A Simple Way To Pray
by Shauna Wallace
A few years ago, if you had asked me to rate my prayer life on a scale of one to ten, with one being, “What’s prayer?” and ten being, “I’m practically a monk,” my score would have been a two. My life wasn’t devoid of prayer, but when it came to intentional, focused prayer, my attention span was less than that of a two-year-old reading the Wall Street Journal. Not happening, right?
Yep, that was me. I didn’t know how to engage in prolonged, intimate conversation with God for longer than three minutes! I had great intentions and had conversations with God on the fly (which are necessary, desirable and wonderful), but when I found myself desperate for what could only be accomplished with God through prayer, I found myself on my face learning how to pray!
As I talk to women of all ages and stages about prayer, I’m finding we’re all in the same boat! Yes, all! We struggle to keep organized, consistent women of our “I’ll pray for you” word.
Can you relate?
Things are different for me today, It doesn’t seem to matter how much time I set aside to pray, it’s never enough. Not because I’m some super holy prayer warrior who finally arrived! It’s because prayer has become like spiritual oxygen for my soul, relationships and ministry!
The change came through a…
…“random” idea God gave me for keeping up with prayer requests on 3×5 cards in a two-ring binder. Then He gave it a name: SIMPLE Prayer because it is:
- Scriptural
- Intentional
- Meaningful
- Plentiful
- Lateral
- Eternal
Then He told me to share it. It’s flexible, portable, easy to keep up with and helps you be specific in your prayers for yourself and others. It’s radically changed my prayer life and relationships.
May I share the basics with you?
- Get two-hole punched 3×5 cards (or punch them yourself), some 3×5 tabs and a two-ring index binder or two binder rings.
- Label your tabs according to the different groups of people for whom you pray: friends, family, women in your Bible study, neighborhood, etc. You get the idea, right?
- Write the name of each person for whom you want to pray consistently and specifically at the top of a blank card (one per card).
- Clip their card behind the appropriate tab, and write the specific way or scripture you will pray for them.
- Periodically, send them a text and ask them how you can pray for them, update their card and keep praying!
There are so many ways the Lord has grown this tool in my prayer life, and I wish I could share it all here. If you are interested, jump over to shaunawallace.com/simpleprayer and sign up for the FREE 31-day prayer devotional and how to eBook, SIMPLE Prayer: a simple tool for powerful prayers.
This SIMPLE Prayer tool has no power. Not one bit. But perhaps God will use it to radically change your prayer life too. I hope and pray He does!
Much love and many blessings,
Shauna
Author, speaker, and blogger Shauna Wallace openly shares the reality of God and the power of His word through the lens of her life story. Past and present, she tells of God’s faithfulness to deliver her from bulimia, addiction, anger and perfectionism and miraculously save her marriage, blend her family and transform her life. Her driving passion is for herself and others to love Jesus more, draw nearer, go deeper, live freer and believe bigger, learning to exclusively trust Him in the ups, downs, surprises and uncertainties of this thing called everyday life.
Women of all ages and seasons of life find Shauna’s transparent, conversational approach to scripture’s life truths relatable, personally challenging and applicable. Daily seeking Jesus as her anchor and source for significance, strength, and joy, she lives in happy, organized chaos as she juggles a husband, one homeschooled teen, a college kid, three young adult and married children, a family-owned custom home business and her own study and writing. Follow her blog and check out her other books at www.shaunawallace.com .
