10 Lists That Propel You Forward, Part 2

Are you interesting in using lists as a tool to enhance your walk with God–to draw you closer to Jesus and to help you make progress in your life? If so, this series about 10 Lists That Propel You Forward will help you, even if you’re not naturally an organized, list-making person!

If you’re new to this series, be sure to read Part 1 here for my backstory and the first two types of lists you may want to consider making.

Without further ado, let’s look at a few more of the ten lists that will propel you forward:

List 3: A list of promises you pray and claim frequently.

A lot of people say they don’t know what God’s will is in any given situation. This makes me sad, because God’s Word tells us specifically what His perfect will for you and for me is. And even if we don’t know every single detail of His plan, we can still know what His plans and His will are when we read His Word–particularly His promises.

For example, God’s will is for you to prosper in all things:

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).

And God’s will is for you to be totally free from every evil thing that binds you:

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32 NKJV).

And God’s will is for you to walk in Kingdom wealth, which does not mean that you never have a need–but, rather, that every need is always supplied:

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV).

And God’s will is to help you in every kind of trouble, no matter what may oppress or worry you today:

“‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns’” (Psalm 12:5 NKJV).

And God’s will is to lead you into triumph in absolutely every aspect of your life:

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV).

Get the picture? I could go on and on, but the point is that God’s will for your life is clearly written out in His beautiful, perfect Word. Therefore, since we know that God’s Word tells us what His perfect will is …

… If you want God’s perfect will to happen in your life, it’s helpful to pray God’s Word and promises back to Him.

If you want to make a list that will propel you forward, make a list of the Bible promises and other Scriptures that you know you need, want, and desire to see manifest in your life. And then, begin praying through that list daily! Even if you don’t make it through the entire list each day, even praying a few of your special promises from God will get you big results!

I love to do this by writing my promises out on little flash cards. I keep them in a special box where I pray and study the Word, and they are easy to grab and pray through. Praying this way is one of the most fulfilling, satisfying, comforting, calming, and results-getting ways that I pray!

The funny thing about your list of promises is that it will grow with you.

Your list of promises will always grow and expand. The more you study the Word, the more verses will jump out at you and just demand to be believed and claimed. 🙂 So, every time you run across such a verse, write it down on your list and add it to your promise/prayer repertoire!

Making a list of God’s promises, and praying it back to Him, will propel you forward like a rocket ship.

You will get results and answers every single time. After all, God is not a reluctant Father, waiting on some unknown random event to answer you when He finally feels like it. NO! Jesus told us that it is the Father’s good PLEASURE to give you the Kingdom:

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NKJV).

It pleases God to pour out His blessings on you! And when you pray His Word back to Him, you are praying for Him to do what He already wanted to do–but was just waiting for your permission, as His middle manager in authority over your own life, to do it.

So, don’t wait; grab a pen, your journal, or even some flash cards, and begin writing out your list of Scriptures and Bible promises to pray back to God–and then pray through it often, even daily!

List 4: A list of what you need now.

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus taught us that He wants us to pray over and over again until we receive, in manifestation, that for which we have asked the Lord. This passage says:

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:

‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’

And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” (Luke 18:1-8).

Beloved, God wants to give you everything you need, want, and desire.

And if you ask, it will be given to you. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 7:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV).

So, dear friend, do you have any needs in your life? Is there anything you’d like to see happen? Is there any item you want, tangible or intangible? If so, make a list!

I highly recommend that you make a list of 200-500 things that you need, want, and desire from God.

I have done this myself for years, but recently I made a GIANT list that is far bigger than anything I’ve ever written down before. This list has hundreds of items on it, and I’ve been praying over it for months.

Every time God answers one of my items–even an incremental answer, like giving me one part of a process that needs to be fulfilled–I put a small, brightly-colored sticker (like a foil star, or some other pretty sticker) on the list. Or, if room for stickers runs out, I might put a checkmark or tally mark.

And you know what? Over the months I’ve been praying over this same list, the Lord has given me HUNDREDS and hundreds of answers. I’m currently having to write out my list a second time, with more space in my journal, because I have run out of room to add more stickers and tally marks!

Beloved, I can’t emphasize this enough. Please, please, please: make a list of hundreds of things you desire for the Lord to do for you.

Write down everything on your list; don’t simplify it or tell yourself that XYZ is too frivolous, too inconsequential, too silly, or even (on the opposite end of the spectrum) too big! God can do anything and everything for you, and He wants to! Remember His Word about this:

“For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37 NKJV).

And:

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

God can do anything for you if you will ask Him to do it! So, make a list of what you need, want, and desire from Him today!

Most people simply call this a “prayer list.” It really is just a list of the things you are praying for. But, without such a list, you are likely to forget or neglect to pray for very important things that the Lord wants you to have, and which you need. Make a list of all you need the Lord to do for you, and pray over it often!

Then, let’s move on to the next kind of list!

List 5: A list of people for whom you are interceding.

Friend, God loves intercessors. Every good thing about history has been fashioned by intercessors, and intercession is direct ministry to the heart of God. God is looking for people to stand in the gap before Him for the land, and for other people with needs:

“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,’ says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22:30-31 NKJV).

So, beloved, who is God calling you to pray for today? How is He leading you to intercede?

Whether you’re praying for:

• Your children or spouse;
• Your nation, and your nation’s government and leaders;
• Someone’s marriage to be restored (perhaps even your own);
• A lost child to find saving faith in Jesus;
• A sick person who needs healing; or any other thing for someone else …

… I strongly encourage you to keep a list of the things and people for which you are interceding.

This is a separate list from your prayer list, but it can be duplicate.

The reason I encourage you to make this a separate list is threefold:

• Sometimes, Holy Spirit will just “sit” on you specifically to intercede.
• Or, you’ll be thinking about this person or that person, and your love and care for them will lead you into a time of intercession.
• Additionally, sometimes it’s good to just purposefully set aside a time to intercede for other people.

Intercession tends to drive the selfishness and self-pity out of us, replacing it with faith, courage, and thanksgiving instead. Intercession restores your roar. 🙂 So, it’s good to make a list of the specific people the Lord leads you to intercede for–and to pray over it as the Lord leads, separately from your regular prayer list.

People you may need to intercede for could include:

• Your nation’s leaders (the Bible commands us to pray for kings and all who are in authority);
• Your spouse;
• Your children;
• Your pastor;
• Your friends;
• The people you minister to;
• Your employees or coworkers;
• Extended family members; and so on.

As you pray, remember that your prayers are making a difference! As it says in James 5:16:

James 5:16: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16 NKJV).

So, don’t hesitate, friend! Be one of the people who lifts your friend/loved one down on the pallet in front of Jesus, even if you have to tear the roof off the house to get them there in your prayers. Your intercession does exactly that–and Jesus will hear and answer your prayers.

Friend, are you seeing how these lists can help you pray purposefully and with power, not forgetting anything important?

Making these lists has changed my life forever, and I believe they will change yours too. But don’t stop; there are five more lists to come! Stay tuned for the next parts of the series. And, in the meantime, go ahead and grab your journal and start making these lists–and make them as long as you want!

Is this series about lists that propel you forward in your walk with Christ inspiring you to pray more purposefully? If so, leave a comment below!