Tim Challies just posted an article on praying in concentric circles. You start by praying for yourself and then the people closest to you, then the people that are next closest…and so on.
Christians have created many patterns and systems to help them as they pray. One of my favorites is John Piper’s model of praying in concentric circles. ‘Consider praying in concentric circles from your own soul outward to the whole world. This is my regular practice. I pray for my own soul first. Not because I am more deserving than others, but because if God doesn’t awaken and strengthen and humble and fill my own soul, then I can’t pray for anybody else’s. Then I go to the next concentric circle, my family, and I pray for each of them by name and [then] some of my extended family. Then I go to the next concentric circle, the staff and elders of Bethlehem Baptist Church…’
Prayer Prompter has been designed to help you pray in concentric circles starting with yourself. Consider the folder tiles in the “Petition/Intersection” (green borders) section of the dashboard.
Since there are a lot of things all believers need to pray for them self, the first folder in the “Petition/Intercession section, “For Myself” comes with a dozen suggested prayers and each one has Scriptural backup. Here is one of them.
Since you probably don’t have time to pray for everyone everyday, Prayer Prompter displays your prayer requests in rotation so you can pray for some of them each day until you have prayed through all of them.
Praying in concentric circles is a great idea and I am glad that such leaders as John Piper and Tim Challies think so too!
