"The secret to a successful life is in the daily routine."
These words, along with so many others spoken by Pastor Jentezen Franklin, took deep root in my spirit and changed the trajectory of my life forever. Pastor Franklin’s walk with the Lord inspired me so much that my wife and I made a commitment to start each day with intentional Biblical study and prayer time. What started as 15 minutes each morning developed into a lifestyle.
We became so blessed spiritually, emotionally, and physically that we decided to go even deeper. So, we found a Bible reading plan and read the entire Bible in one year. There were some days we didn’t feel like reading, but we did it anyway. There are some days we don’t feeling like praying together, but now that we know what is on the other side of obedience, we press on.
"The doors to the greatest blessings from the Lord swing on tiny hinges called obedience."
It is my honor and privilege to share with you a secret part of my daily routine that has proven to be a foundation for a joyous marriage, a healthy body, successful businesses, greater influence, and a fearless life. It is organized into three parts.
My Daily Surrender: A Prayer Schedule
PART ONE
Read the Word out loud.
In the beginning, God spoke the Word out loud and created everything (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1). God designed each one of us in His image with the capacity for creativity in thought, word, and deed. As we journey through this life, all of heaven is watching to see who will qualify to rule and reign with Jesus in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). The Bible refers to this heavenly audience we hold captive as “a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). The spoken Word of God has power to effect great change in the heavenly realms, so we must keep a tight reign on our tongues because in them is the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). Angels are watching and waiting to see what you will say next. They exist to worship God and help us. What great resources we have available as children of God, not at the tips of our fingers, but at the tips of our tongues.
My wife and I take turns reading out loud to each other each morning and night. We always start with God’s word and then supplement books of mutual interest from Christian authors we admire.
PART TWO
Pray with and for your spouse, family, and/or loved ones.
How to Pray with and for Your Family and Friends
- Begin by thanking God for anything and everything! He inhabits the praises of His people! (Psalm 22:3)
- Pray for your family and friends by name.
- Pray with and for your spouse. There is power in the laying on of hands. This is often overlooked in our prayer lives. However, God has given us an incredible measure of spiritual authority over our household. Don’t be afraid to use it. Pray a blessing for your spouse and see how quickly God moves. This stuff works.
Learn and Recite Biblical Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13)
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.'”
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6: 10-18)
Put on your spiritual armor daily. Why subject yourself to an onslaught of spiritual attacks if you don’t have to? Put your armor on each day and you will be protected and equipped every battle you face.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
The Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
We ask to be filled with the Fruits of the Spirit so we can see the world through God’s eyes and love people the way he loves us!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
The Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10)
This is not prosperity theology. This actually happened. And it’s because Jabez asked. So, just ask!
“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”
Psalm 23
This song was written by King David long before Jesus came into the world. Yet it has so many parallels to the Lord’s Prayer – evidence that David was truly a man after God’s heart. Make this your daily prayer and he may say the same about you!
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
Benediction
Below is an ever growing list of Biblically inspired declarations we recite each morning.
We declare over our lives that we are blessed coming in and going out, the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, the lenders and not the borrowers, and all that we do will prosper in Jesus name.
We declare abundance and overflow in every area of our lives.
We rebuke any evil that would come against us, including, but not limited to fear, doubt, intimidation, discouragement, lack, limitation, hindrance and devouring.
We plead the blood of Jesus over our health, our finances, our family and our future.
We give You our time, talent, and treasure and volunteer to be active participants in your “To Do List” for us today.
We ask that you would orchestrate our time and circumstances for your glory and our benefit.
We declare that no weapon formed against us shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against us you will condemn.
We pray that you would bless all the work of our hands and that you would fill us with power, anointing, favor, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, capacity, accuracy, fluency, proficiency, and clarity.
We surrender the lust of the eyes.
We surrender the lust of the flesh.
And we surrender the pride of life.
We cast down every reasoning and imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and we take every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ.
In Jesus name. Amen.
PART THREE
Pray alone in a quite place.
I like to use the A.C.T.S. prayer model by adoring Him in worship, confessing and repenting of anything that would separate me from Him or anyone else, thanking Him for His grace and forgiveness, and asking for wisdom. In prayer and in conversation, it is always important to listen.
Adoration
“Praise him—he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you” (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Confession
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Thanksgiving
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1).
Supplication (Requests)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Conclusion and Praise Report
Try this daily prayer schedule or create one for yourself and see what God has in store for you on the other side of obedience.
I shared this prayer schedule with the youth group of Free Chapel (Buford campus) when my wife and I served as youth leaders. It was my first opportunity to preach and the Holy Spirit moved in a miraculous way. After service, I was approached by 4 young men who all agreed that they “heard something that clicked.” We all prayed out loud together and those 4 young men accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. To this day, I still receive praise reports about how applying this prayer schedule has impacted the lives of those and many other men and women. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to serve as strategic support in the army of God. To God be the glory! Great things He has done!