“Seven Habits of Praying People”  Eddie Smith, March/April Ministries Today

Prayer is the foundation to every other ministry of the church, for it is prayer that puts the power of God into the work of God.  

1.  Pray in a designated place. Find a place far from  distractions and interruptions.  

 (a).  A Private Place.  - hang out a “Do Not Disturb” sign.  
  Matthew 14:23, Luke 5:16  

 (b).  A Public Place.  -In the Car, Walking, etc.  

 (c).  The Church.  Come to the Prayer room.  -Acts 22;17  

2.  Set aside a specific time for Prayer. 

George Barna reports that while 86% of Americans profess belief in a prayer answering God, only 58% of them set aside time to pray each day.  

Examples:  All-night prayer (Luke 6:12),  Night Watches, Pre-dawn Prayer (Mark 1:35), Scheduled Prayer, (Jews prayed at 9:00am,12:00, 3:00pm),  Continual prayer.(Acts 1:14)  

3.  Develop an effective prayer plan.    

Highly effective prayer is earnest prayer, prayer with a purpose. Prayer is war!  (Luke 18:1)  

Prayer agenda:  Pray for your enemies. Pray for your friends and family, Pray for the gospel to be preached and the lost to be saved, pray for yourself, Pray for the persecuted church, Pray for leaders, Pray for the sick, Pray for God’s will to be done, Pray the Scriptures, Pray aloud.   Effective intercessors also take time to listen.  

4.  Keep a Prayer journal.   

Keep prayer requests in a journal, Date God’s answers to your prayer, Write a prayer to God. Record impressions and feelings.  

5.  Have Material close at hand. Notebook, pen, hymnal, Bible, etc.  

6.  Pray in faith.  

Through loving God, desiring to know Him, and choosing to obey we come to realize that whatever we ask in Jesus' name, He will hear us. Therefore, pray choosing to believe. Our faith is not in what we can do, but what God has already done. Through Him all things are possible!  

7. Attitudes: 

Humility,Reverence,Righteous, Forgivness,Submissive