Powerful Guided Prayer Experience:
Sometimes people ask me if prayer comes easy to me, since I co-wrote Raising Prayerful Kids with Steph and work in Kids Ministry. It’s actually quite the opposite. I love to-do lists, productivity, and completing tasks. Reading the Bible…love it! Serving at church, writing in my journal, devotionals with my kids, let’s do it! But prayer is a challenge and a discipline for me. The enemy likes to tell me that prayer isn’t productive, it doesn’t matter, or I don’t have time for it.
But prayer is absolutely transformative. God is after our hearts, He’s not after what we can do for Him. He moves in our hearts and in our families and in our lives through prayer. Prayer is one of the few things that Jesus commands us to do and then He shows us how to do it. He prays all the time in the Bible, to talk with God, but also to model for us how important it is!
I had a powerful and healing prayer experience a few days ago that I wanted to share with you! Ever since this prayer time, I have been feeling lighter, more loved, and more in awe of how good God is.
Fruit of the Spirit Listening Prayer
If you are able to, go for a walk or a jog and don’t bring your headphones! Or find a quiet spot to sit or lay down.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s shown you LOVE. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s given you great JOY. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s filled you with PEACE. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s shown you PATIENCE. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s been KIND to you. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s been GOOD to you. Praise Him for it. (This one was difficult for me because He is so good all the time. Finally, I remembered a time when I was really struggling with guilt and shame. I was reminded through reading about Jesus’ death and resurrection in the Bible that He is all good, so that I don’t have to be. My sin and guilt has separated me from Him, but He paid the price for that sin. His goodness covers me completely and makes me good! Hallelujah!)
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s shown you GENTLENESS. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s been FAITHFUL to you or helped you be FAITHFUL. Praise Him for it.
Ask God to remind you of a time in your life when He’s helped you have SELF-CONTROL. Praise Him for it.
We have a PDF Download of this experience in case you want to print it out here.
My family and I are up in the mountains at my favorite place in the world—Hume Lake. I just went for a jog and went through the fruit of the Spirit asking God to help me remember a time in my life when he gave me these fruits or showed me His own love, patience, gentleness toward me, etc. It was so special because He brought certain things to mind from years ago. I walked away remembering that He’s loved me and been gentle and patient with me my whole entire life.
Like the time He filled me with peace in a pretty scary car wreck in high school. As the car was spinning around and around, I truly felt His arms around me and didn’t feel any fear (which is very unusual for me!)
Or the flood of intense joy I felt after each of my babies were born. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. For a few sacred moments, it truly seemed as though Heaven was touching Earth.
Or the time when I was in college suffering with debilitating anxiety. One particular day, I told God how scared I was to make a tough phone call, but the person on the other line was over-the-top kind and gracious toward me. In that moment, I knew God had arranged that for me just to be kind and gentle toward me.
All our lives, He’s been working. Even when we don’t see it or feel it, He’s loving us.
Fruit of the Spirit Listening Prayer with Kids
This would be a great activity to do with our kids as we are teaching them about the fruit of the spirit too! As you’re driving or eating a meal together ask them to share a time when God has shown them love. When did you feel really loved by God? (Share your answer too). When was a time that God has given you great joy? Continue with each Fruit of the Spirit. If your child struggles to answer one of them, this would be a great time to pray for more of that fruit. For example, you might pray: “Holy Spirit. You are the giver of peace. Please fill _______ with more peace. Amen.”
Print out the questions here.