I recently wrote a post on How to Create a Weekly Prayer List on Your iPhone. I know, I know, I should have known: there's an app for that.

I heard a story on The World and Everything In It news and commentary podcast (which I highly recommend) on the app called PrayerMate. I was skeptical at first. I just failed to see how it could really do more than I had already created. WOW, was I wrong! I have been using it for several weeks now, and I love it!

It has so many great features:

add any number of topics, subjects, and notes
connect people on your list with your contacts (photos are imported and you can contact them right from the app)
set any topic or list to appear as often as you like and PrayerMate puts together a prayer list as often as you want, according to your preferences
RSS feeds are available (for example, I subscribe to the Operation World prayer feed)
you can also create your own prayer feed others can subscribe to
intuitive and easy to use
it is FREE

I used to have a "Quiet Time Notebook" for years. A real notebook with real paper in it. In my notebook, I would journal, take sermon notes, make prayer lists, and keep up with Scripture memory. While there is nothing wrong with doing it that way, I have found digital ways of keeping up with these disciplines that ensure the safety of the data and are more convenient and efficient for me.

I recently bought an iPhone and created a daily and weekly prayer list system using the Reminders app. Here's how you do it.

Select the Reminders app that comes on the iPhone. Select "New List" at the top. Name the list whatever you want and make as many prayer lists as you want. The part that I like the best is the ability to create weekly reminders. For example, if there are certain items or people I would like to pray for every Monday, I can create a recurring reminder. After you have populated your list, select an item on the list and a blue "i" in a circle will appear on the right. Select the "i" and you will be able to set the date, time, and recurrence of the reminder for that item.

Here is the result: I can drag from the top of the iPhone screen at any time (even without unlocking my phone) and I get a summary of my day: weather, calendar items, and reminders (awesome feature). So each day, whatever prayer reminders I have set for the day appear in this view. As I pray through them, I can select each item and they will disappear until the set day next week! This makes it very convenient to pray through my list as I go through the day.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" (Eph 1:16). He also exhorted them to pray "at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph 6:18).

Like Paul, we don't really NEED an iPhone to pray for the saints without ceasing. But for now I am finding it a very helpful tool!

Whatever tool you use, the important questions are these: