# Prayer-time "schedule"



## blhowes (Jan 2, 2006)

I made two New Year's resolutions for two areas that I've found lacking lately: regular Bible reading and prayer. 

I'm back on track with my Bible reading, following a 'through the Bible in a year' type schedule where I read from the NT, OT, and Psalms/Proverbs each day. 

I'm having a difficult time organizing my prayer life/schedule. I was just wondering how or if you schedule your time in prayer? I've typically never been real organized in prayer, but would pray whatever came to mind at the time. Do you list everybody you know and pray for them daily/weekly?

In the e-Sword prayer requests section, there are four categories you can use for your prayers:adoration, confession, thankgiving, and supplication. Do you ever schedule times in the week when you give adoration to God for one particular attribute, or do you just do that as it comes to mind? or thanksgiving?

How do you organize your prayer time?


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## alwaysreforming (Jan 2, 2006)

Bob,
You could probably get a lot of "ditto's" on this topic, but I'll skip mine. These two areas will hopefully improve in my life this coming year as well.
I've tried to use the E-Sword prayer function in the past, but it didn't work out so well for me. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I imagine I'll just try to quench the Spirit less by praying AS SOON AS something hits my mind, right then and there, and not "table it" for a later time (because I'll forget).


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## Ex Nihilo (Jan 2, 2006)

I think this kind of scheduling is helpful, because I am not naturally a scheduled person... Making lists and writing prayers is very helpful for me, particularly.

On this topic, I seem to recall that there was a Bible-reading calendar somewhere on A Puritan's Mind. Am I remembering correctly? Is it still there, and, if so, where is it?

[Edited on 1-2-2006 by Ex Nihilo]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 2, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ex Nihilo_
> I think this kind of scheduling is helpful, because I am not naturally a scheduled person... Making lists and writing prayers is very helpful for me, particularly.
> 
> On this topic, I seem to recall that there was a Bible-reading calendar somewhere on A Puritan's Mind. Am I remembering correctly? Is it still there, and, if so, where is it?
> ...



Evie,

Check this out.


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## Ex Nihilo (Jan 2, 2006)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> 
> Evie,
> 
> Check this out.



Thank you so much!


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## Swampguy (Jan 2, 2006)

I wish I could say that I get up at 4am and pray and study for 2 hrs. And of course fast two days a week. But I don't and I have learned to pray as often as I can when I can. I find I actually pray more this way then when I tried to follow a schedule. 
On Bible reading I don't always read everyday but usually accomplish 5 out of 7 days. I read 1 OT, 1 Psalms and two in the NT. 
As I have gotten older I realized that to make a law is a sure way to make sure I fail. But as I have come to enjoy talking to God more and reading what He has given me I find I actually get more done.
Relax and enjoy God. Talk to Him at every opportunity, He enjoys hearing from you. Read His word as you like. Who said you have to read the whole thing in a year. I spent 6 months reading Romans everyday, just over and over again. 
But if you want get up at 4 and spend two hrs He will like that also. Remember He is our Father and a Father loves to hear from His kids. RELAX AND ENJOY


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 2, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ex Nihilo_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> ...



You're welcome!


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## blhowes (Jan 3, 2006)

> _Originally posted by alwaysreforming_
> I've tried to use the E-Sword prayer function in the past, but it didn't work out so well for me.


I brought up E-sword mainly because its set up for scheduling time for adoration, thanksgiving, etc., which is a practice that is foreign to me. As much as I like E-sword, I don't think I'd use its prayer function. I'd like to be able to review answers to prayer from time-to-time and, unless I'm doing something wrong with E-sword, the prayer request is removed when you change its category to 'Answered'. 



> _Originally posted by alwaysreforming_
> I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I imagine I'll just try to quench the Spirit less by praying AS SOON AS something hits my mind, right then and there, and not "table it" for a later time (because I'll forget).


.
That's generally been my approach to prayer. Lately, though, I've been thinking about all the relatives, neighbors, coworkers, etc., that I know and it bothers me how many of them have never 'hit my mind' for prayer.


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## blhowes (Jan 3, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ex Nihilo_
> I think this kind of scheduling is helpful, because I am not naturally a scheduled person... Making lists and writing prayers is very helpful for me, particularly.


Evie,
With your lists, do you find yourself praying for each person on the list daily or weekly or...?


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## blhowes (Jan 3, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Swampguy_
> I wish I could say that I get up at 4am and pray and study for 2 hrs. And of course fast two days a week. But I don't and I have learned to pray as often as I can when I can. I find I actually pray more this way then when I tried to follow a schedule.


Tim,
Thanks for your response. For my prayer time, I'm not so much looking to pray early and for long periods of time, as I am to just be consistant and organized. If I could get into the habit of praying 15 minutes a day for starters, then that's 15 minutes more of focused prayer time than I'm praying now. And it shouldn't be too hard for me to find 15 minutes each day to pray - I probably watch more than 15 minutes in commercials each day, so...



> _Originally posted by alwaysreforming_
> As I have gotten older I realized that to make a law is a sure way to make sure I fail. But as I have come to enjoy talking to God more and reading what He has given me I find I actually get more done.
> Relax and enjoy God. Talk to Him at every opportunity, He enjoys hearing from you. Read His word as you like. Who said you have to read the whole thing in a year. I spent 6 months reading Romans everyday, just over and over again.
> But if you want get up at 4 and spend two hrs He will like that also. Remember He is our Father and a Father loves to hear from His kids. RELAX AND ENJOY


As I've gotten older, I've found that I enjoy being more systematic in my Bible reading. For years, I read the Bible in a very disorganized fashion, kind of just opening the Bible and reading whatever passage I opened to. After years of doing this, I sort of assumed that I had read everything in the Bible, but quite honestly I had no way of knowing for sure. 

It was a blessing for me when I started following a through-the-Bible schedule. There's just something about systematic Bible reading. For a while, I was on the 6-month schedule, and enjoyed it because it helped me get a bird's eye view of the scriptures. It took maybe a half hour or so to read, which worked out well when I was taking the train to work (a 30 or 45 minute ride).

Now, I'd like to slow down a bit to the 1-year schedule so, as you say, I can just relax and enjoy God.


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