This past weekend, DJ and I watched the movie War Room. It is a movie about prayer that was made years ago, but I had just recently heard about it. You know how it goes, for some reason Christian movies are most oftentimes a little cheesy. Which is crazy by the way, because the ultimate creator of the universe created us to be creators, we should be making the most beautiful creations! Right? Anyway, that’s not the point here.
I watched the movie and it stirred something inside of me, lit a fire in my soul and made me want to pray more than I had been. I wanted to pray with power, consistency and surrender. The movie was primarily about how the prayers and grace of a wife helped her husband surrender to God and ultimately, God brought their family back together. It was such a beautiful display showing how when we pray, things change and God moves. The wife took out all of her clothes in her closet and turned it into her prayer closet. On the wall she put prayers, verses and all the ways she wanted God’s help, learning how to surrender everything into His hands.
I started to get this picture in my mind — a Prayer Map. I had seen people make these kind of maps for goals they wish to accomplish, but I had not ever seen something like that to put your prayers down on paper and keep track of how God moves. I have always been someone who journals, so when I take the time to go back and look at my prayer journals, I see how God has moved in my life over the years. But I had never written in down my prayers in such a way that it was something I looked at daily and prayed over continually, making a point to write down and remember when and what He answered about my prayers.
I thought back to a time when I had been praying in circles—inspired by the book The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. I had been praying for a few specific things in my life, such as: starting our second location for Mighty Missouri Coffee Co., a house to buy and community to surround us, among other things. What was so cool is this: I was literally walking in a circle, from our old house, around a path by our house, and back home. In the circle, in under a year, we opened our second location for the coffee shop inside the Bismarck YMCA along that path, we bought a house that I walked by daily and we have a beautiful community of friends, most who live very close to the circle…GOD MOVED. In huge ways. I may not have noticed it and been so aware the way I was if I wasn’t keeping track of the circles I was praying.
The next day after watching the movie I went to my office and typed out all the prayers that I say over and over again in my head and my heart. I found verses to support what I was praying for, truth to drown out the lies and prayed about what God wanted to speak to me about through His Word. I taped them all up on a wall in my office and every morning I stand in front of my prayer wall and surrender to Him. Throughout the day, when I feel my anxiety rising up, I go to my prayer wall and pray the prayers out loud, speak the verses out loud until my soul and spirit believe it. Friends, His Peace always comes rushing in. It’s often said that prayer isn’t about what God can do for you, but what God does in you and through you when you surrender to him. It’s not about our power, but His power working in us. Some of the prayers on my prayer wall may not be answered for years, some may be answered tomorrow, some may not get answered in the way I expect them to. But I can promise you this, God will move in your heart and in your life. He is always moving. Think of the things that He can do through us, if we start paying attention!
I designed these to be printed out in poster size—so you can hang them on your wall, write big and bold prayers in them, tape verses all around and see your prayers in a tangible, beautiful way. The whole popped into my mind when I read this verse:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)
THE PRAYER MAP
Center—the center is Jesus and our relationship with Him. When we first come to him, we ask for forgiveness and repent before Him because in repentance we receive His refreshing. (Acts 3:19) Then, we thank him for all that he is doing in our lives (we rejoice always). Rejoice how He died for us! Rejoice how He loves us and made a way for us to talk to him! We give thanks in all circumstances, because this is His will for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Requests # (1, 2, 3, etc.) — This is the format for how I lay out my requests, per the Philippians verse. I really want to make clear here, this format of prayer brought peace to my mind and helped me make prayer more tangible. I do not in anyway think there is a “right” or a “wrong” way to pray. He is always interceding for us and He hears us no matter how we speak to Him! This helps MY brain and helps me see how he has been working in my life — it doesn’t make the prayer “more powerful”. My prayer is that it would help others feel God and see God move in their lives in more tangible ways.
THANKSGIVING — By prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. Postering our heart in thankfulness before anything else. If you are praying for your husband, for example, thank him for the gift of marriage, for giving us such a beautiful display for His love for us, for getting someone experience this life with, etc.
REQUEST — present your request to God. God knows the desires of your heart, he knows every hair on your head and every breath that you take, but more than this, He wants relationship with you. Think of it as cuddling up into your loving Fathers lap and telling him about your day, all that you hope will happen, all that you are thinking and dreaming about, God loves just spending time with us and hearing from us. He loves when we ask him. (Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives….Matthew 7:7-8)
REBUKE — Ephesians 6: 10-18 tells us that our battle is not again flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms. There is a battle going on for our minds until we are fully restored. Satan cannot have us once we have declared Christ as our Savior, however, we are still in a battle. Ephesians also talks about putting on the full armor of God. In this, I always tell Satan that He is not welcome here in this space, in my heart, in my home or in my life—I tell him that I am onto him and I won’t fall for his schemes because I know Who my strength comes from. I like reminding him that he doesn’t have control over me or my loved ones. ;)
LAY IT DOWN — In Luke 10: 41-42 is the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was frustrated because she was working really hard and asked if the Lord even cared that her sister wasn’t helping her, instead, Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to what he said (v. 39). Jesus reminded Martha that she is worried about many things but there is only one thing needed—to sit at His feet. Lay your requests down before the Lord, entrusting your life into His loving care. Sit at His feet. Listen for His whispers.
Here is visual example of what the Prayer Map looks like. See above for a more detailed description. A digital download can be printed by clicking the link below!
ANSWERED PRAYERS
When we pray, God answers. Hallelujah, right?! Like I said before, it may take longer than expected or be answered in ways that we didn’t expect—but if we aren’t keeping track, how will we know? I designed this to be printed out and hung somewhere in your home that you see often. Add to it whenever God answered one of your prayers, big or small, and remind yourself of his faithfulness!
This was designed to be printed out and filled in with your answered prayers! A digital download can be printed by clicking the link below!
These designed were hand drawn by me—if you would like to have your own prayer map printed and hanging in your home, I would be honored! Click the link above to shop on my Etsy account and get your own DIGITAL DOWNLOAD to print out and get started right now!
I can’t wait to hear all the stories from how the Lord is blessing your requests as you lay them down at His feet.
xo,
JamieLee