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How to spend an hour in prayer
An hour seems a very long time to spend in prayer, especially for young Christians. How can I
spend an hour in prayer meaningfully without repeating myself and without it becoming boring
and a burden? Dick Eastman suggests in his book 'The hour that changes the world' that we
divide and hour into 12 period of 5 minutes each. You change to another form of prayer after
every 5 minutes. The following is his method:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Praise and Worship
Waiting on the Lord
Confession
Praying Scripture
Watching
Intercession
Petitions
Thanksgiving
Song
Meditation
Listening
Praise
(The above illustration is taken from "The Hour that Changes the World" by Dick Eastman C
1978 by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI)
This book of Dick Eastman is a valuable asset and one can hardly improve on it. I would whole
heartedly recommend it. There is a summary at the end of each of the twelve chapters.
The following is a short synopsis of each of the 12 aspects of prayer.
1.
Praise - is an act of commitment to God. Through praise we acknowledge God for who
He is, exalt Him with our words, our whole being and our attitude, in prayer. All prayer should
start with praise. Psalm 115:1 says: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the
Glory, because of Your Love and Faithfulness".
We praise Him for His Name, His Justice,
Love, Holiness, Omnipotence, Greatness, Faithfulness, His Word, His Creation, His
Redemption, etc. You can for instance, use a different theme each time in this time span of
Praise and Worship. Expand on this them as much as possible, meditate on it, weigh the
practical implications of it on your life and the lives of others. Watch out, though for a mere
repetition of words.
2.
Waiting on the Lord - is an act of silent love or adoration of God. It incorporates
worship and praise to God for who He is. It is to worship God and to praise Him for who He is.
During this period of silence we tune in to (adjust ourselves to) God Himself, we direct our
whole being to Him and commit ourselves to Him anew. We rejoice in and over His Presence.
Psalm 46:10 says: "Be still and know that I am God." We can say that this is a very intimate
form of communication between God and ourselves, it is I, as the limited (shackled) and finite
being before God who is the Unlimited and Infinite Being. We make sure at this point that we
are in contact with God. This time of waiting on the Lord cannot be hurried, there is no place
for impatience and haste here. During this time you think of nothing else but God The Father,
His Son Jesus your Redeemer and The Holy Spirit. You need not express your thoughts in
words. Concentrate on your relationship with God and your love for Him.
3.
Confession is the condition to admission to God. This is a time of self-examination
(introspection) and allowing the Holy Spirit to point out any unconfessed sin to you. I
acknowledge my sin and sinfulness before the Lord during this period; I confess my sin and
turn my back on it; I break with my sin and accept the Lords' forgiveness. Confession is the
cleansing of the Christian. Sin builds a wall between us and God so that God will not hear us
(Isaiah 59:1-2). Our sins are paid for and forgiven solely through the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ on the grounds of his death on the Cross. I don't ask God to change the circumstances
during confession but that He will forgive and change me. Confess each form of failure,
negligence and sin.
4.
Praying Scripture - To be able to pray in a balanced way, I have to spend time in The
Word. I must get to know God's promises and pray them to God. The Promises of God create
faith. In the first place The Bible is a Book that has to be believed and obeyed. During this
period I ask: "Lord what promises can I make my own; what commands must I obey, what
warnings must I pay attention to?" The Word is our prayer manual. We must remind the Lord
of His promises in His Word day and night. As you read Scripture, ask the Lord how to apply it
in your life and in your prayer time. Your prayers must become quotations from Scripture more
and more.
5.
Watching - a time of spiritual perception (observation) to be spiritually aware of matters
to pray for. It will lead to praying for the needs of others and some of your own needs. You
tune into the Lord and ask The Holy spirit specifically to draw your attention to specific matters
so that you can pray for them. Be especially wary and alert for the onslaughts of the evil one
during this time. Pray and ask The Holy Spirit to show you the plans, methods, strongholds
and strategies of the evil one. Paul teaches us to watch and pray with thanksgiving. "Devote
yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (Col.4:2) Satan will certainly try to keep you
from praying and confuse you so that you can not concentrate. Be wary, rebuke and resist
him. Be sure to pray purposefully. What are the problems people experience while teaching
the Gospel? Pray for that. Are there things reported in the newspapers, things that we hear
on the radio or see on the television that we should pray for; things like economic problems,
political unrest, wars, etc.
