I Want to Pray but I Don’t Know What to Pray For

 

This article was originally written and published about 10 years ago in 2016. It seem to be ever fresh and relevant even today. God refresh your spirit as you read.

Perhaps you have found yourself wanting to pray, but just when you decide to pray, you are not even sure what you should pray for. Many times when this happens, it is not because you have nothing to pray about, but because you have so many things you would like to pray for in such a short time that you do not even know how to prioritize them. This challenge may seem small, but it hinders many people from praying at all. Some even substitute prayer with something else they feel more certain about simply because they did not know what to pray about when they should have been praying.

There are also times when you feel the burden to pray. You know that the Holy Spirit is impressing it upon your heart to pray, yet you refuse to act because you are unsure of what you should pray for. Sooner or later, the burden will lift, whether you yield to it or not. The difference is that when you yield to that burden, there is a sense of relief that comes with an assurance of victory. The opposite is true when you refuse to yield.

The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit has been given to help us in the place of prayer (Rom. 8:26). He is there to help our weaknesses and lead us in what to pray for and how to pray. This is where the importance of praying in tongues, or praying in the Spirit as we often call it, becomes evident. As you yield yourself to a burden or desire to pray, even when you do not know exactly what to pray about, the Holy Spirit will give you direction. The important thing is to step out in faith even when you are uncertain. As you do, the Spirit of God will place the prayer burden in your heart and help you pray it through.

Now, this may not happen immediately. It may take some time for you to properly tune in to the frequency of the Spirit. The encouraging thing is that as you practice this repeatedly, it will take you less time to tune in to the Spirit and discern what God wants you to pray about whenever that desire or burden comes.

On the other hand, while it is good to depend on the Holy Spirit to lead you in prayer whenever you desire to pray or whenever a prayer burden comes upon you, it is equally important to take responsibility for structuring your prayer life. You can begin with a simple prayer schedule, designed like a timetable, to serve as a guide during your prayer time.

With a simple prayer schedule, you will not have to wait for a burden before you pray, nor will you constantly wonder what to pray about whenever you come into the place of prayer, because you have already outlined your prayer focus. This is not to say that your prayer schedule is set in stone or that you cannot be flexible with it. Neither does it mean that the Spirit of God cannot impress something else upon your heart to pray about outside your schedule. Rather, it means that if the Spirit does not impress any specific prayer burden upon your heart, you already have prayer items prepared for that time. This will help you become more organized and effective in your prayer life, and you will certainly see greater results in prayer.

Some believers think that setting a prayer schedule restricts the Holy Spirit. This is nothing but spiritual ignorance. Why do we schedule weekly activities in church? Why do we not simply gather every Sunday and during midweek services before deciding what type of service to hold? No, we already have a schedule. We have worship services, prayer meetings, Bible study meetings, and so forth. The services are organized, yet this does not mean the Holy Spirit cannot direct us differently from our planned program. However, if He does not, we simply follow the schedule.

I remember reading how the Lord directed Kenneth E. Hagin to hold a healing service when they had actually gathered for a Mother's Day service. Yet this does not happen in every service.

Truthfully, there are many people who will never experience a genuine prayer burden until they take responsibility for organizing their prayer lives. It is a privilege for God to meet you in the place of prayer and discuss with you the things He wants you to pray about, but many have never enjoyed this privilege because their prayer lives have never been structured.

Stop waiting for a special burden before you pray. Stop waiting for the church to provide prayer points before you know what to pray for. This is characteristic of spiritual babes. Grow up. Take responsibility for yourself and for others in prayer. Sit down, work out a schedule that suits you, and get down to business.

You do not have to begin by praying for long hours. Simply set aside the little time you have and start. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by those who can pray for long hours. If you remain consistent, you may soon find yourself praying even longer than they do.

Also remember that your prayer schedule is only a guide to help you. If you miss it once or twice, do not let it discourage you. We all miss it sometimes. As you remain consistent, you will find that the confusion about what to pray for gradually disappears. You will begin to develop a robust and effective prayer life. You will start carrying the burdens of others in prayer. You will stop depending on prayer requests from meeting to meeting. You will find yourself prevailing in prayer and getting results because you have taken responsibility. You will live and walk like the champion you already are.

Below is a simple prayer schedule format to help you map out yours. Remember this is just a guide you can use to design your own prayer schedule in a way that works best for you.

WEEKLY PRAYER SCHEDULE 

Mon – Praying for the move of God in my time, and interceding for the unsaved. Praying for the church, for my local assembly and pastors, and the Nation.

Tues – Praying for God to prosper my business or career, for promotion, increase and supernatural open doors.

Wed – Praying for the fulfilment of my ministry or calling, for grace and strength to make an impact in my generation.

Thur – Praying for my extended family members and inlaws, for friends, associates, and partners.

Fri – Praying for my immediate family; my wife and children

Sat – Spending time to worship and fellowship with the Father

Sun – Thanking God for his love, mercy and grace. and making declarations over the new week.