Are You FITT in Prayer?

In the health and fitness world, there is something known as a FITT plan. A FITT plan is a personally created workout plan.

The letters stand for:

F - Frequency (How often)

I - Intensity (How intense)

T - Time (How long)

T - Type (Type of exercise)

Instead of a FITT plan for exercise, I want to ask you if you are FITT in prayer. I’ll be honest, prayer might be the part of my relationship with God where I need the most growth.

Using the FITT plan, let’s break down our prayers to see how FITT we are in the area of prayer.

How often do you pray?

The Bible says to pray continually. How do we do that? Keep God at the forefront of your mind. Be mindful of the little things that God does throughout the day and be thankful for them. As a teacher, I try my best to do this. I have started keeping a jar on my desk and dropping in a little note of things that happen throughout the day that bring me joy. On a bad day, I can look at those notes and be reminded of those little blessings. Being aware will also help us to see those little things we need to ask for. Or it can give us reminders to pray for others if we see that they are down or in need. Awareness helps us to be on the lookout for opportunities to pray.

How intense or fervent are your prayers?

The fervency of your prayers may depend on the type of prayer. But if your only prayers are quiet and meek, you need a fire lit in your spirit. When you need God to meet a need, a quiet meek prayer just won’t do! Desperation is an intense emotion. Remember Hannah who was desperate and went to the temple to pray? She may have been quiet, but the priest thought she was drunk. Her prayer was intense!

How long do you pray?

That five minute prayer before you go to sleep should not be the only prayer you pray. I believe that the listening part of prayer qualifies here too though. Do you spit out your petitions and not give God a chance to respond to you? Be still and hear the voice of God. Sometimes this takes time. If you are distracted by other things, chances are you won’t be able to hear God’s still small voice. I like to remove distractions and focus on just a few words that God is to me, or what I need from Him. For example: My Father, My Healer, My Savior, My Lord. God is all of these things. I prayerfully focus on who He is in my life. It focuses my mind on Him and eliminates distractions. If I quiet myself and my thoughts, I can focus on Him and will be in a mindset to listen to what He is speaking to me. Quieting distractions is an important key to intimate prayer time with God.

What is your typical type of prayer?

There are different types of prayers listed in the Bible. Prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession, promises, healing, help and deliverance, intercession, blessings, supplication, spiritual warfare, corporate prayer, prayers in the Holy Spirit, etc. I know that far too often, we get stuck in the habit of only coming to God when we want or need something. But all of these types of prayers are examples of the greatness of God and what He can do in our lives.

My favorite way to pray is to write God a letter. I know, I like to write, maybe you don’t. But I find that my deepest emotions, fervency, and desperation of my prayers can be expressed this way. This also allows me to search my heart, and it also gives me time to be still and listen as I become focused on what I write.

I can’t tell you what the perfect prayer FITT plan is for you; you and God have to decide that. But I can tell you that God longs to spend time with you. Luke 1:9-10 says “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (ESV)

He is already waiting on you to come to Him. He longs to meet with you, and He wants you to be strong in prayer.

Have you ever tried to have a relationship with someone without communicating with them? Communication includes both speaking and listening. Without communication, no relationship will survive. Make sure that your prayers allow for growth in your relationship with God.

Set aside some time today for one on one time with God. Remove as many distractions as you can. Use that time for quiet reflection and listen to what He wants to say to you.

Lord, help me to put all of my distractions aside so that I can focus on only you. Help me to be still and listen to your voice. Please help me make prayer and quiet time with you a priority in my life. Thank you for always waiting on me even when I don’t always take the time to spend with you. Amen.

Journal prompt: How can I remove distractions so that I can spend uninterrupted time with God? What does my FITT in prayer plan look like? How does it need to change?