Ktichen Sink Prayers

Kitchen Sink Prayers

2/20/2017

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Kitchen Sink Prayers. Blog post by Deborah Perkins of HisInscriptions.com. List of ways to pray

"And pray in the Spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." ~Ephesians 6:18, NIV

I have always loved to pray. From the time I was a small child I believed that there was a God who could hear me. I talked to Him, read Bible stories about Him, and eventually gave my life to Him. For someone living with partial deafness, it was nice to know that God was one of the few people I could always hear.

Like all introverts, I prefer deeper relationships with a few people rather than surface relationships with many. So my praying tended to also be "deep," in the sense that I focused best on God when I had extended times of uninterrupted quiet and stillness. I didn't know that there were "varieties" of prayers that could be offered, or other "kinds" of prayers as Ephesians 6 describes above.

For a while, even as a single young adult, this was not a problem. Of course, I worked during the day and had other commitments to attend to, but I cultivated a deep relationship with God in my "off" hours. Sundays especially were devoted to Him: church was followed by hours of blissful peace in my quiet apartment, doing what I now laughingly call "swooning with Jesus!"

Then I fell in love and got married.

Suddenly, I was swooning over Kevan, not Jesus, and had much less time to pursue my heavenly Bridegroom. Gradually, new demands encroached on my old prayer times: urgent things like laundry, dishes, and crying babies. Shopping trips took two hours now instead of twenty minutes, and I was falling in bed exhausted at night, wondering where the time had gone and how I would ever connect "deeply" with God again! God became just another task on my long "to-do" list, someone to whom I really couldn't give enough quality time. As any stay-at-home mom will tell you, there is just as much work at home as there is in the office; the only difference is that toddlers are tougher bosses!

The Spiritual Giant

It was around this time that I was leaving my church one Sunday morning, heading down to the nursery to pick up my children. Suddenly, my path was blocked by one of the church intercessors. Tall, slender, and with a sparkling smile, she stared down at me. I knew from what others said about her that her spiritual stature was as lofty as her physical height. One look at this "faith giant" reduced me. Next to her, I felt small, decidedly UN-sparkly, and spiritually insignificant!

I didn't realize until years later that our meeting was a divine appointment. God stood this seasoned warrior in my path that day as surely as the Angel of the Lord stood in front of Balaam's donkey to block his way. Her message changed my entire perspective on prayer.

The Power of a Kitchen Sink Prayer

When I bemoaned my lack of time to pray with this intercessor, she was nothing short of amazed. "Whatever made you think that you would have that kind of extended time with the Lord in this season of your life?" she asked. As she continued, I realized that God had brought me into a new season, a new assignment in my spiritual life, but I was still trying to use methods from the old season that didn't work anymore. I was burdening myself with expectations I couldn't meet, expectations which were no longer part of the Holy Spirit's plan for me at the time.

"What you need to realize is that your prayers at the kitchen sink are every bit as effective as your prayers in the prayer closet," she added. "You may not have those four-hour stretches to intercede any longer, but you will learn to pray shorter, more effective prayers as you go through your days with children." Thanks to her, I did.

Discerning the Times

Jeremiah 8:7 reads: "Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But My people do not know..." (Jer. 8:7, NIV) In the New Testament, Jesus laments that religious leaders cannot discern the signs of the times. (Matthew 16:3.)

Christians often have set ideas of what spirituality should look like. For me, it was the idea that a good prayer time had to be long prayer time. For someone else, it might be the idea that relentless service is the measure of maturity. Regardless, holding on to old "wineskins," or previous ways of doing things, won't work when God changes our assignment or moves us into a new season. While long prayer times and faithful service are both good things, they will hinder us if the Holy Spirit is moving us on to something new and different. Remember, the measure of our spirituality is not in the type of service we offer, but in our love for Him and for those around us.

New seasons and changes of assignments keep us humble and flexible spiritually. They allow us to stretch our faith as we lean on God for new things. They sharpen our skills as we learn to love in new ways. The trick is in recognizing and adjusting to the new things He is doing! For this reason alone, we need to pray "all kinds of prayers."

