These 10 powerful prayer habits from the late Pastor Adrian Rogers can transform your own prayer life into something extraordinary...
It was early on a Sunday morning and the kids and I were on a mission - to get donuts for mom for breakfast.
My wife had worked a 12-hour shift the day before at the end of a very busy week. We were poised to be her heroes by the time she woke up.
But God works in interesting ways...
Something just as significant as surprise donuts for breakfast happened on this particular morning.
I happened to be listening to Moody radio and caught part of John Hayden's "Sunday Praise" program.
While I was listening, John shared "10 little lessons learned about prayer" from the late Pastor Adrian Rogers.
These 10 lessons are incredibly helpful to every one of us seeking a more significant prayer life.
Consider how you can apply some (or all) of this list to transform your own prayer life into something amazing once and for all:
#1: Make Prayer a Habit
When you fail, start over, day by day, by day, until prayer becomes an ingrained habit.
Praying can be like any habit - we go through seasons. Sometimes we do great and other times we fall off the wagon. Choose not to let the down seasons keep you from starting afresh each day.
Multi-tasking to work prayer back into your schedule can be a great way to start. When you are feeling like you don't have time to pray, simply pray while you do other things - getting ready for work, making breakfast, exercising, driving, etc (more on that HERE).
#2: Designate a Time and a Place for Prayer
Choose a special time and place for prayer.
Your choice will help you build your prayer habit. Just like crawling into bed each evening can queue your body for sleep, your special prayer place and time will help queue your mind for prayer time.
#3: Make that Time and Place the Most Optimum for You
Choose a time and place when your mind tends to be the sharpest it can be. You want to pray when your attention is at its strongest!
If you're like most, prayer time tends to fit at the margins of the day... if at all. Many people squeeze prayer time in once they are already exhausted by the rest of the day's activities.
But giving your best during prayer time will ensure you get the best from God during your prayer time. Your keen mind will be able to more clearly interpret what God is trying to tell you through His Word as it applies to whatever is going on in your life.
#4: Take Some Things With You
Make an effort to have things that support your conversation with God by your side when you pray.
At a minimum, you will want your Bible, a notebook and pen, and a devotional.
Why?
Because you should expect that prayer time will be a conversation with God - not a personal monologue.
Since you expect God to speak to you, you'll want to have a way to remember all that He says. As Adrian Rogers reminded us, "The weakest ink is better than the best memory."
(Of note, our free OnlinePrayerJournal.com accounts offer a devotional, a prayer journal, and prayer cards to track all your prayer requests. If you haven't already, you can sign up free HERE. If you have, make sure you use it!)
#5: Begin by Reading God's Word
Structure your prayer time by reading the Bible first and then praying.
Have the mindset that what God has to say to you is much more important than what you have to say to God.
As such, you'll find your prayer time energizing. You'll feel instructed by the Word of God.
#6: Learn to Pray About Things All Through the Day
As 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us, "...pray without ceasing."
We can make prayer a facet of everything we do throughout the day. We can consciously choose to be aware of God's presence and the conversations available with Him at any moment.
Most of us would agree we are faced with many people and situations that need prayer each and every day. It could be a child who is defiant. It could be a project at work that is off the rails. It could be an angry driver. Each of these moments invites an opportunity for a quick prayer. We simply need to connect that thought of a prayer need with an immediate prayer. Just talk to God about it.
#7: Keep a Record of Your Requests and Answered Prayers
Recording your prayer requests ensures you continue to pray for the people and things you need to be praying for.
Let's face it, even the best memory is no match for today's world full of 1000's of distractions.
Keeping a record of the prayers God has answered has another very powerful side effect. It helps you build FAITH. And nothing delivers God's power like faith in Him (Mark 11:23-24)
Unfortunately, we are quick to forget just how often God truly works in our lives. We forget how God helped us through difficult seasons and brings new seasons and blessings. Usually we are so forgetful simply because we are already thinking about our next big problem(s).
Now imagine that you have a record of when and how God answered your prayers in the past.
Imagine you could look back at that list 1... 2... even 10 years later!
How powerful would such a reminder be to you that God has been with you your whole life? That He has been answering your prayers for decades?
Once reminded, your sense of gratitude for God as well as your faith He will answer your current prayers will be strengthened.
#8: Put on the Whole Armor of God
While "spiritual warfare" seems like the stuff of bad Hollywood horror films, it is actually quite real and surrounds us constantly.
Most of us simply don't recognize it because it is so subtle. We don't realize that spiritual warfare shows up in the form of anything that disrupts our relationship with God.
Consider how easily and how often your prayer time gets interrupted - the doorbell rings, you get sleepy, the kids need a snack, your mind wanders, and on and on.
As such, you want to view prayer as warfare. Doing so will help you see these distractions for what they truly are... attacks on your relationship with God. As such, you will find yourself more motivated to fight back for that prayer time.
#9: If You're by Yourself, Pray Out Loud
Vocalizing your prayers out loud is a very effective way to stifle a wandering mind.
With all the distractions in our world, our minds are easily taken off track. Speak your prayers out loud to make sure you stay in the prayer zone.
#10: If Your Mind Wanders, Pray About that Thing
When we get quiet, we tend to think about the things that are most heavy on our hearts and minds. Our minds may naturally wander to other important things even while we are trying to start at the top of our list.
Here's some advice... just go with it.
Our minds tend to wander to what is most on our mind - a certain relationship, a big task at work, a child's attitude, etc.
If such topics come in your mind often, make a decision to start praying for that thing. You can always return to the rest of your original prayer list.
Conclusion
I hope you can start to apply at least some of this list of 10 powerful habits in your own prayer life.
I have no doubt they have the power to transform any prayer life into something awesome once and for all!
I would like to thank John Hayden for his permissions to share this powerful list. You can find his Sunday morning program "Sunday Praise" on your local Moody radio station. "Sunday Praise" is a weekly three-hour program that prepares listeners to worship Jesus in their respective Sunday services. This program helps listeners remember who they are in Christ, and focus on what is lasting and truly important.
In addition, John works with Nancy Leigh Wolgemuth on the Revive Our Hearts ministry. Revive Our Hearts is a ministry focused on helping to train, equip, encourage, connect, and mentor women ministers in the role God has called them to fill. You can find out more by visiting their website at Revive Our Hearts.
