How to Pray for An Hour
Approaching God in prayer can be daunting.* This document (adapted from Dick Eastman’s “The Hour That Changes the World”), is a simple guide to help. Follow it to a tee and hit each section for exactly 5 minutes, or linger in one spot as long as you need to.
A. Thanksgiving
Start with the big stuff:
The promises (the resurrection of the dead (Is. 26:19), the wiping away of tears (Is. 25:8), the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20-21), Jesus’ work that enables us to inherit those things (Jn. 3:15-17), & God’s faithfulness to see these promises come to pass (Is. 55:11) .
Move the medium stuff:
That trial that matured you (Jas. 1:2-3), that brother or sister that encouraged you (Rom. 15:14), that situation God rescued you from (2. Cor. 1:10), Food, clothing, & shelter (Matt. 6:26-27)
But don’t forget the little stuff:
that parking spot, weather, music, swimming pools, porch swings, etc.
(Psalm 100, CSB)
1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his—his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18, BHT)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Messiah Jesus for you.
B. Wait & Listen
After opening your mouth in Thanksgiving, shut it and listen. Quiet your heart and mind and see what the Spirit has to say (Acts 13:2).
(Ps 62:1–7, NASB)
1 My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken…5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
C. Repentance
Some of us might need more than 5 minutes here:) Acknowledge & repent of any known sin. Own them, don’t hide them. And then, by the Spirit of Grace, we turn away from them. And then, we receive the joy of having our sins not counted against us for the Day.
(Psalm 139:23-24, ESV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(1 John 1:8-10, CSB)
8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
D. Pray through Your Bible
You might not wanna try this with, say, the book of Joshua 12-22.
But other sections like the Psalms, gospels, and letters, are great. Open your bible, read, and as you do, look for
1) God’s promises,
2) things you can obey,
and 3) warnings.
And then turn them into prayer. For example after reading 1 Corinthians 14:1, where Paul writes: “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.”, you could pray, “Lord, help me pursue love. Give me a desire for spiritual gifts.” It’s pretty self-explanatory, but is a great way to dialogue with the Lord and to get the word in your heart.
E. Cultivating Sobriety & Watchfulness In Your Own Heart
To be watchful is to slow down and take notice of our heart. Are we sober about what's happening in our inner-man? Are we drifting towards compromise in subtle ways? Is your tongue looser than it should be? Your stomach ruling over you? Your eyes roaming where they should not? Watch for these little sins that can grow to larger ones, and weed them out with the gospel.
(Proverbs 4:23, ESV)
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
(Colossians 4:2, CSB)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
(1 Peter 5:8, BHT)
8 Be self-controlled, stay awake and be watchful. Your accuser, the devil: It is “like a roaring lion” that he is “walking about to and fro” searching for someone to devour. 9 Stand your ground against him, firm in your faith…
F. Cultivating Sobriety & Watchfulness In Your Own Heart
Not only is personal watchfulness and sobriety a necessary component of prayer, God also calls us to sobriety about the state of our church, community, and world. In cultivating sobriety about the enemy’s schemes, we can sound the alarm and bring warning.
(Ezekiel 3:17, NET)
Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me.
G. Intercession
Now wide awake, begin to pray for the things you’ve been sobered up to in your own heart, church, and world.
(Ephesians 6:12-18, CSB)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand…18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
(1 Tim 2:1-2, ESV)
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
H. Personal Petition
Bring your needs to God, “7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Pe. 5:7).”
(Mt 6:25–34, CSB)
25…do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on… 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? …Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you,...31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(Phil 4:6, ESV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ,
I. Church Leaders, Members, & Ministries
This is where you make good on all those times you said, “I’ll be praying for you.” Using the Membership Directory in our Church App & Website, pray for the specific prayer requests from members or simply pray through some of the apostolic prayers.. Using those same apostolic prayers, pray for CLC’s worship, discipleship, & evangelism in our Sunday gatherings, prayer meetings, classes, home groups, etc. Also pray for our different missionary partners.
J. Sing
Sing your own song, sing the bible, sing from a hymnal, pop in a cassette tape, blow on that didgeridoo, whatever, make music to the Lord.
(Psalm 68:4, CSB)
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name. Exalt him who rides on the clouds—his name is the LORD—and celebrate before him
(1 Co 14:15, CSB)
15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding.
K. Meditation
In mediation, we fill up our mind (not empty!) on God & His word. Use a scripture and run it over and over in your mind, like a cow chewing on a cud.
(Psalm 1:1-3, ESV)
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
(Psalm 119:15, ESV)
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
(Joshua 1:8, ESV)
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
L. Praise
This is mostly praise that I made it through an hour. In praise, we magnify God, glorify Him, and tell Him that you trust Him with your prayers.
(Psalm 145:, CSB)
1 I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The LORD is great and is highly praised; his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. 5 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. 6 They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness., 7 They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness… 10 All you have made will thank you, LORD; the faithful will bless you. 11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom and will declare your might,...21 My mouth will declare the LORD’s praise; let every living thing bless his holy name forever and ever
*I don’t expect anyone to actually pray for an hour a day and there’s nothing especially magical about an hour, HOWEVER, if we aim for an hour, we may hit 5 minutes. And 5 minutes beats the boots off of no minutes.