I learned to sharpen my prayers as I washed my knives. The kitchen sink reminded me to wash my family with the water of the Word, and I still pray over each one today as I wash their dishes or clothes. I pray they will taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 34:8.) I pray they will be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49) and with robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). The kitchen sink, where I spent so much time, became my sanctuary.

Several years later, when I was well into this new family routine, my husband took a night job to help make ends meet. He worked from 3-11 pm, and my young children went to bed around 7 pm. Once again, my prayer assignment changed. I now had several hours of "quiet time" each night, and the Lord specifically instructed me to set aside that time for Him in prayer. He opened up a way for me to rediscover that precious extended time in His Presence. Not long after that, He gave me a promotion, this time to a prayer team I had longed to join but could not before. I rejoiced in the extended times of prayer, but I was also aware that the short "kitchen sink prayers" had honed me as an intercessor, making me much more effective.

In every season, God can make a way for you to grow as a prayer warrior, until you, too, become a "giant" in the faith. The answers to our quick, shorter prayers in the midst of the business of loving people are every bit as powerful and exciting as the answers to the ones we have labored over. I have found that I am not alone in praying "kitchen sink prayers," although others might call them by a different name. Here are just a few: (*Download this list, complete with scripture references, as a printable infographic here.)

Kitchen Sink Prayers: Blog post by Deborah Perkins of www.HisInscriptions.com

Kitchen Sink Prayers: Use daily chore times to pray over family members or prayer requests. (Ephesians 6:18; 5:26)
Traffic Light Prayers: Pray for someone or some specific issue each time you stop at a red light.
Phone Prayers: Call a friend each morning and pray together for 15 minutes before starting your day.
Travel Prayers: Those who are on the road for business often can keep a list of prayer requests or people to pray about as they drive. I know someone who kept a copy of the church directory in his car for years, and prayed for each church member by name as he drove daily to his sales calls.
Lunch Break Prayers: Use your lunch break to pray and fast occasionally!
Couple Prayers: Set aside a night or two each week to pray with your spouse.
Worshipful Prayers: Turn on worship music and dance, sing and pray - great with small children!
Family Prayers: When children are too young to leave you alone, include them in your quiet times. Purchase a children's Bible or coloring pages and teach them how to have their own quiet time with you.
Shower Prayers: Don't laugh! A friend of mine shared once that this is the best place she connects with God!
Parked Car Prayers: In a pinch, when you need to be alone, you can escape to your car, even if it is just parked in the driveway. No one will hear you, and you're still close enough to respond to emergencies.
Prayer Walks: By far one of my favorite ways to pray, since exercising the body helps stimulate the mind as well. Pray for neighbors, family, church, whatever the Lord leads as you walk.
Waiting Room Prayers: Much of life is spent waiting. I have written entire articles in the dentist's office, waiting for my children, but the time could be spent praying or reading the Bible on your phone just as easily. Be creative!
"Trigger Prayers:" Every time I see an ambulance, I pray for whomever is inside. Seeing the ambulance is a "trigger," a reminder for me to cover those who are in medical distress. You can use anything that inspires you to pray: an office building to remind you to pray for Christian businessmen, a school to remind you to pray for the safety, growth, and protection of your children. Be creative!
Middle-of-the-Night Prayers: Can't sleep? Do some damage to the enemy. These quiet hours are often the best time to connect peacefully with the Lord. Pray through whatever comes to mind. (Philippians 4:6-7.) I use the nighttime hours to pray for pastors, the persecuted church, and those who might be suffering with illnesses or anxieties that keep them up at night.
Constant Prayers: (1 Thessalonians 5:17) As a Spirit-filled believer, you have an advantage: you can pray anytime, anywhere in the Spirit (i.e., in tongues), even quietly, to create a sacred place.

Apply This!

1. Think for a moment about the time and season you are in. Is God moving you into something new? Do things feel "out of sync" spiritually? How can you reorganize your prayer times OR the types of prayer you use to meet the demands of your new schedule or season? Be specific.

2. From the list above, which type of prayer most appeals to you? What have you tried that has been successful? If possible, choose one new way of praying and give it a try. If you have other ideas, please share your thoughts in the comments below so others can benefit!

3. Download your free list of "Kitchen Sink Prayers" (download also includes all scripture references) as a reminder to pray. Click on photo below to view or print the download.