Who’s On Your List?

September 21, 2008

In morning and evening prayers CDP leaves room for us to choose what to pray. The time of prayer happens right after the Bible readings. I often say prayers of praise and thanks (adoration) to God. I also take time to petition God for the changes I need in my life. What I need most in my life is personal transformation and that need fits the biblical pattern for prayer as often the Psalmists demonstrate. I ask God to take my heart and shape it, my soul and break it, my spirit and edify it, and my strength to sustain it. I petition God to fill me with his grace (to enable me to do and change what I can’t do or change on my own).

My petition is not only for personal change but also for change in others. What we may pray to God for others is limitless in scope. We call it intercession. I have found the pattern I explain here helpful. If it is too scripted for you, come clean with it and devise your own. For me some scripting is inevitable even if the scripting is simply asking God what I should pray for.
This is the pattern I follow mostly.

  1. On Mondays I intercede for family members near and far by name. Often I use the Jesus Prayer on each family member’s behalf: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on so and so. If I know of particular needs I ask God for the changes needed in their lives.
  2. On Tuesdays, I pray for my colleagues and their ministries. At times I use a verse of Scripture to pray for them.
  3. On Wednesdays I pray for the church where I worship, its leaders, its ministries, its necessary changes.
  4. On Thursdays: My Country of Origin
  5. On Fridays: My adopted country, the USA
  6. On Saturdays: For missionaries around the globe.
  7. On Sundays: Smorgasbord.

These suggestions work for me. Design your own. It is good to know what to pray for. I can go to bed anticipating the prayers for tomorrow the night before.

I also use written prayers during CDP prayer times. My favorite is Diary of Private Prayer. There are prayers in DPP I would never think to pray on my own.

I end the time of prayer on days when more time is available with a prayer walk, singing a favorite hymn, or song, memorizing a prayer from CDP or other prayer resource.

The key to remember during prayer is that prayer is paying attention to the giver more than his gifts. A sacred rhythm way to live enriches our capacity to pay attention to God as such.

Creating a pattern for prayer during CDP is important to me. Is it to you?

Posted by georges boujakly | Filed Under Morning Prayer, Praying for Others, Sacred Rhythm 

Comments

4 Comments to “Who’s On Your List?”

  1. Doug Resler on September 24th, 2008 9:22 am

    I also tend to fall into patterns but one thing I make sure I do as often as every day, if time allows, and that is pray for those who do not yet know Jesus whom I am meeting in my daily life. The barristas behind the counter at the coffee house I frequent, the guys I play pick-up basketball with every day, my neighbors who come from all over the world and from many different faith backgrounds, etc. I try to be as relentless as possible in including these folks in my daily prayers because of my selfish propensity to only pray for those I know and love. This is a an absolutely essential part of the missional journey for me.

  2. Georges Boujakly on September 24th, 2008 6:01 pm

    Good reminder, Doug. I have several in my family who are far from the Kingdom and pray for them by name regularly. At times the Lord leads me to pray and fast for the salvation of lost people around me.

    I tend to use Scripture to pray for others who are away from the fold. Is that something you do?

  3. brad brisco on September 24th, 2008 6:21 pm

    Georges, another great post. Very helpful.

    I like the suggestion you and Doug both bring. I think I will begin to create a pattern of sorts. Right now I simply have a prayer list on my desktop that I open each time to be reminded of family, neighborhood, church planters, other relationships.

  4. Doug Resler on September 25th, 2008 5:01 am

    Georges-

    I too like to use the Scriptures to guide my prayers…for example, reading about the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of John and thinking about the many marginalized people I meet, the many folks I meet at the “wells” in my community, that kind of thing. Allowing Scripture to take hold of our imaginations and lead us in prayer is a beautiful exercise.

    BTW, I had no doubt you included those who do not yet know Jesus in your prayers…just wanted to make sure it was said out loud. :-)

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This site exists for two big-picture reasons. On the one hand, we want to counteract some negative trends that are prevalent in society today. Call that our combative side. More important, we think that the missional approach will help us capture the positive dynamics that Jesus wants to be part of every life.
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What Is A Missional Order?

Think of it as a dispersed group of people who unite with each other to pursue three common commitments:

1) Punctuate each day with a rhythm that is sacred. 2) Exert ourselves in the continuous formation of character.

3) Participate in the missio Dei, the mission of God.
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