The hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer” has been part of my Christian life for over fifty years. As a young boy, I remember singing these lyrics during church services:

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known!
In seasons of distress and grief my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

As a young teenager, I could relate to praying to God “in seasons of distress and grief.” I would take all my angst and anxieties, and pour out my heart at the altar of prayer. God was faithful to meet me there. I have precious memories of the many times He heard and answered by providing “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

As my faith has matured, I have come to realize that prayer can and should be much more than taking my burdens to the Lord and making requests of Him. Studies on the topic of prayer tend to focus on petitioning God, suggesting that if we learn to pray the right way (for example, with integrity, faith, persistence, or fasting), then God will grant specific needs. In fact, even the song “Sweet Hour of Prayer” has a focus on making requests.

To be sure, petitionary prayer is important. Jesus taught His followers to pray every day, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). However, there are other types of prayer we can engage in to enhance our prayer times. In my personal study, I have identified twelve basic prayer activities: worship, declaration, thanksgiving, examination, listening, purification, consecration, petition, intercession, submission, conversation, and rest. A helpful way to remember them is to correlate each with five-minute intervals on a clockface. They can also be grouped into four general categories, which would be fifteen-minute intervals on the clock: the first quarter hour is for looking upward to God; the second focuses on looking inward at ourselves; the third looks outward at the world around us; and the last is a time of looking downward in repose. Of course, it’s not necessary to literally spend five minutes on each activity, but if we do, we experience a new way to have a “sweet hour of prayer.”

Initially, I doubted the usefulness of a prayer aid like this one. I wondered if it might be too regimental, resulting in empty, lifeless prayers. That is certainly something we want to avoid. However, in thinking about it more, the Lord encouraged me by reminding me of others who found a systematic approach to prayer to be helpful. For example, when I was a young family man, my pastor taught me to think of the word “ACTS” when praying: the letters were a reminder to spend time in Adoration, Confessing faults, Thanking, and making Supplications. On another occasion, a sister in our church was asked to share advice about prayer, since she was a true prayer warrior for the Lord. I was surprised that she shared a simple strategy called the “prayer wheel” that she had learned from her elders. It involved about eight prayer activities, and she said she had used it for most of her adult life to pray more effectively. Of course, many use the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for daily prayer.

Personally, I have enjoyed learning about and utilizing the many ways to communicate with God. I found that if a prayer pattern is used as a general guide, it can quicken and enliven my prayers rather than “quenching the spirit.” In addition, it can help us follow the instruction, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

With that thought in mind, following is a brief definition and explanation of each of the twelve prayer activities noted above.

Looking upward to God

#1: WORSHIP. To worship is to express or show reverence to God, including through praises and adoration. Psalm 29:2 says, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

As we bow before God in prayer, we can express our reverence for who God is. He is the Creator and Sovereign of all, so He is worthy of worship. We can bless God for all He has done and praise Him for His wonderful works.

#2: DECLARATION. To declare is to openly and explicitly state what we believe to be true; to affirm what we whole-heartedly accept, support, or intend to do. Psalm 145:5-6 says, “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.”

Whereas worship expresses reverence for God, declaration explains why He is worthy of such reverence. When we pray, we declare what we know to be true about God, about Jesus, and about the Holy Spirit. For example, we can say, “I know You keep Your promises.” We can declare what we know to be true about ourselves and our place in the Church. In addition, we can declare our love for God and our trust in Him.

#3: THANKSGIVING. Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude or appreciation. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Thank God for all He has done for you. Since “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28), we can even thank God for our trials and the difficult things that have happened in our lives. As we develop a true attitude of gratitude, we will find it easy to mix thanksgiving with our supplications and requests.

Looking inward at ourselves

#4: EXAMINATION. Examination is to consider and evaluate whether our beliefs, behaviors, and motivations are right or wrong. It is a time for introspection and soul-searching. Psalm 26:2 says, “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”

It is good to ask God to examine our hearts. In our human weakness, we often are not able to clearly see the truth about ourselves. However, God can shine the light of His truth on our hearts to show us who we really are.

#5: LISTENING. To listen is to focus on the voice of God. It is being alert and ready to hear, comprehend, and respond to what God has to say to us. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Prayer is more than talking to God; it is also listening to God. We should listen to what He has to say to us and about us. Silence is a companion to listening: sometimes we need to quiet the noise around us to hear the voice of God and sometimes we need to quiet the noise within. Stop talking, be still, and listen.

#6: PURIFICATION. Purification is allowing God to cleanse our hearts and minds. Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Living in this sinful world, we are surrounded by ungodly attitudes and behaviors. They can negatively impact our walks with God, even after we have received the experience of entire sanctification. Because of that, we must regularly ask God to purify our hearts and minds.

Looking outward at the world

#7: CONSECRATION. To consecrate is to dedicate oneself to God, setting oneself apart for His use and service. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Consecration begins the “looking outward” section. When looking outward, we see many problems and needs in the world, or even in the church. In prayer, we can consecrate ourselves to God’s work, setting ourselves apart for God to use in His solutions to problems. Consecration also allows us to give something to God (ourselves as a living sacrifice) before we ask for His gifts and blessings.

#8: PETITION. To petition is to come to God with specific prayer requests. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

God expects us to bring our personal needs and requests to Him. In addition, wherever God has placed us on this earth, it is our responsibility and privilege to pray for our family members, church workers, fellow citizens, and government leaders. It is good to ask God to help us ask for what is most important—spiritual blessings and spiritual riches.

#9: INTERCESSION. To intercede is to intervene in prayer on behalf of others, advocating for them before God. We read in 1 Timothy 2:1, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.”

Paul taught that intercession is the work of both Jesus (Romans 8:34) and of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). As we pray on behalf of others, we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us, and we take on more of the character of Jesus Christ.

Looking downward in repose

#10: SUBMISSION. A prayer of submission is yielding to God, even if His will is in conflict with our personal desires. It is surrendering to whatever God deems best. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.”

Like Jesus at Gethsemane, we can offer a prayer of submission and say, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus also taught us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We want to let go of our own desires and let God have His perfect way in our lives, even if His perfect way includes our diminishment or temporal suffering.

#11: CONVERSATION. Conversation is talking informally to God, as to an intimate friend. Exodus 33:11 says, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.”

Like Moses, we can talk to God (and God can talk to us) as to a friend. In conversational prayer, no agenda is required. It is a way to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) as we carry on the conversation with the Lord throughout our day. When we do that, it makes us aware of (and allows us to enjoy) the presence of God continually.

#12: REST. To rest is to cease to engage in strenuous or stressful activity, freeing us from anxiety or disturbances. In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

In prayer, we can rest in the arms of God. Sometimes prayer takes a lot of effort, but Jesus’ invitation is to find rest for the soul. He is the Good Shepherd who makes us lie down in green pastures, and He will restore our souls (Psalm 23:2-3).

A closing prayer

There are times and seasons when we should focus on one type of prayer more than others, but establishing and maintaining a well-balanced approach to prayer will strengthen us spiritually. May God help us to pray wisely and more effectively than ever before, and may He make each minute spent in prayer truly sweet!