Answer
Guided prayer is prayer that uses a prompt that provides a starting point or a mnemonic that aids focus and organizes the prayer. Praying through a composed prayer is another form of guided prayer. Prayer prompts can enrich a Christian’s prayer life by providing a jumping-off point, creating structure, and generating new prayer topics. We pray to serve God (Luke 2:36–38), obey God (James 5:16–18), and follow Jesus’ example of prayer.
Guided prayer can assist us when we don’t know what to pray for or when our prayers feel repetitive, boring, tedious, and routine. Prayer should be a conversation with God, and prayer prompts can help Christians enjoy praying more.
When we struggle to consistently pray or lack the words to use for a specific topic of prayer, guided prayer methods can be especially beneficial. Our prayers often center on family, work, the future, finances, or a current crisis—all of which God desires to hear—but sometimes what’s missing is prayer that points us to God. Guided prayer can ensure that praise to God, worship of God, and glory to God are included.
Common guided prayer methods include the ACTS formula:
Adoration — glory to God,
Confession — confessing our sin,
Thanksgiving — words of thanks to God, and
Supplication — request for our or others’ needs.
Another formula for guided prayer is the five-finger prayer, which uses the fingers of one hand as prayer prompts:
The little finger — praying for ourselves in humility,
The ring finger — praying for the weak and the sick,
The middle finger — praying for those who “stand tall,” i.e., civic leaders,
The index finger — praying for people who “point the way,” i.e., teachers and church leaders, and
The thumb — praying for people who are closest to us, i.e., family and friends.
Another method of guided prayer involves reading Scripture and pausing after each verse to pray. The Psalms are well suited to this structure. For example, someone might read the first part of Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then pause to pray: “Jesus, you are my shepherd. Thank you for shepherding me today. Please continue to shepherd me during this difficult time. I will put my trust in your guidance.” This form of guided prayer allows the Christian to reflect deeply on God’s Word.
Many churches publish a weekly prayer list for their members to use in praying for the needs of their fellow church members. This is a type of guided prayer. Guided prayer can also take the form of a broad list of topics, such as praying for the church, the government, schools, missionaries, our nation, pastors, etc. Topical prayer prompts can broaden a Christian’s prayers to include more petitions.
Collections of biblical prayers used in the church can also be valuable as a guide when praying. Collections of prayers from Puritan sages, old-time preachers, and modern authors can also be valuable aids to one’s own prayers. Many of the hymns were written in the form of prayers, making it easy to sing various prayers to the Lord. The craftsmanship and reverence of the prayers of old can enrich a Christian’s prayer life in many ways.
Are guided prayers better than extemporaneous prayers from the heart? No. But there is a place for them in the Christian worship experience. Prayer should be a conversation with God. Jesus offered us the Lord’s Prayer, which is essentially a guided prayer prompt, and He also prayed extemporaneously. Regardless of the method one chooses, we should “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
