3 Tools to Help You Focus Your Prayers

I don’t know about you, but many times when I sit down to pray, my mind begins to wander to things I need to do or other random thoughts. I love going for prayer walks, connecting with God in His creation, but before long I’m distracted by the sights and sounds around me and forget about praying. Which is why I love having these three tools to help me pray…

Prayer Cards

I learned about prayer cards while reading Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World. He has a few chapters in the book in which he talks about using index cards to write prayer requests for each family member and other people and topics on your heart. He writes:

“The idea of using prayer cards instead of a prayer list came to me one day when I was sitting on our living room sofa, trying to pray…
While sitting like this, spiritually numb, a thought suddenly came to me. Put the Word to work. I got some three-by-five cards and on each one wrote the name of a family member, along with a Scripture that I could use to shape my prayers for that person…
A list is often a series of scattered prayer requests, while a prayer card focuses on one person or area in your life. It allows you to look at the person or situation from multiple perspectives. Over time, it helps you reflect on what God does in response to your prayers. You begin to see patterns, and slowly a story unfolds that you find yourself drawn into….When I pray, I have only one card in front of me at a time, which helps me concentrate on that person or need.”

Paul Miller’s tips for creating prayer cards:

1: Label the card with a person’s name or a prayer topic you want to pray for. (ex: family member, friends, church, non-believers, small group, work, nation, government, etc).
2: Jot down phrases that capture your prayer requests for that person or topic…. Consider the big picture of his or her calling, influence, faith, character, and so on. Be specific about what you want to see. I like to write down the date so I know when I started praying about a specific item.
3: Put the Word to work by considering what Scripture you want to see working in that person’s life/in that particular area.
4. Remember, the whole idea of prayer cards is for you to track what God is doing in each of your prayer stories. Don’t worry that you are doing it wrong. Modify the system in any way that suits you.

He recommends you start with three or four cards you use to pray over daily (such as your spouse and children) and then slowly work in the other cards, praying for friends, non-believing friends and family members you’d like to see saved, your church, your government leaders, your work, a card for yourself, etc.

Paul Miller concludes with these words of encouragement: “As you create these cards, you may experience feelings of unbelief. Don’t be surprised. You are seizing the corner of his garment. Don’t let go.”

Prayer Journal

Writing is a creative form of worship. David was considered a man after God’s own heart and he was known for writing the Psalms–full of his struggles and worries but always coming back to praise God and declaring his love and trust of God.

It only takes a few minutes to sit down in front of a computer or a notebook with a blank page in front of you and start writing. Write whatever comes to mind. Get those thoughts out. Be honest and vulnerable, the page is a safe place for you.

After I’ve written and processed for a while, I then like to turn my thoughts toward scripture and God. What would I say to God in this situation? What would I like for Him to say to me?

And so then I end my journaling with a time of writing out my prayers–it is essentially a love letter to God. Of being honest and vulnerable before God. Of asking Him for help and guidance and wisdom and peace and whatever it is I need in that situation.

Journals are also a great resource for going back and seeing how much you’ve grown spiritually and personally. How God has answered your prayers (because let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to see how God is working when we’re looking back at how the pieces all fit together).

Items you can write about in your journal:

• Letters to God, your spouse, your children, fear, your idols, people who have hurt you, etc. (You do not need to give these letters to these people, it is simply a way for you to process your thoughts, release any negative emotions you may be feeling toward that person/item, and allow you to move forward)
• Praises (how God has answered prayers)
• A list of things you are grateful for
• Scriptures for particular topics or verses that come to mind while you are praying
• Bible passages that you have been studying and how it is applicable to your own life
• Dreams, visions, and goals you have
• Confession of struggles and sins–get it off your chest, onto the page, and into the forgiving hands of God!
• Your questions to God–it’s ok to verbalize them, but make sure you’re asking with a heart to understand what God is trying to teach you, because that is when He will answer
• Prayer requests of family, friends, ministries, etc
• Your own prayer requests and needs you are putting into God’s hands

Don’t worry about perfecting and editing! Just get the words out and onto the paper. God already knows what you’re thinking and He wants you to share your heart with Him so He can help you move forward with Him.

And try to always end your journaling with words of praise and worship-it’ll do you and your faith a lot of good.

Have a Designated Prayer Space

The movie War Room showed us the power of having a prayer closet or prayer space where we can go to meet with God. It is a sacred space that is set apart specifically for prayer, for meeting with God, for engaging in spiritual warfare for our families and other people and topics on our hearts. It’s a signal to our hearts and minds that lets us know when we go into that space that we are there for a specific purpose–to pray.

Your prayer space doesn’t have to be fancy or big. It can be a corner of your closet, bedroom, office, porch, or garden. It can hold the tools that are helpful for your prayer time, such as your Bible, a comfy chair or couch, candles, your prayer journal, prayer cards, Scriptures to pray for various topics, and so much more.

It also doesn’t have to be in your house. My local coffee shop plays Christian music and recently added an incredible little prayer space to it that they call the prayer garden. This cozy space has a comfy couch, a table with a chair, a bookshelf filled with Christian books, a few plants, and Scriptures and prayer prompts hanging on the walls and windows. Every few months the prayer prompts and Scriptures hanging on the wall changes, creating a fresh new environment to pray in.

I love going to this cozy little prayer garden. I bring my Bible and prayer journal and my newly purchased cup of coffee and my mind knows when I’m there, I’m there to pray. Plus, without the distractions of things going on at home or that I need to do, I can focus on prayer.

I encourage you to find a space in or near your home that can be a designated spot for you to pray. Gather the materials that help you stay focused on prayer and keep them in this space.