I know. Who has time to add a prayer partner to your already busy home life?

And what is a prayer partner anyway?

I wasn’t sure until a friend of mine raced off during her children’s gymnastics class to pray with a friend.

Later, I asked her what she prayed about and why she prayed.

She and her friend prayed for their kids and husbands. They enrolled all their children in a preschool gymnastics class and prayed during this time (genius).

I went home and asked God for a prayer partner. That next week as I walked into my Bible study small group, there she was. Ironically, prayer was my first step to finding the right person. We already knew each other, so it didn’t take much to convince her.

Some things to consider when choosing your prayer partner:

• Choose someone who is on a similar spiritual journey and shares your beliefs.
• Commit to consistency. Will you pray weekly or monthly? Consider committing at first for a season, such as a school year or during a problematic span. Decide and then schedule these times on your phone with alerts.
• Be diligent but give yourself grace when you miss a time.
• Decide on the length of time to pray. My prayer partner, Karen, and I set aside 30 minutes.
• Expect interruptions. We paused while the dogs needed to go out. We prayed through dryers beeping, doorbells ringing, and children calling for us.
• Keep prayers confidential. You want to know you can be vulnerable with each other. If you’d like to share a request, ask for permission. Confidentiality builds trust.
• Keep a journal and write down requests and answers. Then, refer to your notes later and thank God during your prayer time.
• Allow the Spirit to guide your prayers. You will be surprised by what He reveals and the direction He leads.
• Stick to prayer and socialize afterward or another time.
• Respect each other’s time.

Some benefits of a prayer partner are:

• You’ll develop a deep friendship.
• You’ll have someone to call and ask for prayer immediately.
• You’ll be held accountable to pray for your children and husband.
• You can share your burdens with others.
• You’ll learn to pray out loud.
• You can carry the burden for another.
• You’ll act on the promise of Jesus. “Again, truly, I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:19-20 CSB).

Not sure how to pray?

We followed the ACTS prayer model:

Adoration: Praise God by speaking his name or acknowledging His attributes.
Confession: Allow the Spirit to convict you and then confess. You could do this silently.
Thanksgiving: Thank God for answered prayers and His goodness.
Supplication: Ask God for what you need.

It’s tempting to skip the first three steps and immediately ask God for stuff. There will be times, however, when you need your friend to pray NOW. The ACTS prayer pattern is just that, a pattern to keep you focused on prayer and God, not to add a burden.

After ten years of praying together, my family moved to Tennessee. We continued to pray over the phone because God proved Himself faithful by answering our prayers for protection, health, finances, and our kids’ salvation. Eventually, I found a group of women to pray with here in Tennessee.

Two ladies in this prayer group also met in Bible study and started walking and praying. Then Cynthia moved to Texas. Lonely, she and her friend stayed in contact through FaceTime. They’ve prayed now for ten years. Bev, the other prayer partner, said, “We are not alone in life’s daily struggles and challenges. Sharing them and praying about them with another brings comfort and gives us the courage to stay the course.”