Intercession - to intercede for others, to pray for other. In intercession we concentrate
6.
on the needs and distress of others - we stand in the gap for someone else. Intercession is
God's method to get His children involved in His plan for the World. We become involved in
World evangelization during intercession. When you intercede you stand at God's side and you
work with Him for the salvation or the benefit of some else. By faithful intercession you can do
as much as those who are physically in the field. Work out a systematic plan for intercession,
start with your own household and family, then your friends and church, then your town, your
country and lastly the whole World. Every Christian should have a burden for lost souls and a
World in need. Remember the church of the Lord also needs intercession. Intercession is not
only on behalf of unbelievers. Spiritual warfare is an element of intercessory prayer that
deserves a specific place in our prayer time. Pray and ask the Lord to show you through the
working of The Holy Spirit where the powers of evil are working. Binding evil forces in Jesus'
Name, break their strongholds and resist them. Resist the devil, don't give him a hold in your
life. Jesus conquered the evil one on the Cross. We as believers must proclaim his victory in
each area of life. Spiritual warfare will also be part of your prayer time during Watching and
Petition.
Petition - for your personal needs. The believer may and should come to his Father and
7.
pray for his own personal needs. And he can pray expectantly, even for the smallest things.
During this period we pray for our "daily bread" and we also pray for spiritual strengthening and
equipment for our lives and work as believers. I look to the Lord in total dependence to meet
my needs. We must never ask out of selfishness. No, our requests must bring Praise to Our
Father. Anticipate what your needs are going to be during the day in this period and pray for
them.
John Rice said: "Prayer is asking and receiving." Tell the Lord why you ask these things from
Him, thus ensuring that your intentions are pure. Come with frankness as our Father wants to
meet our needs gladly.
8.
Thanksgiving - is to acknowledge your appreciation to the Lord for what He has done
for you and others. During this period I thank God for who He is, His gifts, His answers to my
prayers, His care and provision. Thank the Lord for spiritual, material, physical and any other
blessings. Be specific in your thanksgiving and beware of generalizations. Tell the Lord why
you are grateful. Think about the day or days gone by and thank the Lord for everything which
you have received from Him.
9.
Song - is melodious Worship. Song does not have to be used during communal worship
only. The intercessor can sing his own (new) song to the Lord or make use of existing songs as
circumstances determine. Song and Spiritual warfare (our battle with the evil one) are
inextricably linked to each other. During this period one Praises, Worships, Exalts and Adores
his Father in song. Your singing can take the form of praise songs, songs that testify to God's
power and grace, Thanksgiving and songs about God's Name. To sing to the Glory of the Lord
is definitely a command from God (Ps.100). Sing enthusiastically and heartily, because you are
Exalting God. The attitude of your heart and the fact that you are carrying out His instructions
are of greater value to the Lord than whether you can sing beautifully or can sing in tune.
10.
Meditation - means to reflect upon or examine a matter more closely (deeply) to
evaluate it spiritually. During this period I think about the Being and the nature of the Triune
God, his creation and great deeds. You can use a portion of Scripture to reflect upon, a Psalm
for instance, but also other portions. Christian meditation is the opposite of Eastern meditation.
To the Christian, meditation is an active process of evaluation, searching and pondering, where
he uses his full intellect and is led by Scripture and the Holy Spirit in his meditation. Meditation
is to ponder in a disciplined way. Beware that Satan does not plant his thoughts into your mind.
Also beware of negative thoughts during this time. Consider everything that is true, pure, noble,
right, beautiful and praise worthy. When you meditate on a certain portion of Scripture you must
ask yourself among other things what this portion means to you.
11.
