He hears all my prayers for our children.

You might say, but I don't have 7 children. Well, do you have seven people that you feel you should be praying for on a weekly basis? Maybe you devote one day to praying for your spouse, maybe there is a day for one or both of your parents, maybe you feel led to be praying for your pastor or someone in leadership. There are no limits to whom we can pray for. Take a few moments to reflect and I am positive God will lay at least 7 people on your heart.

Prayer is a funny thing. If you have never set aside a special time to just pray for others, let me encourage you to do so. I have found that as I spend time talking to God in prayer that the Godly characteristics I desire become more evident in my life. Even when I am praying for others. I have also found that praying for others allows me to "see" the struggles they may be having and how I may help them. Sometimes prayer seems like a chore, but it always turns out to be such a blessing. Please consider giving regular scheduled prayer a try, I know that you will be blessed!