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Stop Feeling Guilty about your Prayer Life | Chrystal Evans Hurst

Stop Feeling Guilty about your Prayer Life | Chrystal Evans Hurst

A few years ago, I decided to put together a 28-Day Prayer Challenge on Instagram. I’d been feeling guilty about my lack of consistent and fervent prayer, so I figured I’d commit to providing twenty-eight days’ worth of prayer prompts to hold me accountable to pray and to encourage others to do the same.

While I knew the basic format for prayer, as Jesus modeled in Matthew 6 (what we commonly call The Lord’s Prayer), I made up the content, one day at a time, throughout the challenge. As I paused to think about what I needed to talk to God about, I shared those thoughts with others and encouraged them to do the same.

I honestly didn’t think I’d finish.

I was afraid I’d fall off the wagon and fail myself and everyone doing it with me.

But I didn’t. I finished the challenge and invigorated my prayer life by doing so.

Praying intentionally—bit by bit, day by day—made the idea of regular, consistent prayer much less formidable. I did it because one day at a time seemed doable.

The 28-Day Prayer Journey is born of that challenge and is written with the same goal in mind. I want you to commit to prayer, but I also want you to view this commitment as doable.

And if you skip a day (or a few days), that’s okay! Lord knows I have done the same. But don’t give up. Pick up where you left off. Ignore the day of the week if you have to and just pray. Keep going. Perfection is not required. Simply show up to talk to God knowing that He wants to talk to you.

The book gives you three prompts a day—morning, afternoon, and evening. The first four days of the week, we’ll cover the basic tenets of prayer:

  1. Monday: Praise and Thanksgiving (offering gratitude to God)
  2. Tuesday: Repent (seeking forgiveness from God)
  3. Wednesday: Ask (presenting your requests to God)
  4. Thursday: Yield (surrendering to God)

While we’ll be praying for others throughout the week, during the last three days we’ll be more intentional about moving outside of ourselves and toward our families, friends, community, and world.

  1. Friday: Family and friends
  2. Saturday: Saturday challenge
  3. Sunday: Sabbath prayers

As you pray, I will gently lead you through each tenet so that you can understand and think deeply about it. Then, slowly but surely, we’ll put it all together.

The goal is for you to keep this little book with you for twenty- eight days. Glance at it three times a day so that you are prompted to talk to God every morning, afternoon, and evening.

If you think you might forget, try doing it every time you eat. Grabbing a bite? Open up the book. Or try setting an alarm on your watch or phone (but don’t dismiss the reminder until you’ve picked up the book!).

After making this twenty-eight-day journey twice, I know one thing for sure: slow and steady wins the race. This method will help you form new habits if you’ll commit to it, little by little, one day at a time, for the next four weeks.

If you want to learn more about having a dynamic connection with God through prayer, I encourage you to check out the video curriculum and study guide for The 28-Day Prayer Journey. These complementary materials are a perfect way to learn more about the powerful impact talking to God can have on your life.

My prayer is that God will become more real to you than ever before as you spend time abiding with Him.

It’s possible. How do I know? Because it’s happened for me.

Watch

Play the video segment for session one.

Chrystal Evans Hurst is the bestselling author of She’s Still There and co-author of Kingdom Woman, with her father Dr. Tony Evans. She reaches a wide audience speaking at conferences, sharing on her blog and podcast, and teaching and leading women in her home church and around the world.

In addition to her work and ministry, Chrystal is a COO (Chief Operating Officer), cultivating hearts and commanding chaos at home. She is a mother of five and homeschools three boys around the kitchen table while hugging two adult girls, a son-in-love, and two grandchildren every chance she gets. Chrystal is grateful to share her life with her husband, Jessie, in their home just outside of Dallas, Texas. You can find Chrystal and the chronicles of her life at chrystalevanshurst.com.