Prayer Day Guide
Prayer Day Guide
By Jason Thompson
”“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
What a joy and privilege it is that Jesus invites us just as he did his disciples to spend the day with him. This is a simple guide to help you spend an interrupted day with Him.
Needs and Elements for a Prayer Retreat
Need for journaling and time alone
Journal or notebook
Pen
Bible
Water or drink, a snack
Prayer Day Guide
Structuring your Day of Prayer
Some of us need the help of structure to our day of prayer, others of us may want to be more spontaneous. This is a simple suggestion of how you could spend the day.
30 Minutes - 1 hour Silence and getting settled
2 - 3 hours Prayer and going through the Lectio Guide
1 hour Break. Get some Lunch. Go for a walk. Take a nap.(not a long nap though)
2 - 3 hours Prayer and going through the Discovery Questions Guide
1 hour Silence, Expressing Gratitude and Reflecting on how Jesus spoke to you through the day.
Tips for the Prayer Day
A. Take time to find a quiet place. Get settled. In this time you want to take a few minutes to get oriented to your surroundings so that they do not become a distraction. We want to avoid chasing butterflies in an hour (unless Jesus tells you to go do that).
B. Spend some extended time (30 minutes to an hour) just being silent. This may be difficult but it is important to have the time to quiet yourself both within and without. Take time to pray, but not necessarily asking Jesus “what should I do or what’s next?” rather ask him to meet with you during this time and share His heart with you. Take time to share with Him your own gratitude for His friendship, love and mercy.
C. Time in Scripture. Using the Lectio Guide below. Choose one of the passages of Scripture below to reflect upon during your time.
D. Discovery Questions. Using the Discovery Questions Guide below, now is the time to think about your own life and the way it intersects with the passage. Work through each question. This is time to reflect and recognize what God has done and is doing in and through you.
E. Take time to ask Jesus….where are you inviting me to follow you, what are changes I need to make in my life and thinking given everything that you have reflected on in His word and your answers to the Discovery Questions.
F. Thank Jesus. Thank Him for speaking to you and sharing His heart and dreams for your life with you.
G. Share your time and what you feel Jesus is calling you to do with a person that you trust and you recognize has more spiritual maturity than you.
A few suggested Passages:
Matthew 11:28-30 - Drawing Closer to Jesus
Luke 9:1-9 Participating in Jesus’ mission
John 2:1-12 - Wedding at Cana - new beginnings
Mark 8:34-38 - The Way of the Cross
LECTIO GUIDE
PASSAGE
Choose a passage of the Scriptures that you wish to read and pray through from the suggestions above. Or choose another passage not suggested here.
PLACE
Get comfortable and take time to settle into silence. Take a moment to pray a simple prayer of thanksgiving and then rest in the quiet.. If you find thoughts of tasks needing your attention, worries etc just write them down in your journal as a way of offering them to God and then return to being silent.
READ
Read the Bible passage you chose slowly.. Reflect on each portion of the reading, listening for Jesus’ "still, small voice" of a word or phrase that somehow speaks to you or catches your attention. In Lectio, God is teaching us to listen to Him, to seek Him in silence. He does not reach out and grab us; rather, He softly, gently invites us to be with him and to listen to him.
REFLECT
Take the word or phrase that “spoke to you” and reflect on it again. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories and ideas. How is Jesus speaking to you through this word or phrase? Take time to journal the things you are learning, the insights that Jesus is giving you and how he is speaking to you during this time.
SPEAK
Speak to God.. Interact with God, He knows you, loves you and accepts you. Give to Him what you have discovered in yourself during your experience of reflection. Experience God using the word or phrase that He has given you as a means of prayng and seeking him
REST
Rest in God's presence. And when He invites you to return to your reflecting…go for it. Learn to use words when words are helpful, and to let go of words when they no longer are necessary. Rejoice in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence.
REPEAT AS IS NECESSARY
You may want to return several times to the printed text, either to reflect more deeply or to listen for a new word or phrase that God has given. At other times only a single word or phrase will fill the whole time set aside for Lectio.
DISCOVERY QUESTIONS GUIDE
During a prayer day, we need to bring to Jesus personally annd specifically things we are dealing with in our lives. Here are some questions to help you journal and reflect on during your retreat. It is very important that as you answer each question that you bring your thoughts and answers to Jesus in prayer; listening for his voice, his wisdom and his leading.
Past
What are you thankful for as you reflect on your past?
Reflect on your journey with the Lord these past few months. What have you learned? Where have you seen growth, struggles, joys, successes and failures?
Where have you discovered Jesus and his leading in the ordinary details of your life?
Present
What are you thankful for as you reflect on your life today?
In what ways have you been experiencing Jesus’s presence deeply?
What is a theme that Jesus has been speaking to you about recently?
In what areas of your life have you been experiencing difficulty? Where do you need the help of others?
What is one (just one for now) area in your life where you want to see growth and change? If Jesus were living your life, how would he think and act in that area of your life?
Possibilities
What are your dreams for the future? What do you want to see happen? How do you want to be used by God?
Who are people the Lord has placed in your life as your community?
Who do you want to reach? Who are people that God has given you a burden and passion for? What are next steps you could take in serving and loving those people?
Next Steps
Hearing from Jesus, and following, Jesus is done among a community of people centered around Jesus. It is important to share and reflect upon your time alone with the Lord with others. Who is someone you can share the day that you spent with Jesus and get feedback.as you consider next steps?