Listening - is a period during which you ask the Lord to reveal new things to you, things
that He wants you to notice and pay attention to. You deliberately ask God to reveal His Will
and Strategies/Plans to you. In waiting on The Lord the emphasis is on loving God. During
meditation we want to learn more from God. During the period of listening we want to hear what
God wants to say to us. During this period I ask: "Lord, what do you expect from me; What is
Your Will for me?" You can also ask the Lord specific questions, perhaps some difficult
questions that you do not have the answers to. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Write down all
the thoughts that come from the Lord in your opinion, and put them to the test in the Scripture.
Use them as directives for the execution of God's command. Be careful not to say immediately
that: "The Lord said this and that to me." Always test if the Lord is still with you in the matter
and be prepared to make a change of course, if necessary.
Worship - to exalt God and say of Him: " I know who I am praying to and I Trust Him
12.
with my prayers (supplications."). This is a period of jubilation before the Lord. Let your AMEN
be strong at the end and confirm thus that you believe that God has heard you and will answer
you. Amen means - it is true and sure, so shall it be. This "method" of prayer can be applied
meaningfully by individuals and by prayer groups. Of course you don't have to keep to 5
minutes. It can be shorter or longer. Eventually each individual will develop his own method or
style. All the elements do not have to be present during each prayer session. You will also
notice that some of these sections over-lap each other. Initially keep to the scheme, but be free
to do it in a different order or to incorporate two or three aspects with each other.
Gratis Mejora de Oración Recursos | Mundial de Operación: "- Enviado mediante la barra Google"SEEK MY FACE
Ps.27:8
A practical guide on how to watch and pray for one hour
1. Seek His face through calling on the Name of the Lord (5 min)
The God, the Source of all steadfastness and encouragement (Rom.15:5),
Compassionate and merciful God (Ex.34:6), El-Shaddai (the All-sufficient; Satisfier)
(Gen.17:1), Yahweh-Jireh (God shall provide; Provider) (Gen.22:14), Yahweh-Ropheka
(the Lord who heals you) (Ex.15:26), Yahweh-Shalom (the Lord gives rest; the Lord is
peace) (Ps.35:27), The Lord of the whole world (Mic. 4:13), Jesus Christ the Way, the
Truth and the Life (Joh.14:6), Christ the Power and Wisdom of God (1 Cor.1:24), The
Lamb in the centre of the throne (Rev.7:17), The Lamb that was slain (Rev.5:12), Christ
the Hope of glory (Col.1:26), the Spirit of: Liberty, Insight, Counsel and Strength,
Knowledge and Fear of the Lord (Isa.11:2), Grace and Supplication, Holiness, Love,
Truth, Power, Self-control, Wisdom and Revelation of the Knowledge of Him, the Spirit of
Glory.
2. Seek His face by praying for personal revival (5 min)
Prayerfully consider these questions:
• Is there any unconfessed sin in my life?
• Do I harbour unforgiveness and bitterness in my life?
• Are there any doubtful practices or activities in my life?
• Am I obeying the Holy Spirit promptly in all things?
• Am I confessing Jesus unashamedly?
3. Seek His face for unsaved families, friends or individuals (5 min)
1. __________________________ 2. _____________________________________
3. __________________________ 4. _____________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________
Pray for their salvation, that God will bless them (spiritually, socially, emotionally), and
pray for their felt needs.
4. Seeking His face for His glory to be revealed in the church (5 min)
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________
and/or
Seek His face for the church (5 min)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
For congregations to be restored as houses of prayer for all nations (Isa.56:7,
Matt.21:13)
For congregations that fulfill the Great Commission – taking the gospel to all
nations. (Matt.28:18-20)
For congregations to fulfill the Great Commandment – churches reaching out with
acts of love and compassion to their communities, being relevant in addressing the
needs of the people. (Matt.22:37-40)
For a church that will be faithful to the Word.
Restoration of relationships within local churches and between churches: divisions,
pride, jealousy, etc.
5. Seeking His face for your own personal needs (5 min)
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________
6. Seek His face through watching and listening (5 min)
Ask the Lord to reveal new things to you, things that He wants you to notice and pay
attention to. Ask God to reveal his will and strategies/plans to you. Ask the Lord for things
that are on his heart that He wants you to pray about. Write down (journal) what you
sense God is saying to you.
