Prayer Lists and PrayerMate
I was taught to keep prayer lists early on in my Christian life, and that discipline has developed gradually ever since.1 Now, I know that this discipline can easily degenerate into lifeless, meaningless repetition, but this can be easily avoided.2 I think the advantages of the discipline more than enough reason to overcome such a minor obstacle.
- I'm naturally lazy, and I know that without structure, there will be too many days that I'll "skimp" on my prayer time.
- I'm forgetful, and I need to be reminded what to pray for.
- I'm selfish, and therefore, I need to be intentional about Christ-centered praying. I have six categories in my list, and only one of them is labeled "Personal".
That being said, I tried different ways over the years. But several years ago, I found PrayerMate, and I've stuck with it ever since! There are other apps out there, but I find that PrayerMate has a good balance between simplicity and allowing the user to customize his/her list.
I'll be posting soon about some of my favorite features of PrayerMate, and how it helps keep my prayer list accessible and biblically balanced. But for now, I'd encourage you to watch this introductory video and check out the app for yourself!
(Disclaimer: I'm endorsing this app for no other reason than that it's been a tremendous help to wife and I, and I want to share this with you.)
1 One of the influences I clearly remember was Dawson Trotman's two-list system, related by his disciple Roy Robertson, in The Timothy Principle. (Trotman was the founder of the Navigators.)
2 See, for example, pastor P.J. Tibayan, "Inject Your Prayer List with Life".