Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Tips for Identifying a Prayer Partner

  • Trust is of utmost importance in identifying your prayer partner(s). You need to be able to confide in those with whom you pray. You need to be able to be honest about what is really going on in your life. Be discerning about those you can trust so deeply. Pray about it! Ask God to guide you to the right people/person for this relationship.
  • Many recommend choosing a prayer partner of the same gender. Often men find it easier to pray with men and women with women. This doesn’t mean you should not have co-ed prayer relationships, simply that you need to be realistic about how honest you can be with someone of the opposite sex.
  • Identify someone who can lead you in your prayer walk. Find someone who can show you the way to the “next level” in prayer. Find someone who understands the power of a true commitment to prayer and can help you develop the same commitment in your own discipleship path.
  • Choose a prayer partner who is reliable. Knowing you can rely on your prayer partner to be available and consistent in prayer can greatly increase the blessings of your prayer life.
  • Don’t be afraid to talk about keeping confidentiality. When sharing deeply, it doesn’t take much to fracture trust, so be honest about your expectations and needs in regard to confidentiality.
  • If you want to share your partner’s prayer request with someone else, ask if that’s okay. Sometimes we are not ready to share our concern with a church community or family members—that’s okay. Be sure to ask before you share, even when you are convinced that “more people praying will mean better results”.
  • Be open and willing to pray in all places at all times. You never know when someone might need a prayer partner

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