How to Spend the Day in Prayer

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In preparation for homeschool next year, I’ve been pre-reading some missionary biographies that we’ll be using for our history curriculum. And in the one on Amy Carmichael, it shared several times when she would spend the day in prayer, seeking the Lord on one question or another.

For example, should she build a house for the Bible study she led with the “shawlies”? Should she and her group of children move to this city or stay where they were? Was it time to build a nursery for the babies?

There are times when we might feel called to spend the day in prayer, too—seeking an answer for a specific question, like Amy Carmichael did, or interceding for a friend of ours, or even just wanting to be in God’s presence to prepare for a difficult season ahead.

But what does it really mean to spend the day of prayer? How do you go about it? Where do you go? What do you do? What does it look like?

It is my hope to offer you some practical tips and suggestions today so that you, too, might spend a day in prayer with the Lord.

What is Meant by a Day in Prayer?

When I say “spend the day in prayer,” what do you think of? I think a lot of times, we get this picture in our minds that it’s just you and God and your Bible, and you are quiet all day and alone in the woods.

And while that’s certainly possible, it’s probably not the most likely scenario for you and me.

When I talk about spending a day in prayer, I am talking about intentionally spending a day seeking the Lord.

Sometimes it’s about a particular question I have. Sometimes it’s just to be in His presence.

Usually, these days of prayer are useful when we have to make a big decision or are in the middle of a large transition. Maybe our role has changed or something has happened in our family.

But we normally have something weighing on us that we want to talk to the Lord about, and we feel the need to set aside more time than just our regular daily quiet time.

Our day of prayer might happen in the woods, but it very well might happen in our homes or backyards or church. The setting doesn’t matter so much as our heart posture.

Do You Have to Spend the Whole Day in Prayer?

Perhaps your first question about spending a day in prayer is, do you really have to spend the whole day in prayer? And I’m going to say, no, not necessarily.

Sometimes spending a day in prayer is really only spending three or four hours in intentional prayer, while keeping a prayerful posture about us as we go about the rest of our day. But sometimes, yes, we do spend the entire day in prayer. We need the whole day to linger and fellowship with God.

How Do I Find Time for a Day of Prayer?

Your second question is probably related: how in the world do I find time for a day of prayer?

I’ll be honest: you’re not going to find time for prayer. You’re going to have to make the time for prayer. Because it won’t just magically appear on your calendar. You’ll need to be intentional about making it happen.

If you’re able to pick a day in advance and schedule things around it, that would work out best. But sometimes, we sense the need for day of prayer more urgently, when we already have responsibilities and commitments about us.

But as much as possible, you want to set aside a portion of the day to be alone with the Lord. What would work well for you? The morning? The afternoon? The evening? A few hours spread throughout? Or the entire day?

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What Do I Do During a Day of Prayer?

If you are spending a day in prayer because you have a question for God, it would help to write that question down as you start. For example,

• Should I take that job offer or should I stay where I am?
• Is it time to volunteer for that leadership role at church?
• Do we buy a new car or do we try to keep fixing this one?
• This friendship is broken; do I need to keep trying or do I let it go?
• Do I move forward with this new health treatment or do I decline?

What might that question be for you?

Now, we of course want to spend the time talking with God about what’s on our hearts, but our day of prayer can hold many other activities, as well.

• Reading the Bible
• Listening to worship music
• Praying—silently or out loud
• Taking a nature walk
• Sitting in silence
• Journaling
• Reading a devotional or classic Christian book

While personal retreats might be more suited for letting yourself rest and take a nap, spending a day in prayer probably means you want to make sure you’re awake and paying attention. After all, you’re likely asking God a specific question and listening for His answer.

That’s one reason Lorne Sanny, once president of the Navigators, recommends having some variety throughout your day. He writes, “Variety is important during your day of prayer. Read awhile, pray awhile, then walk around. A friend of mine paces the floor of his room for his prayer time. Rather than get cramped in one position, take a walk and stretch; get some variety.”

So if you’re of a more structured personality, you can create a rough sketch of your schedule for the day. What will you do each hour? How will that help you discern your answer from the Lord? When are you going to stop and eat (because taking time to eat and fellowship with God over a meal is also a blessing!)?

Of course, the schedule can be held loosely as you follow God’s leading throughout the day. If He invites you to sit with a Bible passage, then do so. There is no rushing during a day of prayer. Linger together with Him and enjoy being in His presence.

How Do I Hear God Throughout My Day of Prayer?

The most important thing, though, is to make sure you are taking time to listen for God, not just talk to Him. And that leads us to our next question. How do I hear God throughout my day of prayer?

Throughout the day, as you pray and read your Bible and take walks, keep your ear and heart open for God.

When you sense something from Him, write it down in your journal.

• Maybe a Scripture verse will resonate with you. Write it down.
• Maybe a song will come to mind. Write it down.
• Maybe a conversation with a friend will rise to the surface. Write it down.
• Maybe a Bible story will keep popping up. Write it down.

If you’re not sure it’s from Him, write it down and continue to pray about it.

Episode 83 talks a lot about recognizing God’s voice and His invitations to you. I’d definitely love for you to check that out if you want to learn more. You can go to lovedoesthat.org/83 to listen to that.

How Do I Limit Interruptions?

Now, when I asked about your biggest question about spending a day in prayer on Instagram, someone mentioned limiting interruptions. So I definitely want to take a moment and address that here.

It takes focus and discipline to limit or turn away from interruptions. To ignore the phone ringing or not answer the door.

Here are several things you can do to help try to prevent interruptions from happening in the first place:

• Silence your phone.
• Keep your computer turned off.
• Don’t answer the door.
• Don’t schedule any meetings or appointments.
• Let your family and close friends know you are having a “retreat/prayer” day.
• Send the dog to a doggie daycare.
• Have someone else watch the kids.
• Go somewhere other than home, like a park or trail.

I know sometimes, I think, “I’m supposed to pray in the secret place. How can I tell others I’m going to be spending a day in prayer?” And while there is definitely truth to that, you really have to trust God to guide you in whether to tell others or not.

And really, there may be situations that you simply can’t help—emergencies to deal with or someone who forgets about your day of prayer or whatnot. In those cases, you want to do your best to take care of the interruption and then return to your day of prayer. Don’t let it distract you from seeking the Lord.

Journal Prompt: What draws you to a day of prayer, and what makes you nervous about it?

Your journal prompt for this week is, “What draws you to a day of prayer, and what makes you nervous about it?”

Because, let’s be real, there’s probably something about spending a day in prayer that makes you a little hesitant to try it.

Explore those things in your journal. Then take note, which side is stronger? Are you more drawn to it or more nervous about it? Maybe even write about some times you’ve tried to do days of prayer in the past.

I mentioned it before, but I’ll mention it again here, days of prayer might very well be different from a day of retreat. If you want to learn more about creating a spiritual retreat for yourself, then you’ll want to check out episode 56, which you can access at lovedoesthat.org/56.

Prayer

God, I am thankful for all the moments we get to spend in prayer with You—whether short prayers as we go throughout our days, simple prayers as we talk about our Bible reading, or extended prayers as we seek Your will for our lives. It is amazing that we can approach You at any time and talk to You about anything. In those seasons when something is weighing heavily upon us, help us to set aside time to talk with You about it, eager to hear what You have to say. In Jesus’ name, we prayer, amen.

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 56: How to Create a Personal Spiritual Retreat (And Reflections on My Own)
• Episode 83: Posturing Your Heart to Hear from God, Part 2: Recognize

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