Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.

Let petitions and praises

shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
Philippians 4:6

This Chair Time Prayer Guide outlines several unique ways to pray. It helps
guide our hearts as we learn to rest and talk with God. In our current season of
isolation, anxiety and global concern—these Chair Time practices help us
connect with God and find peace in him.

This guide isn’t a textbook and can be flexible. Feel free to make this guide
work for you and your current situation.

The right environment can go a long way. Set aside time to find a quiet,
uninterrupted location to pray. Sometimes it might not be possible to find a
place that is completely quiet or uninterrupted. That’s ok. You can use this
prayer guide by yourself or with your small group, family, roommates or friends
(in person or virtually).

Begin with one or two of the prayers. Then try a few more another time.

If you have the time and space, use the entire guide for a few hours or a full
day prayer retreat.

Recommended Tools: Bible, pen and journal

B E G I N W I T H A P R AY E R O F O P E N N E S S

READ Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit within me.”

PRAY by sitting with your hands open and saying to God, “Open my heart and
mind. May I hear from you, and help me be willing to listen to you. Give me
your strength and tune my heart to yours.”
 P R AY E R O F S U R R E N D E R

READ Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light.”

THANK God for inviting us to come to him when we are weary and burdened.

READ Matthew 6:27, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

WRITE a prayer of surrender to God. Write in your journal, “God, I can’t seem to stop
worrying about __________. I know worry doesn’t do any good and robs my life of
joy. I give it to you now. I know it will be easy for me to worry about it again. Help
me leave it with you. I know you love me, and I can trust you with it.”

P R AY E R O F G R AT I T U D E

READ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

WRITE at the top of your journal page, “I’m grateful for.” List as many things as you
can think about to be grateful for.

Add three unique things you are thankful to God for each day. Be as specific
as possible.

As part of your gratitude journal exercise, send a text or email every day to someone
you are grateful for. Think through the day, week, month or year. Give a specific
reason why you are thankful for them.
 P R AY E R O F CO N F E S S I O N

READ Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my
anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.”

Psalm 32:1-2, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in
whose spirit is no deceit.”

1 John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not
in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.”

CONFESS We all do things we know we should not do. Spend time in prayer
confessing and repenting of your sins. Ask God to help you see where you have put
yourself first, harmed yourself or others with your words or actions, contributed to
injustice knowingly or unknowingly, or any other way you have ignored what you
know God wants you to do. We aren’t reminding God—God already knows. We are
admitting sins to God and seeking God’s grace to change.

WRITE a prayer of confession to God in your journal. List those things you need to
confess and ask forgiveness. Consider (if you are able) kneeling on the floor and
reading your confession aloud to God. Simply say, “God I confess / God I repent / God
forgive me for __________.”

THANK God for forgiving you and that, “He has removed our sins as far from us as
the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12
 WA L K I N G P R AY E R

READ Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things
there is no law.”

WALK near where you live and pray for your community. Ask for the Fruit of the
Spirit to fill the words and actions full of “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Ask God to give those making
important decisions in this time to have wisdom, grace, mercy, strength, courage
and endurance.

Here’s a list to work through:

• Small group and friends

• Family members
• Neighbors
• Local and state government officials
• Medical professionals such as first responders, doctors, nurses, police and fire
personnel, scientists and lab workers
• Workers in other essential fields
• Church leaders and church communities
• The President and teams around him
• Cities and other “hot spots” significantly affected by the virus
• People around the world who don’t follow Jesus
• Anyone God specifically brings to your mind

After your walk, find a place to sit and reflect. Pray for those who suffer and the
difficulties ahead, specifically for individuals you know who may be hit hardest by
this situation.

WRITE your thoughts and prayers in your journal.

 REFLECTIVE PRAYER
READ Psalm 23 (or any passage you desire) aloud to yourself. Then sit in silence for a
minute or two thinking through the verses in your mind.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right
paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head
with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

READ the verses again.

WRITE in your journal a brief answer to the following questions.

• What in this passage touches my life today?

• How does this passage impact my community?

READ the passage again.

WRITE a brief answer to the following question:

• What is God inviting me to do today?

READ the verses quietly to yourself again and rest. Sit silently for a minute or longer.
Ask nothing, simply rest in the presence of the Lord.

WRITE your impressions and thoughts from this time of rest.

L O V E P R AY E R

READ Psalm 36:7, “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in
the shadow of your wings.”

WRITE in your journal something that you love about God. This could be who God is,
what God has done or an attribute of God.

WRITE something that God loves about you. Consider some of the things God says
about us in Scripture—you are beloved, chosen, holy, created very good, made in his
image, knit together specifically. Consider who God made you to be—such as your
hobbies and interests, your specific gifts, and spiritual and personal abilities.

WRITE 1–2 paragraphs about why you chose those things.

 P R AY E R S O F W O R S H I P

Worship through Scripture

READ and WRITE out one of these scriptures. PRAY it aloud to God.

Revelation 4:11, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Matthew 4:10, “Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the
Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Hebrews 12:28-29, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God
is a consuming fire.’”

Worship through Names

There are many names for God in the Bible. Pick one that sticks out to you today.

WRITE in your journal a paragraph telling God why that name is so significant to you.

Here are some of the names for God we find in the Bible: Shepherd, Lord, Father, Healer,
Provider, Bread of Life, Savior, Protector, I AM, Rock, Master, Teacher, Creator, Counselor,
Defender, Friend, Lamb of God, Almighty, Companion, Mother, Servant, Trinity, Wisdom,
Sufficient, Treasure, Alpha & Omega.

Worship through Song

Pick one or two worship songs that speak to you.

WATCH or LISTEN to them on your tv, computer or mobile device. Intentionally reflect
on the lyrics.

SING or silently PRAY the lyrics to God along with the song. Consider standing and
raising your hands as you sing or silently pray.
 C A L M I N G P R AY E R

A calming prayer can help when you find yourself anxious or overwhelmed.
Take intentional breaths. As you breathe in, say one thing and then another
as you breathe out. Consider repeating your prayer for 20–30 breaths. Here
are some options:

In: Gracious God. Out: I trust you.

In: Jesus promised. Out: I won’t leave you.

In: Lord. Out: I am yours today.

I M P O S S I B L E P R AY E R

It can often feel like some things are just too big or will never happen. We
know that nothing is impossible for God. What is a prayer that you have had
on your heart or in your mind a lot lately?

WRITE your impossible prayer in your journal. In your own words, include one
of these verses:

Psalm 17:6, “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me
and hear my prayer.”

Psalm 18:6, “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help.
From his temple, he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him
in truth.”

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

THANK God for hearing you and tell him you trust him to answer in his own
way and time.