Over the course of the next 4 weeks, we are assigned to read/pray through the "Prayers of Intention" as shown below. We are to do it Monday through Friday, right when we wake up before we even get out of bed. We are only to spend about 3 minutes each morning on it. At the end of the 4 weeks we are to write up a 2 page reflection on what the time was like. Though sometimes we can be resistant to structured prayer, let's prayer for the Spirit to be active, moving, and work in our hearts as we dialogue with God. Don't be afraid of what may come up...bring your whole heart to Him. He isn't afraid of anything. Even if you are mad at God or don't even know Him, He delights in you & wants you exactly where you are at.
Join with us in your first 3 minutes of your day!
Ways to Pray without Ceasing 1 Thess. 5:17
Dr. John Coe
To protect the heart from moralism and the flesh
To protect the heart from under-effort and the flesh
To open to the filling of the Spirit in all things and no longer be alone
1. Prayer of Presenting Oneself as a Sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2): the spiritual discipline of presenting oneself to God as a living sacrifice, open to Him and His will in all things.
This protects the will from becoming asleep to the will and Person of God.
2. Prayer of Recollection (Phil. 3:7-9, Gal. 2:20): the spiritual discipline of reminding the self of its true identity in Christ (full pardon, full acceptance) and "Christ in me" (that I am not alone).
Prayer of Intention:"God, whatever I do today, I want to do this in you. I have died with Christ
to the law and to sin. It is no longer I who lives but Christ is now my life and He lives in me.
I don't want to do this alone, in my own power or as a way to hide and cover. I don't want to
find my identity in anything but Christ. I am in Christ and that is my true identity." (Confess any
idolatry).
This protects the life from idolatry, false identities and moralism or making decisions from false
guilt, shame in life in the power of the self.
3. Prayer of Honesty (Ps.15:1-2, Ps. 139:23-24): the spiritual discipline whereby we open to God and ourselves in what is truly going on in our heart in order for truth-telling to take place in our relationships and life in general.
Prayer of Intention: "Lord, what is going on in my heart right now with You, with others, with
my life, my situations? Search me, O God, and know my heart. Open my heart to you today in
truth, lest I deceive myself." (Confess any idolatry).
This protects us from superficial obedience, from presenting ourselves in arrogance, closed
heartedness, dullness of heart, etc. Let the heart be a mirror to the truth and open to God.
4. Prayer of Discernment (Eccles. 7:13-14): the spiritual discipline whereby we learn to watch what the Spirit is doing in us and not merely our work, to "consider the work of God," what His will is in all things versus ours or the devil's so that we can better cooperate with the Spirit. Here we seek wisdom on how to respond to His work that is ongoing within us.
Prayer of Intention:"Lord, what are you doing and what is it that you want me to become and
do if I am to do your will."
This protects us from responding to false calls of guilt of what to do in our life, to fantasy, to the
demonic, to our grandiosity, to working alone. Here we learn to wait on God and watch His
work more than our own.
5. In receptivity to the Spirit, hear the Word of God (Lectio Divina [Heb.4:12])
(Jn. 15:5) "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much
fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."
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