"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for the Holy Spirit that will help us when we are weak. When  we come to you in prayer and find ourselves speechless, you intercede on our behalf through the spirit. Thank you for this incredible gift that stands in the gap when our thoughts and words are jumbled. Sometimes words are just too much, but you made a way for us to still come to you through prayer.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute being thankful for the gift of God the Spirit and that He intercedes in prayer for us.

"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for the encouragement and reminder through your  son, Jesus. The reminder to always pray lets us know that we can talk to you anytime, anywhere, any place and you are there. When we pray, help us to remember to never give up. You are faithful, you do what’s best for your children, and you will never stop loving us. Thank you for the gift of 24/7 access to you.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute thanking God for His nearness, His constant access, and His encouraging reminders.

Guided Prayer: Celebrate three weeks (officially a habit!) of the 40 Day Prayer Challenge. Thank you, God for 21 days of prayer! We celebrate this moment with you, and thank you for helping us be diligent and intentional in this spiritual discipline. Give us the energy and motivation to carry on this daily routine. Help us be encouraged and give us the boldness to invite someone to join us in the coming weeks. Thank you for helping make this a habit.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute asking God to show you someone who could benefit from this 40 Day Prayer Challenge.

"One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for sending your son to model praying for us. You never sleep, so on the nights we lie awake, help remind us to come to you and pray. You will be alert, hear what we say, and never get tired of us speaking to you. When we feel alone in the night, we can rest knowing that you are near and that you listen to our prayers. Thank you for being with us.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute thanking God for his nearness and accessibility.

"I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for asking that we pray with confidence. Not in our ability to gain or do anything on our own, but confidence in how good of a father you are to your children. Thank you for wanting what is best for us. Thank you for knowing and controlling all the moving pieces. Help us respect your timing on the things we ask. Help us trust that your decision is best.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute boldly asking God for something.

"Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to help us move toward you. Help us be watchful and constantly pray for your guidance with every decision we make. We know that we are weak, and it’s only by your grace that you have given us the spiritual power to focus on you. Guide us in our daily actions, in our conversations, and in the choices we make.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute asking God to guide your conversations.

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for being the most perfect father to us. You are the best gift giver, and you will give us more than we can imagine. Help our desires be  aligned with your will when asking for something. Help us be diligent in praying for our hearts to want what you want. Give us the courage to pray big, bold, aligned prayers knowing that you can overdeliver.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute

"When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you how we speak to anyone. We  know that we can have a casual conversation with you without the pressure of having to use fancy terminology. Thank you for letting short, heartfelt prayers be just as powerful as long, heartfelt ones. Give us the courage to come to you when we have little or even nothing to say. Let our ears be  tuned into what you have  to say.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute listening to what God is saying to you.

"But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."

Guided Prayer: God, thank you for  making prayer so simple and easy  to do. We don’t have to  be publicly put on the spot, but instead, we can have an intimate conversation with you. Help us remember that we can tell you anything, no matter what, and we can come to you privately and feel unashamed about that. Thank you for the reminder  that we can take a step back, seek solitude, and speak  directly to you.

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute speaking privately with God about something you may have not yet vocalized.

Guided Prayer: Celebrate two weeks of the 40 Day Prayer Challenge! Thank you, God, for two weeks of consistently praying with you. We know that you’re working in us,  and you’re not done yet. Help us be transformed during this  prayer challenge. Keep us consistent and honor you by talking with you on a regular  basis. Help us continue to deepen  our faith through this time of  intentional prayer. 

Independent Prayer: Spend the next minute praising God and celebrating two weeks of intentional prayer.