The One Hour Prayer CycleSample

Get somewhere that is quiet where you can get alone with God.

Set a repeating alarm for 5 minutes. Or make a playlist with 12 of your favorite instrumental of worship songs that are about 5 minutes each. Or just keep an eye on a clock.

Slow down and spend 5 minutes praying as you read and obey each set of scriptures.

1. Praise - Luke 1:68 - Start your prayer hour by praising the Lord. Praise Him for things that are on your mind right now. Praise Him for one special thing He has done in your life in the past week. Praise Him for His goodness to your family.

2. Wait - Psalm 27:14 - Spend time waiting on the Lord. Be silent and let Him pull together reflections for you.

3. Confession - Psalm 32:5 - Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything in your life that might be displeasing to Him. Ask Him to point out attitudes that are wrong, as well as specific acts for which you have not yet made a prayer of confession. Now confess that to the Lord so that you might be cleansed.

4. Read the word - Colossians 1 - Spend time reading in the Psalms, in the prophets, and passages on prayer located in the New Testament.

5. Petition - Philippians 1:6-7 - Ask or make requests on behalf of yourself.

6. Intersession - I Timothy 2:1 - Ask or make requests on behalf of others.

7. Pray the word - Psalm 119:1-56 - Pray specific passages. Scriptural prayers as well as a number of psalms lend themselves well to this purpose.

8. Thanksgiving - Colossians 2:6-7 - Give thanks to the Lord for the things in your life, on behalf of your family, and on behalf of your church.

9. Singing - Psalm 51:12-15 - Sing songs of praise or worship or another hymn or spiritual song.

10. Meditate - Joshua 1:8 - Ask the Lord to speak to you. Have a pen and paper ready to record impressions He gives you.

11. Listen - Isaiah 55:3 -  Spend time merging the things you have read, things you have prayed and things you have sung and see how the Lord brings them all together to speak to you.

12. Praise - Ephesians 1:3-8 - Praise the Lord for the time you have had to spend with Him and the impressions He has given you. Praise Him for His glorious attributes.

Invest about 5 minutes practicing what each of these verses instruct us to do and you will be surprised how quickly a whole hour in prayer will go.