Recommended: PrayerMate
In a previous post, we said a bit about how helpful prayer lists can be and why I use PrayerMate, in particular. Today, I want to share some of my favorite features of the app, and how it helps me maintain a prayer list that is both accessible and balanced.
My Favorite Features
Clean Look
PrayerMate has a very clean, minimalistic look that doesn't call attention to itself.
Cards
PrayerMate stores each prayer item as a "subject" which functions essentially like a card.
If that's hard to imagine, think about two different ways of keeping a pen-and-paper list. The traditional way is to have bullet points on a single piece of paper. But it's difficult to take out, modify, or rearrange items. A second way is to write down each item on an individual index card. This allows you to change a few items without having to re-write your entire list!
PrayerMate functions like an electronic version of the index card system, and I love it!
Categories
On top of that, you can group prayer items into "lists". This helps me to categorize each item, and more importantly, I can plan what kind of things Elynne and I pray for on a daily basis! I maintain six different lists:
- Thanks & Adoration
- Personal
- HRCC
- Other People
- Local Missions
- World Missions
This is how I try to keep my prayer life centered on Christ and His purposes, not my own personal wants.
Automatic Cycle
The clincher for me is that PrayerMate automatically takes you through your lists, so that you don't have to keep tabs on which items you've already prayed for and which ones you haven't. If you've been keeping a substantial prayer list on paper, you know how easy it is to lose track of your progress. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that anymore.
he app also allows you to change the number of items you pray through at any time. Nowadays, Elynne and I go through eight items a day: two items each from the "HRCC" and "World Missions" lists, and one item each from the other four lists.
Feeds
One final feature that I like about PrayerMate are the "feeds". This allows you to connect with organizations and receive updated prayer items from them. Right now, I subscribe to only two: Open Doors USA and Open Doors UK.
The Bottom Line
For all these reasons, I'd recommend that you try PrayerMate and see if it works for you.
But whether you decide to use it or not, I hope that I've been able to encourage you to be more Christ-centered and disciplined in your prayer life, and ultimately to enjoy daily communion with the living God!
