Praying for ten minutes: worship, confess, ask, intercede
Five minutes is good. Ten minutes is a real time of prayer, with room for several things at once. This quest invites you to set ten minutes apart, with a four-stage outline that keeps you from going in circles or talking only about yourself.
What it looks like in your day
The principle is to divide those ten minutes. One possible outline:
- Two and a half minutes to worship. You begin with God: who he is, what he has done. You can say a psalm, sing softly, or simply thank him for his character. “You are faithful, you are good, you are powerful.”
- Two and a half minutes to confess. You talk about what was not right: a word, an attitude, something left undone. You ask forgiveness and you receive it.
- Two and a half minutes to ask. For yourself: a decision, a fear, a concrete need. Specific and simple.
- Two and a half minutes to intercede. For others: a family, a friend, a colleague, a situation in the world. Name people.
Keep a discreet timer if you like. You can also adapt: if this morning you mostly need to ask, extend that part. What matters is not to skip the first one: many prayers start with asking and never worship.
To help you, here is an opening sentence: “Lord, I come to you. Thank you for being here.” And a closing one: “Your will be done. Amen.”
If you are short on time, cut each stage down to one minute. If you are a beginner, start with very short sentences. If you are shy, write your prayer before saying it.
What the Bible says
Paul sums up the life attitude of a believer in three sentences:
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
“Pray without ceasing”: a continuous prayer, of which the ten minutes are a high point, not the only breath. Jesus himself tells a parable to show that we should pray and not give up:
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
And Psalm 141 compares prayer to a fragrance rising before God: “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense” (Psalms 141:2). The ten-minute outline is a way of offering that incense in an orderly fashion.
Pitfalls to avoid
Turning everything into a list of requests. If you only ask, you risk seeing God as a vending machine. Worship puts things back in their place.
Skipping confession. It is uncomfortable, but it clears the way. Don't skip it, even when nothing serious comes to mind.
Counting the minutes. Ten minutes is a landmark, not a contract. If God keeps you longer, stay. If you are interrupted, pick up again later.
Praying with your mind elsewhere. If your mind wanders, bring it back. Speak softly to help yourself.
Mechanically reciting the same outline every day. A structure helps, but it must not become a straitjacket. Feel free to put life into it.
Today, set ten minutes apart. Four stages: worship, confess, ask, intercede.