Practical Prayer Ideas...

This is an eclectic blend of ideas from Kari, Arabah Joy, and Val Woerner :

Some tools you might want to collect and have ready:

*journal or composition book - something to write in and something to write with

*your Bible

*your computer and/or phone for your favorite Bible apps

*topical guide (Nave has one, Blue Letter and Bible Hub have one for free on their website and/or app you can use)

*index cards and/or post-its

*gummy or elastic bracelet

1) Make a master of list of what/who you want to pray for.  
* I even divided mine into four subcategories - the easy (example - friends and family), the ones that require the most discipline and humility from me (people that you do not particularly like, get along with, or even that are downright mean to you), the critical (urgent), and then requests for supplication.  Make sure as you compile your list, you pull from your family, friends, neighbors/community, church, colleagues, teachers, preachers, doctors, veterinarians, and pharmacists etc; - but don't forget the larger picture of our military, first responders, government (local and federal), as well as other countries, missionaries, and finally our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe.  

2) Assign a day of the week to your categories.  Example on Monday you might pray for friends and family, while on Tuesday you want to pray specifically for missionaries, churches (leaders and laymen), and maybe a specific country where you know persecution is very, very difficult right now, then on Wednesday you will pray for your neighbors etc; 

3) Take some time and look up some promises from God. (*be sure to read them in context so that you grasp exactly what God is and is not saying) and write out the Scriptures or references so that when it comes time to pray - you have it all ready.

4) Start your prayer time with confessing any sin that comes to mind, next spend some time singing praises to God, and then start journaling.  This can be as formal or informal as you want - but keep a record of what you pray so that you will be able to accurately thank God when He answers. (this is also SUCH a rich faith building activity)

For yourself and your urgents:

1) Make or get an elastic or gummy/silicone type bracelet and a list of specific promises from God's Word - transcribing one or two onto an index card or post-it - this is where the topical Bible comes in handy.

2) Arabah Joy explains this so much better - but the gist of it is : pray God's Word over you and your circumstances and your list - then throughout the day - when you feel anxious, worried, nervous, angry, despairing etc; take that bracelet off, pull out your card or post-it and pray that verse/promise from God's Word again and slip it on to the other wrist.  This will make sure you are communing with God and His Word more than you are stewing in your own thoughts.

Reflect :

One of the easiest aspects of praying (for me) to overlook is the step of reflection.  Take time each week to look back over what you prayed and spend time praising God for His provisions, His answers, and His presence.  Do this at the end of each month and then collectively at the end of the year.  God is so faithful and so worthy of my praise - but how often do I rush from moment to moment and forget to acknowledge this and to simply say thank you.  Thank you God for Your Word, thank You for Your presence, thank You for the gift of prayer and for the gift of these people and situations in my life.

***

Also - if someone asks you to pray for them - stop right then and pray.  But - then take a second to text it to yourself, or jot it down so that when you have a minute you can write them down on your master list.  Don't forget to jot a date by their names and then about a week or so later - send them a text and see how things are.  

Another practical thing that you can do is anytime you see or hear a police, ambulance, and/or fire siren/truck - pray right then.  Hear or see a medical flight overhead?  Pray - pray for the person, their family, the medical crew - both those that are there and giving life-saving efforts, but also for the facility about to receive them.  That they would have wisdom, compassion, strength, and knowledge on how best to care for the patient and their family.