Building a Personal Prayer and Devotion Study System with Logos

Dr. John Fallahee guides viewers through a practical method for creating a personal prayer and devotion system using Logos Bible Software. The webinar is fast-paced, includes many hands-on steps, and is recorded for later review. You can follow along with the schedule of upcoming events at learnlogos.com/events and share ideas with [email protected].

The training comes with a Logos personal book containing the presenter’s notes and links to three related webinars: Inductive Bible Study, How to Pray God-Centered Prayers, and Fasting. Print resources referenced include Reflect the Glory of God in Prayer, Alone with God by John MacArthur, Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans, Every Prayer in the Bible, and Exposition on Prayer in the Bible.

One practical tip demonstrated is using the “Search Prayers” link to view all Logos books related to prayer. By checking “Hide books you own” in the store interface, you can focus on new resources without scrolling through titles you already have. This simple step helps you locate useful prayer materials quickly.

Why prayer matters is explained as a humble, faithful response that reflects your relationship with God. Whether facing difficulty or enjoying peace, intentional, consistent prayer is essential. James 4:2-3 reminds us that learning to pray properly is part of our spiritual growth. The webinar then walks through creating a Prayer List via Document → New → Prayer List, where you can set a clear title, add a date, and use two main boxes: Notes for the request and Answer for how God responds. A reminder feature lets you choose frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) or set a start and end date for time-limited prayers, such as during a hospital stay.

Customization options include adjusting intervals, selecting specific days of the week, and adding searchable tags like “webinar” or “prayer-request.” You can also make the list public or share it with a Faithlife group for collaborative prayer, which the presenter encourages for accountability and community.

Integrating a reading plan with devotions is shown next. By creating a Reading Plan (Documents → New → Reading Plan), selecting “Specific Passages,” and entering verses separated by semicolons (e.g., “Psalms; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes”), you can set a start date and schedule the plan for weekdays only. Checking “One chapter per session” ensures you progress book-by-book, making reflection and prayer on each passage more manageable. The completed plan appears in List View, and you can drag it to your dashboard for quick daily access.

The memorization tool, accessed through Document → New → Passage List, lets you add verses you want to learn. Naming the list meaningfully (e.g., “My Prayer Passage List”) and using Practice or Quiz modes helps reinforce memory. Options to hide whole letters, all but the first letter, or use progressive order support different learning styles. The feedback you receive while typing the verse strengthens retention.

To create a cohesive devotion system, drag the Prayer Journal, Reading Plan, and Memorization tool onto your Dashboard. As you read a passage, the text can inspire prayer entries in your journal, creating a reflective loop between Scripture and prayer. This integrated workflow supports thoughtful, Scripture-based prayer throughout the day.

The webinar also introduces seven specialized search acronyms from Reflect the Glory of God in Prayer. For example, “Remembers the Glories of God” searches for language describing God’s glory, while “Examine Your Motives and Manner” looks for narratives that reveal character motives, prompting self-examination. These searches are designed to be surgical, helping you find specific concepts rather than broad results.

Scriptural references such as James 4:2-3, Psalm 1, and Psalm 51:1 are woven throughout, reinforcing the connection between prayer and knowing God’s Word. The training emphasizes starting with a dated prayer list, setting realistic reminder frequencies, and using Scripture to guide your prayers. By aligning a reading plan with your prayer list, you create a feedback loop where Scripture informs prayer and prayer deepens Scripture reflection.

Additional practical steps include creating a “Favorites” folder to organize seven pre-configured prayer searches. To do this, go to Tools > Favorites > New Folder, name it “seven prayer searches,” run each search, and drag results into the folder. Renaming the folder for clarity (e.g., “remember the glories of God”) makes access easy. These searches are saved in a personal book for reuse.

Four preaching theme searches are also demonstrated: Confession (e.g., Exodus 9:27), Intercession (e.g., Genesis 18), Petitionary prayer (e.g., Matthew 7:7), and using the Bible Browser to search “pray” for variations like “prayed” or “praying.” A free 12-category prayer guide downloadable from documents includes categories like confession, intercession, and thanksgiving, along with Jesus’s seven prayer principles covering timing, location, decisions, ministry phases, concluding ministry, praying for enemies, and praying for one another.

For devotionals, calendar-based resources like “God’s Word for Today” can be added to your homepage via the dashboard for one-click daily access. A custom “Prayer Devotional” layout combines Bible reading (Psalm 1), prayer journal, speaking-to-God section, memorization, and passage lists. Saving this layout and adding it to the shortcut toolbar with a “prayer vigil candle” icon provides instant access to your devotion system.

In the final segment, Dr. Fallahee closes with a prayer of thanksgiving, praising God for His Word and the Holy Spirit’s role in prayer, especially when words fail (Romans 8:26-27). He encourages exploring more webinars for complementary training and thanks attendees for joining. He also shows how to create a prayer list for a small group by setting up a Faithlife group, sharing it with Logos, and using the Personal Notebook to track requests. Templates can be copied weekly, and sharing both the group and notebook ensures seamless collaboration. Support is available at [email protected] with screenshots if needed. The overall tone is simple, practical, and focused on building a system that works for both personal devotion and group prayer.