Prayer. It can elusive. It can be emotional. It can be spirit-filled. It can be peppered with tears, fears, hopes, and dreams. It can be for peace of mind, to heal a broken heart, or fill the empty spaces of the lonely.

Whatever ever the reason, two things remain; 1. Prayer is necessary, and 2. Prayer is purposeful. It also deepens our relationship with God. Just a few years ago, I dedicated an entire afternoon to nothing but prayer and the results were astounding. You can read about it here.

My prayer partner and I talk every day. It’s a standing appointment, not quite written in stone, but understood. If we are going to be the people who God has called us to be, and serve the ways God has called us to serve our family, our friends, our co-workers, and our church, we have to do those things with intention. Our daily conversations enhance our relationship in Christ and allow us to have a game plan for tackling our lives and daily challenges…and to do so with a with a biblical foundation.

When you pray daily, you are doing the same thing with God. You are petitioning Him for advice and direction. He is telling you what you should and shouldn’t do, offering correction and conviction for the things you may have already done, and backing everything up with His word.

For a long time, rote prayers characterized my time with God. My prayers were laced with “Now I law me down to sleep, God is great, God is good, Praise God to whom all blessings flow, and Peace be unto you” prayers.

Unless I was in the midst of a crisis.

Crisis prayers were from the heart. They weren’t rehearsed. They were honest. At times they were desperate. With a lot of practice though, I’ve discovered that all my prayers should be honest, heartfelt, and reveal my most vulnerable self. I started praying the same prayer each morning to get my day started. I’ve mentioned before that 5:00 am is my jam when it comes to spending time with God, and that time is centered and focused on prayer, praise, and worship.

There is also value in intercessory prayer – a dedicated time and space for praying for others. For me, this also happens during my morning quiet time. If I feel the distinct urging of the Holy Spirit, I will then share prayers, scriptures, and notes from that time with friends and family. Even though 5:00 am is early, I’ve found the biggest benefit to my prayer time is to increase my capacity and ability to pray for others…and that includes you. Here’s the list of prayers and affirmations that I meditate on each day.

Click this image to access our 21-day prayer journey.

Join me on a 21-day prayer journey, right here on the blog that is guaranteed to enhance and boost your prayer life. Each day, we have a new focus, and as you’ll find the prayers are not long and overwhelming. When praying each day, I want to encourage you to add anything specifically from your life experiences and call any names out loud of people you know a prayer is for. Are you ready?

Get started here.