It never fails, I’ll be talking with someone and they will ask me to pray for them. In that moment I fully intend to cover that prayer request during my quiet time but I usually forget by the time I get home.

When someone at church or Bible study shares something they are struggling with, my first thought is that I need to remember to pray for them for the rest of the week.

Sometimes I’m able to jot down a prayer request on a post-it or napkin or whatever is close by the moment I hear about it. But then when I’m ready to sit down and pray I can’t find that piece of paper.

I don’t mean to be a prayer slacker. But life happens and I tend to forget.

I bet you can relate!

The Bible is clear that we are to pray for each other. We need to lift each other up especially when times are hard. So how can we get a handle on our prayer slacker tendencies?

How to Stop Being a Prayer Slacker

Stop Waiting to Pray

One way we can stop being prayer slackers and stop forgetting about those precious requests by the time we get home is to learn to just stop and pray right then and there. There’s no reason you have to wait for the perfect time to cover someone in prayer. The perfect time to pray for someone is the instant you know they need it.

I can’t tell you how blessed I’ve been by someone taking a few minutes to just stop what they were doing to pray with me over the phone or in person. There have been days where I walked into church and was greeted by a smile and big hug–and prayer. I didn’t have to say a word. They could just tell by the way I looked that I needed someone to speak a word over me.

Keep checking in

Another thing we need to do is keep praying and checking in with the people we are praying for. First, you won’t know that it’s time to rejoice in the Lord when the prayer is answered if you aren’t checking in. It’s also going to really encourage the other person to know that you didn’t just say you were going to pray and walk away.

When you check in with them from time to time it’s a reminder that you haven’t forgotten about them. A little encouragement for their hearts to hold onto when they feel like they are all alone in their struggles and pain.

How to Keep Track of Prayer Requests

When I committed to be more consistent in covering my friends and family in prayer, I went looking for ways to stay organized. I have found two ways to never forget a prayer request again.

Method #1: Index Cards

I actually got this idea from my friend Candace at His Mercy is New. For prayer requests from close friends and family, I use index cards to keep track of requests. I keep one request per card. On the card I write down the name(s) of the person(s) I’m praying for, the request and the date of the request, and then I usually write out a prayer. I also write out a verse that God brings to mind while I’m praying over this need.

When it’s time for prayer I simply pull out my cards and start praying my way through them. I keep the cards in a little box or on a keyring so I can keep them together or take them with me in my purse. My favorite thing is being able to write down the answers to the prayers!

Method #2: Prayer Request Sheet

One other way I keep track of prayer requests is simply with a sheet of paper I keep in my prayer notebook. I use these for requests that I get in my online prayer community, emails, or church/Bible study. I just make a list of all the requests and I pray over them during the following week. A journal is also a great way to keep track of prayer requests.

How do you keep track of prayer requests?

Inside: When you are sure how to find the answers you need from God these 5 books on prayer will help you get started.

I was drowning in my troubles and I had no idea how I was going to make it through. Every time I reached out to someone for help I was told the same thing: You just need to pray. I knew that already. And I had been doing the best I could, but I knew deep down it wasn’t good enough. I needed to do better.

I knew deep down that I needed to pray like I had never prayed before. But I didn’t really know the first thing about prayer. I mean, I knew that I could talk to God about anything I wanted. I’d memorized the Lord’s Prayer as a child but I felt like I needed more.

How could I know exactly what I needed to pray for?

How could I be sure that I was in God’s will?

How would I recognize God’s answer when it came?

All these questions and more plagued me constantly. I believed that I was born to be a prayer warrior but I had no idea what that meant or what it looked like. So I did the only thing I knew how to do–I started reading up on prayer. I’m going to share a few of my top picks for books on prayer but first I want to share a few basic things with you.

3 Things You Need to Know About Prayer

1. Prayer is expected

Scripture is clear that we are to pray. Thessalonians tells us to pray without ceasing. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer and He even taught the disciples how to pray.

Prayer is not a burden, or something to simply check off our to-do list. It’s a privilege. As children of God we have direct access to Him through prayer.

2. Prayer can be learned

For a long time I felt like I was not good enough to pray. I didn’t know what to say, how to say it, or how long to say it for. I have learned that it’s possible to learn how to pray.

You can read books, study scripture, and follow the examples of others around you.

3. Prayer is always answered

God always answers our prayers. Sometimes He says yes, other times He says no. Often He says nothing, which means we need to continue to wait on Him. As a daughter of the King you are always heard!

5 Books on Prayer to Get You Started

If you are struggling with your prayer life in any way, here are 5 books on prayer to help you get started in the right direction.

Girls with Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero: If you struggle to understand the power that you have through prayer as a Christian woman you NEED this book! God has given us all the tools we need to fight against the enemy; we just need to learn how to use them.

Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer: This book will help you create a plan of attack for different areas of your life that the enemy tries to get at. This is more than a good read; each chapter ends with you writing out your own prayers.

Waging Prophetic Warfare: Effective Prayer Strategies to Defeat the Enemy: If you are not familiar with spiritual warfare then you may be missing out on all the ways you can stomp all over the enemy. This book will show you some specific and key ways to pray your way to victory.

Prayer Portions: Understanding who God is, is the key to finding victory through prayer. This book will help you learn and study different names of God in a way that will radically change your faith walk.

The Hour that Changes the World: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer: Do you have a hard time praying for a long time? This book lays out a practical plan for praying for one hour each day.

Do you have a favorite book on prayer?