One of the easiest prayer prompts I use to enliven my prayer time involves the alphabet and a calendar. The goal in coming up with these ideas is not to make things complicated, but to make my time with the Lord a welcome treat, so that prayer is relished.

Because of Coronavirus, we’re all very familiar with the phrase, “Shelter in place.” We hear it frequently during winter storm season, where local officials urge everyone to “Stay safe and shelter in place.” The Scriptures teach us that we shouldn’t shelter in place, if our souls try to find refuge in anything other than God Himself.

One of my favorite prayer prompts is to simply to go through the alphabet searching for words that I can then turn into an anthem of praise to the Lord. I often do this while I’m walking the loop around the block from our house. It usually takes the whole 15-20 minutes for me to work through my mental list, but it never fails to encourage my heart as I review the Lord’s attributes and gracious ways.

Often when I am feeling fearful or overwhelmed, I turn to my list of “Nothing is Impossible for God” verses. As I read through verse after verse where God proclaims His might, power, and intentions to do good and act on behalf of His children, my heart gains strength. Do you need those assurances today?

I often focus on certain themes or words repeated in the Scriptures to guide my prayer time. One especially lovely theme I used for a prayer time recently came from focusing on the “lettuce” texts of the Bible. Well, not “lettuce” exactly, but “let us.” We are instructed and gathered together by the use of the phrase, “let us.” The phrase effectively draws us near to each other as we draw near to the Lord in praise, worship, and obedience by that inclusive let us.

Because the Lord is sovereign, good, mighty, powerful, and providing, believers can rest and be at ease with their “little,” knowing that if God wanted them to have “more,” to have an “abundance,” they certainly would.

Meditation actually reveals how much we value the Scriptures. The simple act of looking at and thinking on God’s Word prizing God’s Word tells us, tells others, and most importantly, tells God, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97)

Meditation, at its most basic level, is simply thinking on a specific verse or section of Scripture, yet it can also include thinking on aspects of God’s character, a specific doctrine, even the works of God. It’s also worth noting that meditation is not studying, though you can meditate upon what you are studying—and it’s wise to do so! Study and memorizing Scripture lead to meditation, yet it’s what meditation leads to that is the real jewel here.

An idea for your prayer time: Using Scriptures about God’s Word to bolster your faith as you pray for friends, family, and life situations.