"An hour? How could I pray for an hour? I’d run out of things to say!"
Praying for an hour is like sitting down in a restaurant with a friend, rather than ordering a cheeseburger and chocolate shake at the drive-up window. Somehow, as you sip coffee together, you find a lot of things to say. And, it’s a whole lot more satisfying than a wave and a "Hi-how-are-you?"
But if talking to God for that long seems intimidating, it’s probably because we’re still learning just to share ourselves with Him as we would with a friend.
The following suggestions are designed to help you take courage to try spending an hour with the Lord. After the hour, probably after the first 15 minutes, you won’t need this outline. You’ll find there’s plenty to talk about without prompting.
Start by bringing along some things to discuss with Him: your Bible, a hymnal, a world map or globe, perhaps a church directory and yours or your church’s current prayer list. Then find a place where the two of you won’t be disturbed.
Preparation
1 min. Beginning Prayer. Ask God to help you spend this time profitably with Him. Ask His guidance. Give yourself to Him for this hour.
4 Min. Confession. Spend a couple of minutes going over with Him recent sins which weigh on you. But don’t dredge up old ones. Read 1 John 1:9. Ask His cleansing, then accept it by faith and thank Him for it. He is far more willing to forgive than you are to ask.
