Organizing your Heart and Home….Four Components to Prayer

don't pray in the rain if you don't pray when the sun shines... Satchel Paige

{photo credit}

Welcome to Organizing your Heart and HomeLast week we talked about organizing our quiet time and today we’re going to use four components to organize our prayer time.

Prayer is simply communicating with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “pray continually.” So we know we can pray any time, any where, and any place.

Here’s what I try to do:

I continually talk to God throughout the day. (I try not to do this out loud when I’m around people so they don’t think I’ve lost my mind.) If some one or some thing comes to my mind, I pray for them right then.

If a crisis comes up, I pray.If fear comes over me, I pray. If I’m tempted to sin, I pray. When I see God working, I praise Him and I pray.

But I’ve also found I need to set aside time for some more intense prayer time. I try to do this after my quiet time and I like to journal it. This can take just a few minutes (the time frame is up to you) but the blessings you will reap are endless!!!

Put the date at the top of your page and then write the acronym, P.R.A.Y. on your paper.

Here are the four components to P.R.A.Y:

1. Praise

Begin your prayers with praise. Thank God for His goodness, for His kindness, for being the amazing Light in your life! This is where you pour your heart out to Him and tell Him how much you love Him. The Lord inhabits the praise of His people (Ps 22:3). And he loves to be praised and adored (not to mention how worthy He is!). Make this the first thing you do when you go to God in prayer.

2. Repent

Romans 3:23 reminds us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” None of us are perfect. So, undoubtedly there are some things you wish you hadn’t done – lies you may have told, anger you may be harboring, unrighteous thoughts you may have entertained, sins you’ve committed. If you confess your sins before the Lord, He is faithful and just to forgive you (1John 1:19). Repent – ask for forgiveness and then don’t commit those same sins again.

3. Ask – for others and for yourself

Now you are free to ask anything of the Lord! Jesus says in Matthew 21:22 “and all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” This is the time to lift up your family, your friends, your church, etc. to the Lord. Do you need His intervention in a situation? Is someone you know suffering with a health issue? Do you need a particular blessing? Provision, protection, grace, favor? Ask your Father! Your God shall provide all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus! (Phil 4:19)

4. Yield

So you’ve, praised, repented and asked, but in order for it to be a conversation, you must listen. This is the most important part of the process because it does you no good to talk at God and not wait for His response. He wants to respond to you, but you have to be available to listen! Spend some time in quiet expectation. Look for His response around you – perhaps through the lyrics of a song, or the kind gesture of a person, or maybe through a revelation that leaps from the pages of the Word. He will respond! Make sure you are open to hear what the Lord has to say to you. The Word says “ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt 7:7) Look for Him. He’s heard your prayer and if you’re open, He will respond in due time.

(-The P.R.A.Y. acronym was borrowed from LaVondilyn J. Watson)

*Now for my Giveaway!!!*

To help you organize your prayer time I’m giving away this calendar and three notebooks from carolinapad. It’s their Hot Chocolate collection. I use them and I love them! (The small notebook is my prayer journal and it’s small enough to keep in my purse.)

Enter to win: (required entry)

  • Leave a comment to let me know you’re here!

2 Bonus Entries:

  • Subscribe to my blog, or become a google follower and leave me a comment. If you’re already a subscriber or follower (thank you!) simply leave a comment and tell me.
  • Tweet about this giveaway and come back and tell me about it in a separate comment.

This giveaway will end on Thursday (1/20) at 9 PM EST. The winner will be drawn at random, and notified via email.

Don’t forget to stop by Beneath my Heart and organize your Home. Today Traci is going to help us organize our kitchen pantry.

Thanks so much for joining…………..

What do you think? Can you set aside some time to pray? You will be blessed, I promise!!

leave a comment...

  1. I’m here. Thank you so much for this post on prayer. I have enjoyed the Organizing your Heart and Home posts.

  2. Cyndi, I am enjoying this series and am finding inspiration in it. Thank you so much for doing it…and who doesn’t love cute notesbooks? 🙂

  3. Hi Cyndi! LOVE this post as I’m completely amazed how much better prepared I am to face the day when I am connected with God through prayer! I can always tell when I’ve let my prayer times falter as my brave stand against Satan & his numerous attacks falters too!

  4. Love the new series, both yours and your sister’s. Thanks for the giveaway, and even more for the encouragement to persevere in prayer.

  5. Hey Cyndi! What a wonderful giveaway–you’re so kind!

    And this is a great post on prayer. I’ve seen various acronyms regarding prayer, but I think this is the best I’ve seen. Thank you for sharing it!

    Have you ever read Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard J. Foster? It’s the best book on prayer I’ve ever read. I need to read it again, as a matter of fact!

    Thank you for this series!

  6. Hi Cyndi, I’m here and a follower! Thank you so much for this series – I found you through Traci. I think you both are AMAZING and INSPIRING.

  7. I am so loving this series!! Just like I need to work on spending more time in my bible, I need to work on spending more time in prayer! These are two things that I vow to improve on in 2011 & your blog is certainly helping me & encouraging me to to do so! I love the Pray acronym! It makes it easier to organize my thoughts during prayer time & make sure that I cover everything! Thank you for this post!!

  8. I love, love, love the PRAY acronym. I love it. I do pray all day, too. I think the thing I am loving the most about your project is that it helps me see that others are doing the same! I love knowing I am one with Christ and other people!

  9. Wonderful post, Cindy!!
    A great reminder to me today. And I love the Yield part.
    When I did Youth ministry I would use the acronym
    A.C.T.S with teens… Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. The Yield is left out of that….
    Thanks for sharing…..

  10. Cyndi, I like the acronym. I think we sometimes forget to praise God and only ask. This is a great reminder.

    I wear a bracelet that says “God is BIG Enough”. I remember that when I pray and thank Him for the miracles of my children.

    Have a wonderful day and thank you for this series.

  11. Thank you for your (and your sister’s) blogs. I am being blessed by your posts. Thank you for the PRAY acronym. That helps a lot in remembering how to pray. I would love to win the calendar and journals.
    Sheila

  12. You have made this so simple to understand for people. I think people feel that prayer can be this very intimidating thing, you have made it feel comfortable and like second nature. Beautiful.

    Cha Cha

  13. I love this site.It has been very informative and useful,also Wanda’s Kitchen is great.I’ll keep on reading.Thanks for having this here.God bless you and your family.Love in Christ.

  14. I’m here, I’m here!! (from your sis’s blog) I like yours too!!! I hope I win!! just love notebook things that are cute (thought I am rarely organized!!)

  15. Hey Cyndi! 🙂 I am enjoying yours and Traci’s series! My boys have a newly organized closet and my pantry is now bright, cherry and re-done! Now I get to come over here and see how to organize my heart! 🙂 I love Jesus with all my heart, but I know there’s always room to improve…Lord knows none of us are perfect. lol I like you P.R.A.Y….I’ll remember that one! 🙂 Thanks for your uplifting words…hope you have a great day!
    Hugs
    Missy

  16. Good Morning Cyndi! I’m here! =) Thanks for the comments on prayer — ALL good reminders to me! Have a great Monday. ~Sally

Comments are closed.