Intentional Prayer Scripture Reading and Worship

Synonyms for “intentional” are words like deliberate, conscious, active, purposeful, and planned. “Intense” implies things like passionate, deep, and concentrated. These are all words you need to employ as you build your relationship with God. For some, this will be easy. You naturally have a passion and purpose for what you do. If you are a new believer, the excitement you felt when Christ entered your heart should get you started. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 says: “pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” In these early days of your walk with Jesus, Satan is going to work to keep you from pursuing the things of God. Deliberate, concentrated effort is required every day, but especially now.

You need to read God’s word (The Bible) every day. Keep one at home. Keep one at your office or in your school backpack. I knew a man who kept a bible on the dashboard of his work van so he could read between jobs. The more you read the Word of GOD, the more you will understand that He IS GOD. You’ll understand that he has a plan for your life and he wants you to be in His will. I recommend that you get at least 20 minutes a day as you start this journey. This time will expand as you grow. If you can meet with God in the morning, do it! There will be mornings that you can’t seem to get out of bed on time. If you miss your appointment one morning, don’t give up. Be there the next day. God will be there waiting. He will be fighting for you to be there. Before you go to bed ask God to wake you before your alarm. When you’re awake ten minutes before the alarm sounds, don’t think: “That’s a coincidence” and then go back to sleep! Get out of bed, find your Bible, and start reading. God Doesn’t do coincidences….God answers prayer!

What Do I read?

You should develop your own system for reading each day. The Bible is made up of ‘books’ each book is divided into chapters and verses. There are several options for reading through the entire Bible in a year; you can pick a book and just start reading; you can start at Genesis and keep going. If you’re looking for a place to start, try the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). Try to read a Psalm or Proverb every day. Don’t be afraid to underline or highlight passages that stand out. Try to memorize meaningful passages. Keep a journal or write notes in the margins. When and how you read isn’t as important as ensuring you get there each day and take something away.

How Do I Pray?

Prayer is simply talking with God. I say “with” God because it truly is a conversation between you and your Maker. While God knows your every need before you do, He created you for fellowship with Him. Volumes have been written about prayer and you could read a book or two to learn more about prayer, but first, you should turn to God’s word for some straightforward instruction. Ephesians 6:18 says: “...pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it says: “pray continually.” Prayer isn’t just a quick: “Hey God, here I am, I need this, this and that…Amen.” You should pray without ceasing throughout your entire day. Start the process with a concentrated effort each morning. Your concentrated prayer time should include these three areas: Praise and Thanksgiving, Confession, and Intercession and Request.

Praise and Thanksgiving

If you think about it for a minute, you can probably list countless blessings from God. Start with your Salvation and go from there. When you pray, start with a time of praise and thanksgiving. Start with gratitude. Praise can take many forms. Pray through Psalms that are praiseworthy. Recite lyrics to songs of praise. Read passages of scripture that reflect your love and admiration and affection for our Savior. Thank God for what’s on your heart

Confession

We are sinful by nature. Were it not for God’s grace, our sins would keep us from fellowship and eternal life with God. Although you have been washed white as snow through acceptance of Christ and confession of your sinful nature, you will continue to sin and will fall short of God’s plan for you. To maintain a right relationship with Him, you must confess your sins daily. In the same way that your sinful nature will keep you apart from God eternally, your unconfessed sin will hinder your daily walk with Him. Humbly leaving your sins at the cross every day will put you in a place where you can continue to experience his grace, love, and forgiveness.

Intercession and request

While God knows your every need, He wants to hear from you and know that you recognize those needs, especially those that go beyond you and your well-being. Perhaps one of the most humbling and rewarding prayers is a prayer of intercession. Effectively defined as “a prayer to God on behalf of another” or “an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person,” intercessory prayer helps you realize that your Christian walk goes way beyond your needs and wants. God is not some kind of cosmic vending machine where you punch in a few numbers and a blessing drops into your lap. Prayer keeps you in God’s will and makes you aware of his plan for your life. It allows you to love those around you and watch God work in them.

When Do I Worship?

At first glance, this seems easy. You know that your church has a service on Sunday, so you will go and worship, right? Not so fast. Worshiping God is much more than just an hour on Sunday. Worship is a state of mind. You can revere God in your prayer time. You can adore God as you reflect on an answered prayer. You can honor God when you act as a servant to a neighbor or friend. You praise God at a concert or when you watch a sunset or sing along in your car. You glorify God when you share the Gospel with an unbeliever.

Similar to prayer, I encourage you to worship God all the time without ceasing. And when Sunday comes, you will be ready to worship corporately with other believers.