Reminders to Pray

As I mentioned before, my biggest struggle in praying throughout the course of each day is simply remembering to do so. It's not difficult to add short prayers to my day, it's just hard to remember as I'm changing a routine that I'm supposed to be doing something different.


One thing that has helped is to surround myself with reminders. These can be words written out (maybe a verse on an index card) or an unfamiliar object in a place I'll encounter it often (a pebble in my pocket) or a new decoration that is Christ-centered (a cross on the computer background). They work individually or together to:

1. Remind me to actively pray or memorize Scripture
2. Add to my normal routine in small ways that dedicate them to God
3. Influence my thoughts in positive ways, even when I'm not aware of it

Eventually the unfamiliar or new objects become familiar and old and I no longer really notice them. It may be time at this point to take them down if their only purpose is to remind you to pray. However, even when they're so routine that I don't notice them myself, I have found that they influence my thought patterns and that they provide a witness. This is especially true of decorations: although I don't "see" them consciously, they work together for an over-all Christianized mindset and they suggest certain things to all visitors. Even if you don't want to put Scripture verses and crosses all over your walls, pictures of God's creation (e.g. landscapes, people, flowers, animals) invite conversations that are more peaceful and "clean" than, say, images and words that are crude or commercialized.

Look around your home/office/bedroom/etc. and find one way you can add a reminder to pray. Some ideas:

• A pebble or similar object in your pocket
• An index card on your bathroom mirror
• A Christian picture or a picture of one of God's creations on your wall
• A Christian picture or a picture of one of God's creations on your computer background
• A single word to remind you to intercede for someone or something on a tool you use frequently (e.g. "peace" to pray for peace in the world on the blender, stovetop, computer, dresser, washer, etc.)
• A reminder on your calendar scheduled for whatever time you normally check it anyway
• A Christian bookmark or a verse on an index card in whatever book you're currently reading
• A box set on your table with Scripture verses to review before each meal

This is linked to Works for Me Wednesday