7. Seek His face by praying the Word (5 min)
Start to pray systematically through the Psalms. Read and pray through 2-3 Psalms
every time you pray.
8. Seek His face for breakthroughs and His intervention in the following global
challenges (5 min)
1. The HIV/AIDS pandemic and immorality, sexual perversion, prostitution.
2. The increasing number of poor and needy people, injustices and harmful acts and
deeds.
3. Corruption on all levels, ungodly covenants.
4. The persecuted church in many nations.
5. Wars, bloodshed and ethnic violence & pray also for millions of refugees.
6. The abuse and exploitation of women and children, abortion.
7. Racism & racial hatred and ethnic pride.
8. Witchcraft and idolatry
9. Seek His face for the nations (5 min)
Write down the names of 5 nations and pray for them
1._________________2_______________ 3___________________
4__________________5_______________
1. For an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church
2. For a missions awakening in local churches, reaching the unreached with the
Gospel. (Mark 16:15-19)
3. For Godly and mature spiritual leaders
4. For the multiplication of committed disciples
5. For the coming of God's peace and glory to countries and nations, that God will
bless the nations and for the healing of the nations
6. That kings and governments will submit to the Lordship of Jesus as the King of
Kings (Isa.49:7)
10. Seek His face for leaders and pastors (5 min)
1. For men and women that are able, men and women that fear God, men and
women of truth, men and women hating covetousness. (Ex.18:21)
2. Praying men and women that will lift up holy hands without wrath and doubt. (1
Tim.2:8)
3. For shepherds and leaders according to God’s heart, who will feed His people
with knowledge and understanding. (Jer.3:15)
4. For apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors filled with the Holy
Spirit and compassion of the Lord Jesus, to equip the saints for the work of
ministry, who will build up the body of Christ so that Christ may be formed in us.
5. For men and women - diligent to present themselves approved to God, dividing
the truth rightly, willing to endure hardship, vessels of honour, sanctified and
useful for the Master, prepared for every good work, avoiding foolish and
ignorant disputes, not generating any strife, being gentle, patient and humble,
faithful men and women, able to teach. (2 Tim.2:1-22)
And/or Seek His face for the youth:
1.
That this generation of young people will reach their generation with the gospel
2.
For young people to come into a new intimacy with God and obedience to God
3.
For radical committed disciples, living in holiness
4.
To radically serve God and to follow Him wherever He leads
5.
For compassionate hearts, to reach even those in the gutters and serving the poor
11. Seek His face for the reconciliation of people with Himself and others (5 min)
1.
That nations will confess their sins of hurting, suppressing and abusing their own
people and other nations.
2.
For reconciliation on all levels (in families, oppression of women and children,
between churches and denominations, ethnic groups or races, between countries,
etc.)
3.
For the breaking of strongholds, structures and political systems that destroy the
lives of people.
4.
That individuals, families, clans and ethnic groups will forgive those that harmed
them.
5.
Through acts of restitution and blessing one another.
And/or Seek His face for the deliverance of people from witchcraft and idolatry
1. For people to confess any involvement in witchcraft and idolatry.
2. For people to proclaim that Jesus Christ alone is Lord - the Way, the Truth and the
Life. (1 Cor.12:3; Rom.10:12; Joh.14:6)
3. For people to proclaim that Jesus is the only and fully sufficient Mediator between God
and humankind. (1 Tim.2:5)
4. For people to proclaim that the blood and sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is enough for
us to be reconciled with God. (Heb.10:19; Eph.2:13)
5. For people to proclaim that God through the Holy Spirit will reveal to people all false
gods. (2 Cor.6:14-18)
12. Seek His face by praise and worship (5 min)
End your time of prayer with praise and worship. Thank God for his goodness and take
time to bless individuals that come to mind, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jericho Walls International Prayer Network
Private Bag X22, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040, South Africa
Tel.: +27-12-365 3213, Fax: +27-12-365 3214,
Prayer Network: info@jwipn.com / www.jwipn.com
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