We're pretty good at preparation when it comes to Christmas and Easter. In the lead up to each, Advent and Lent respectively help us get ourselves ready both spiritually and practically. But when it comes to Pentecost, which isn't as widely recognised outside the church but is of great importance to us as Christians, we can find ourselves at a loss when it comes to preparing to commemorate it.

Prayer is one way that we can get ourselves ready to mark such a monumental event. Appreciating the significance of Pentecost is the first step in deciding what we want to pray for to tie in with its message. Essentially, Pentecost commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples after Jesus' ascension into heaven, and the birth of the church. In a way, both Christmas and Easter centre around us receiving a gift - a saviour and salvation - whereas Pentecost is about receiving (the gift of the Holy Spirit) but also about sharing the news of that gift with others.

If you're still not sure about what Pentecost is, for more on what you need to know about the day itself read Mark Woods' 9 key things to know about Pentecost.

Here are some key thing you can pray for in the lead up to Pentecost.

1. The gifts of the Holy Spirit
A number of the gifts of the Spirit - words of wisdom, knowledge, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues - feature in the story of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost. Paul urges believers to eagerly desire these great gifts (1 Corinthians 12:28) and to know how to identify them. As believers we've all received the gift of the Holy Spirit but sometimes we're unsure about what this means. Why not say a prayer asking for that you may come to discover your gift and how to use it.

2. The confidence to evangelise
After the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter stood and preached to the crowd, Acts 2:14-41. Considering that evangelism is a fundamental part of the Pentecost story, it's fitting to commemorate it by telling someone about Jesus, just like Peter did. We don't all have the confidence to evangelise to one person, let alone 3,000 but this confidence is something that we can pray for.

3. The fruits of the Holy Spirit
Are you struggling with self-control, or finding it difficult to find joy in life? These are just two of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which you can come to know by opening up your heart to Jesus and allowing yourself to be filled by the Spirit. Maybe you'd like to pray that in the coming days you'll be able to demonstrate one or more of the fruits you commonly struggle with.

4. Those who don't know Jesus
Thousands of people chose to accept Jesus as their Saviour following Peter's proclamation and billions more have since, but there are still many people who don't know the peace that He can bring. Why not pray that your loved ones and those you don't know will accept Jesus and his message.

5. The presence of the Holy Spirit
Many of us long for an experience similar to the one that the disciples had, so that we can truly experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But the internal presence isn't something that we can develop ourselves. It requires us to concern ourselves less with what we can do and more with what the Spirit can do in us. Why not find a place free from distractions and pray that you can come to know the presence of the Holy Spirit.