I love being a night owl.  I can easily sit up until 2 or 3 a.m. working away on various writing projects.  My family would tell you that I am a workaholic—all work, no play.  And, if I am not careful I could be all work, no pray, too.

By the time I wear myself out working, I am usually so tired that I just want to crawl into my soft, warm bed.  Obviously, if I don’t plan a time earlier in the evening for dedicated prayer, I may not pray at all.

So, in order to improve my discipline in prayer, I have pinpointed my perfect pause for prayer, which is the ideal time for me to take a break from life’s things and spend some quiet time alone with God.

At 10 p.m. each night, I stop what I am doing to prayer journal—this is how I conduct my more formal, dedicated time of prayer.  Taking this pause has been so helpful to my prayer life because I am still alert and my house is quiet by then.

What about you?  Does it seem that sleep always comes before you have had the time and energy to pray?  Perhaps my method would work for you?

Here are some other possibilities that may make the perfect time to pause for prayer:

• Right after breakfast and before you start your day.
• During your lunch hour. Eat, then pray or vice versa.
• As soon you arrive home from work, before you do anything else.
• Before you allow yourself to watch TV, or read, or engage in hobbies.
• Right before you get into bed. Notice, I said before you get into bed.  When you get into bed to pray, you’ve told your body that you are really planning to go to sleep, which you typically will do without praying.

If you have also mastered the perfect pause for your prayer life, I would like to hear about it.

Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer.                                 1 Peter 4:7 HCSB

Pray on!

But before you go, let me show you my decor for this week’s prayer journal.  It’s my birthday week, so I’ve added gift tags.  Gift tags = gifts, right???

~gina

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Award-winning author Gina Duke is a wife, mom and the Director of Women’s Ministry at her local church. With a B.S. in Organizational Leadership, she is able to bring a clear word for authentic Christian living. Through her book, “Organizing Your Prayer Closet: A New and Life-Changing Way to Pray” (Abingdon Press), she imparts 1 Peter 4:7 with the gift of structured prayer journaling. If you would like to schedule Gina to speak on prayer or host a prayer journaling workshop, click here for more information. You may also follow her on Twitter and Instagram @TheGinaDuke.

Check out my video for Organizing Your Prayer Closet!

And just when you think I am done, I’ve got one more thing to tell you…my next book is coming out on May 19, and am looking for launch team members.  If you are interested in finding out more, contact me here.

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