THE HOUR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD
The Explanation
This is developed from Dick Eastman’s book, ‘The Hour That Changes The World’. He suggests that we could divide an hour into 12 periods of 5 minutes each. After 5 minutes, you move on to the next form of prayer. The pattern aims to break the hour into manageable parts, giving variety and comprehensive coverage to the different aspects of prayer. The original plan was to spend five minutes on each section, but, especially in praying for the world, you will find yourself wanting to spend more time on some sections than others.
The twelve forms of prayer are:
Praise and worship
Waiting on the Lord
Confession
Praying scripture
Watching
Intercession
Petitions
Thanksgiving
Song
Meditation
Listening
Praise
Explanation of each area:
The first section of this prayer hour is praise. This is a great time to remind ourselves how awesome our God is. It is a good time to thank God for the wonder of creation and the faithfulness of his character. You could read something from Psalm 145 onwards to gain inspiration and content for your declaration.
The second section is waiting. Read 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 as encouragement of the promises when we turn our hearts to the Lord. Try to be silent before God and simply allow yourself to be in God’s presence. This is not a time to ask but simply to be.
The third section is confession. Read Psalm 139:23-24 and Psalm 51, especially verses 10 and 11 dealing with our actions, attitudes, affections and words. Ask God to show you any hidden faults or any wilful sins and ask him for forgiveness and cleansing.
The fourth aspect is praying scripture and declaring the promises of God over our lives. For example, you could read Jeremiah 1:5-12 and 23:29; “‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” Also, look at Isaiah 40:8-10; 44:24-26 and 55:10-11. Be open to the Holy Spirit to bring others to mind. You may wish to stand or walk around as you make these declarations. Consider all the things God says about you throughout the Bible and begin to declare them over your life, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform your thinking.
The fifth aspect is watching - this brings us back to our introductory scripture. Remain alert to spiritual opposition and strengthen yourself with great verses. Read Romans 8:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, 14 and 15. Be open to praying through those things that come to mind concerning the world. Make a note of things you think may be significant to revisit in prayer or to share with others, such as your Connect Group. This introduces a dimension of the prophetic, allowing us to pre-empt the enemy’s plans rather than fighting a rear-guard battle.
The sixth aspect is intercession - read Genesis 18:16-33 and 1 Kings 18:41-46. These are great examples of others who have stood in the gap in powerful prayer. James 5:16-18 also gives us much cause for encouragement. Pray for the lost in our city, our nation and the world. Some other areas you can cover include workers for the harvest (Matthew 9:38 and Psalm 110:1-3), open doors and opportunities to share the gospel (Colossians 4:3 and Revelation 3:7-8), fruit that will remain (John 15:16), and finances for the ministry of the church (Malachi 3:8-12).
Petition is the seventh aspect of prayer. This is for your own life with God, the area you serve in, your personal needs, your family and your church, ensuring that your requests are in tune with the Lord’s will. Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 and ask the Lord to increase your capacity for prayer and to enlarge your heart for the nation. Bring areas of personal concern before Him and be encouraged by Philippians 4:6.
The eighth aspect is thanksgiving - for what God has done and for what He will do for us in response to our prayers. Read Luke 17:11-19. Thanksgiving helps us to focus on God’s faithfulness. Be specific as you bring your thanks to God, and note that this area should not only be part of a prayer time but a way of life. If you spend your days in thankfulness, you will find the gateway to His presence so much easier to enter.
The ninth aspect is singing - this is a wonderful gift from God and a key to being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-20). Read 2 Chronicles 20, especially verse 22, and Acts 16:16-34. We can sing songs of praise (Psalm 135:3), power and mercy (Psalm 59:16), thanksgiving (Psalm 147:7), God’s name (Psalm 96:30), God’s word (Psalm 119:54), a new song (Psalm 144:9), and among the nations (Psalm 57:9). Don’t worry about your singing ability, as God does not care so much about the sound of your voice but the sound of your heart before Him.
The tenth aspect is meditation. Read Joshua 1:8, noting that the word ‘meditate’ in Hebrew means ‘to mutter upon’. Focus on God himself, His word, His works, past victories and blessings, and on positive and good things. Read Philippians 4:8.
The eleventh aspect is listening - waiting for God to speak to you; remember all of this is about friendship/relationship. It is not a one-way conversation, so be ready with a pen, journal, or note-taking app so you can write down anything God may be saying to you. Read John 5:19-20, 30 and Isaiah 50:4-5. Be open to a revelation about yourself or the world.
Finish the same way you started the session: by praising God and magnifying Him with confidence that He has heard your prayers and is ready to answer in His timing.
The Practice
Choose a place and time to pray.
Use a paper journal or online notes app to track your prayers and Bible reading.
Follow through the prayer clock and offer God the different types of prayers.
This does not always need to last an hour. It could be more or less than that - the purpose is to provide a framework for you to follow. When you have practised this several times, you can change the order and the times to best suit you. The most important thing to do is pray!
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