I am a firm believer of finding something to celebrate every single day. So, in honor of the 28th day of June, here is a list of 28 ways to enhance your prayer life. 1. Keep a notebook of all the things you want to pray about on a cookbook stand in your kitchen. Pray for the next thing on the list when you pass by or when you are cooking in your kitchen. (Since I don’t cook, this is my favorite use for my cookbook stand ;-)).
2. When you find yourself sitting on your front porch enjoying a summer beverage and breeze pray for the people in each car that passes by whether you know them or not. 3. Waiting in line at the grocery store? Pray for the people on the cover of the magazines next to you. Celebrities need prayer too! 4. Sitting down to check your email. Prayer for each person and email task as you go through your inbox 5. Taking a walk around your neighborhood, pray for those who live in the houses you pass by. 6. Tape a copy of your church prayer list up somewhere in your home and pray for the next person on it as you walk by throughout the day. 7. Go through the Bible and find places where people called out to God. Pray those prayers and connect them to your needs or the needs of others. 8. As you drive down the road lift up a prayer to God every time you find yourself stopped at a redlight or stop sign.
9. Eat a tootsie pop and lift a prayer up to God with each lick. (Let me know how many licks it takes to get to the center). This also works with summer popsicles.
10. Be brave and ask the person waiting on you in a restaurant or ringing you up at the store how you can pray for them today.
11. Let God talk to you. Find a quiet place, and just sit and listen. If this helps you focus, set a timer. Setting a timer will also make sure you are not late to pick up your children from somewhere or another responsibiity.
12. Hit the snooze button when your alarm goes off, but instead of falling back to sleep, talk to God while you wait for the alarm to resound again.
13. Pull out a family picture of extended family, and pray for each one.
14. When you hear a siren of any kind outside, pray for the people who the vehicle with the siren is going to rescue and for the rescuers themselves.
15. Grab a piece of paper and write out your prayers to God.
16. Feeling artistic? Grab some crayons, markers, or colored pencils and create on a piece of paper a reflection of what you are praying for from your art. It does not need to be elaborate. Think of the abstract art in museums. Blobs of color expressing your emotions and prayer works just fine.
17. Checking out the weather on your phone or on the TV? Pray for those who are experiencing storms or other forms of inclement weather.
18. Pray the Lord’s Prayer
19. Look through an old yearbook or church directory, and pray for those pictured and their families. You could even keep this open somewhere in your house and pray for the next picture as you walk by each time.
20. Have a praise hour, afternoon, or day and thank God for everything you see or that happens that you deem worthy of praise!
21. Remember that five finger prayer you learned as a child? Thumb: Pray for those closest to your heart Pointer: Pray for those who teach and instruct, point the way Middle: For the tallest finger, pray for those who lead us Ring: Pray for those who are weak or in pain Pinkie: Pray for yourself
22. While you wash dishes or take a shower, take some time to confess to God and ask to be cleansed by the Lord’s grace.
23. Look at a world map and pray for the various countries that catch your eye.
24. As you read or watch the news, pray for those who are the focus of each story you learn about.
25. Pray for missionaries all around the worold and their work each and every day. Go to www.imb.org/pray or www.cbf.net/prayers-of-the-people
26. As you drive through an office complex or shopping center, pray for the owners and employees of the businesses located there. 27. If you are walking through the park, pray for the children you see playing around you. 28. Pray about the dreams God has for you each night before you go to sleep that they will align with yours and come to fruition.
“pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).