10 Lists That Propel You Forward, Part 1

Do you want to move forward with God? If so, getting organized with your pursuit of God will help you a lot! And in this article series, we discuss ten lists you can make that will help you honor God with your whole heart; obey His Scriptural commands and precedents; and stay organized as seek God all day every day.

Before we get started, I’d like to share my backstory.

When I was in my 20s, a couple years after I got saved, I got connected with the intercessory team at the church I had begun attending. A lot of the intercessors were “silver saints,” and a lot of them used a prayer list.

To be honest, I kind of looked askance at the people who used a prayer list. I had never felt the need for one myself. So, I wondered why they would have trouble remembering what they needed to pray about (without a list), and also I felt like using a list was something that “old” people did … not something that would help me, as a 20-something-year-old.

(Yes, I was arrogant, and young and inexperienced, but that’s another story for another day.) 😉

Anyway, now I suppose that I have become one of those very same “old people,” because 20-something years later I rely on a prayer list every single day. It’s also true that my memory is not what it used to be, but more than that: a prayer list keeps me on my face and not forgetting to pray about any aspect of my life.

When life is difficult, using a prayer list gets results–but that’s not the only kind of list that will help you.

I have a prayer list, a fasting list, and lists of hundreds of Scriptures and Bible promises that are special to me that I pray through. I have to; connecting with God in prayer is what keeps me alive–quite literally, I’m convinced. 🙂

I also have many other kinds of lists. And although I am not naturally a list-type of person (in other words, I’m not naturally organized and methodical; I’m very creative, spontaneous, and sporadic at times), I have found that I function both practically and spiritually at a much higher level when I do use these ten particular kinds of lists.

Are you interested in Holy Spirit-inspired list making? It truly is so much fun to honor God in this way!

Want to examine these ten FUN tools that will help you get to know God–and receive all that He has for you–at a higher level? Well, then, let’s go!

In no particular order, here are the first two of ten different kinds of lists that will propel you forward and higher in God:

List 1: A list of what God has done.

Keeping a list of what God has done honors Him and acknowledges His many blessings. It also increases His work in your life.

Why do I say that a list of what God has done increases His work in your life? Because of this Scripture:

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew 13:12 NKJV).

Although I don’t have space here for a deep teaching on this particular verse, you should know these things about Matthew 13:12:

• Jesus described two people: one who HAS and one who “does not have.”
• The person who “has” gets even more, until he has abundance.
• The person who “does not have” must have had something, because he had stuff taken away from him. You can’t have anything taken away from you if you have nothing.
• Yet, the guy who “does not have” lost everything.

What makes the difference between the person who has and the person who does not have, when clearly they both started with something? I believe it’s simply this:

The person who “has”–and then received abundance–simply acknowledged what they had. But the person who “does not have” didn’t acknowledge that they had anything.

If you acknowledge what you have and thank God for it, you’ll get more.

But if you don’t, you’ll lose whatever you do have–the things God really did give you, but which you refuse to acknowledge or thank Him for. He’ll take those things away and give you exactly what you claim to have: nothing.

#Ouch

I don’t want that; do you? No? I thought not.

God is actually very into memorials unto Him and His work. Why? Because those memorials are good for us AND they honor Him.

In fact, when He brought His people Israel out of the wilderness and across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, He had them build a memorial immediately. Look at what the Bible says about this in Joshua 4:

“And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’”

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day” (Joshua 4:1-9 NKJV).

The children of Israel pulled twelve stones out of the river and built a memorial. And as of the time the book of Joshua was written, that memorial remained unto that day. Now THAT is pleasing to God–and it acknowledges what God did for them in moving them over into the Promised Land!

Do you want to please God in the same way? Then build a memorial unto His name today!

How can you do that? Here are a few ideas:

• Make a list in your journal, with your journal entry each day, of what God did for you the day before. Be sure to thank Him for it as you write!
• I have friends who used to paint rocks to memorialize the work of God in their life. Every time God did something they wanted to remember, they painted a rock–then used those rocks as a publicly visible list in the landscaping in front of their house. Fun idea!
• On your prayer list, you could leave plenty of space between each item you’re praying for. (This would take quite a number of pages, but it would be worth it.) And each time you get a full answer or a partial answer to that particular prayer, you could record the date and what God did.
• I give God stickers! Whenever He does something to bless me, I put a pretty sticker on my prayer list. The stickers are like the trophies I’m ascribing to the Lord–tiny little memorials of what He has done from day to day!

When you remember what God has done, it builds your faith that He will do it again. Making and keeping a list of what God has done on an ongoing basis will also be a great source of encouragement to you–and remember:

To him who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance.

List 2: A fasting list.

Fasting should be a regular part of every Christian’s lifestyle. Jesus even said this Himself:

“And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast”” (Matthew 9:15 NKJV).

And He also gave instructions for “when” you fast in Matthew 6:

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV).

Fasting is absolutely essential–and every person can do it; there are lots of ways to fast. (Read here about major, non-legalistic keys to know about fasting.) And when you fast, you need to keep a list of specifically what you’re asking God to do for you during and because of your fast.

If you want to make a fasting list, simply write down a list in your journal of all the miracles you want to see God do during your fast. Refer to this list often and pray over it every day, fasting however the Lord leads you. (Yes, the key here is prayer. Fasting without extra periods of prayer is just dieting. Be sure to spend extra time with the Lord and really focus on prayer while you fast!)

In your fasting list, you may want to include things you’re praying for in these areas:

• Your relationship with the Lord;
• Your character;
• Your children;
• Your marriage;
• Your finances;
• Your career;
• Your ministry (even if your ministry looks like just using your spiritual gifts, without a legal organization that you call ‘your ministry’);
• Tangible needs you have (like healing, or a vehicle, or home repairs);
• Supernatural encounters with the Lord; and
• Your friends, extended family, or even your church home (or a new church home, if you need a church).

And then pray over your fasting list every single day while you’re in a season of consecration.

Making a fasting list keeps you on track in your fast–and it ensures that you cover each item you need God to do for you in prayer repeatedly.

Yes, we are called to pray over things repeatedly. (You can read more about persistence in prayer here, in my article about How to Put a Demand on God.) And when you show the Lord the level of faith that brings you into persistent prayer, you will see results!

Those are the first two kinds of lists that will propel you forward. Check out article #2 in this series for the next lists soon!

And in the meantime, why not get started making these two lists above now? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Go ahead and give it a try!

Are you ready to begin keeping a memorial list to the Lord of all He does for you? Want to begin praying and fasting for specific results in real, concrete needs in your life? Leave a comment below!