Open with a time of Thanksgiving and Praise, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit in this time of Thanksgiving and Praise. Psalms 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.”
- Thank God for personal blessings (name them individually); for Jesus Christ; the Cross of Calvary; for the Holy Spirit; for the work of the Holy Spirit-conviction-guidance-clarity-understanding-protection-revelation-boldness-etc…
- Praise God for His beauty; strength; grace; mercy; protection; provisions; many blessings; salvation; opportunity to pray; etc…
Spend time in Repentance and Confession, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit in this time of Repentance and Confession. Psalms 66:18, “If I regard wickedness (sin) in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
- Confess sins of Attitude and Thought, 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands us to, “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Ask yourself the following questions: Are there unclean or lustful thoughts, thoughts that are consumed with earthly pursuits, thoughts of anger and bitterness, unloving thoughts, thoughts of fear and doubt, attitudes of pride and prejudice, attitudes of Lukewarmness toward God, etc…
- Confess sins of Speech, Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, that EVERY idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment.” Ask yourself the following questions: Do you use coarse profane words, gossip, slander, unkind or unloving words to or about others, do you use speech that is overly critical, do you speak words that are exaggerations or untruths, do you speak when you should be quiet, etc…
- Confess sins of Relationships, Matthew 5:23-24, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Ask yourself the following questions: Can you think of people you may have hurt or offended in some manner? Are you bitter or holding grudges against people who have offended you? Are you involved in any improper relationships? Do you neglect regular fellowship and meaningful service through your church? Are your family relationships consistent with God’s Word?
- Confess sins of Commission and Transgressions, 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Ask yourself the following questions: Are you involved in adultery, fornication, stealing or dishonesty, assaulting someone, going to sinful places, watching adult rated movies, destructive habits like smoking-drinking-overeating-eating unhealthy foods; reading unclean literature, putting recreation or material things ahead of God, idolatry, financial dishonesty, cheating employers, etc…
- Confess sins of omission, James 4:17, “Therefore to him who knows the right thing to do, and yet does not do it, to him it is a sin.” Ask yourself the following questions: Are you neglecting daily Bible reading and prayer time alone with God, failing to be a daily witness, failure to tithe, neglecting regular worship, refusing to use your spiritual gifts to honor God, etc…
Spend time in Personal Petition, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit through this time of Personal Petition. Psalms 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
- Pray through the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience/longsuffering, gentleness/kindness, goodness, faith/faithfulness, meekness, temperance/self-control.” A sample prayer:
- Love—Father I ask You to fill me with a deep love for You (Romans 5:5). Grant that my love for You be passionate and not lukewarm (Revelations 3:15) Please fill me with Your powerful love for things that further Your Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).
- Joy—Lord, I believe You filled me with a supernatural joy that is unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). Show me how I fail to rejoice and give praise at all times (Philippians 4:4)
- Peace—Lord, I trust You to fill me with Your perfect peace that passes understanding and guards my heart and mind (Philippians 4:6-8). Show me how am I choosing to worry and fret instead of trusting you?
- Patience/Longsuffering—Lord, I ask you to fill me with the powerful ability to wait on You and calmly endure hardships. In what way am I impatient or complaining?
- Gentleness/Kindness—Lord, I trust You to fill me with kind and gracious attitudes towards others. Show me how I have been harsh or unkind to others.
- Goodness—Lord, I believe You and ask You to fill me with a generous attitude that is always looking to help others. Please show me how I have been selfish and oblivious to the needs others.
- Faith/Faithfulness—Lord, I trust You to fill me with powerful mountain moving faith. Fill me with steadfastness. Lord, show me how I have doubted You.
- Meekness—Lord, please fill me with genuine humility, brokenness and a repentant, obedient spirit. Show me how I have been proud, arrogant or rebellious.
- Temperance/Self-control—Lord, please fill me with self-control and discipline. Please show me how I have been undisciplined, careless, or indulgent in any area of my life.
Spend time in Intercession for others, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit through this time of Intercession. Ezekiel 22:30, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make a hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.”.
- Pray for the Spiritual needs of family—friends—co-workers—classmates—those you see daily (sales clerk, waitresses, doctors, nurses, news anchors, neighbors, people you pass on the street, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and pray for whomever He puts on your mind). Pray for people by name—individually—one at a time
- Pray for the physical needs of family—friends—co-workers—classmates—those you see daily (sales clerk, waitresses, doctors, nurses, news anchors, neighbors, people you pass on the street, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and pray for whomever He puts on your mind). Pray for people by name—individually—one at a time
Spend time in Meditation, above all ask God to guide you through the Holy Spirit through this time of Meditation. Psalms 1:1-3, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”
- Read God’s Word Daily at this point and as you read, ask God to speak to your heart
- When you have completed your daily time of prayer and Bible reading, write down in a journal key ideas and thoughts and impressions
- Fill your life with the Word of God. The more you pray and read, the more He will speak to you and transform your life
- When you pray, be sensitive to God’s specific impressions through which He leads you to focus on various issues of concern. Know that God is speaking to you as you pray and read and listen.