ECHO

For the past few months I have been using a free prayer app called Echo. I was not familiar with it until I was looking for resources to share in the weekly newsletter I write for Mission Resource.

I have tried multiple times over my life to keep some sort of prayer journal but it's not a habit I have ever managed to make consistent. There was something about physically writing in a little notebook that just caused too much friction. The book would get messy fast and required a lot of flipping pages back and forth. 

But the Echo app now allows me to keep all current prayer matters in one list that comes in random order each day in big bold print. I move through the list with a swipe instead of flipping through the pages of a notebook. 

And when a prayer has been answered - like for my great nephew Max who was miraculously healed of a serious heart defect - I can mark it as answered and it is filed away as a testament to God's goodness. 

There's one other thing that I like about this app. It's a little psychological trick and maybe it shouldn't matter. 

But it does.

There's a little counter on the home page that keeps track of how many days in a row I have prayed. And, when evening comes, if I haven't yet opened the app throughout the day, a notification will pop up on my phone reminding me to keep my streak going. 

That sounds a bit cheesy, but it has kept me consistent in prayer, even on days when I get busy and forget. 

And that is what counts. 

Look it up, try it, and let me know what you think.