Pray Network Forum

For the first ten years of my life, I was an only child. I guess my parents didn’t believe in baby-sitters or perhaps couldn’t afford them, I just remember accompanying my parents to a lot of adult events. At each, I was told to “be seen and not heard.” So, I grew up being rather quiet, and reserved. That lifestyle carried over into my prayer life. In fact, I remember wondering in church, why some people prayed such long, wordy prayers, and why in the worship service, we spent so much time talking and singing about God, and so little time listening to God. Much of my early instruction related to prayer dealt with speaking to God, rather than listening to God. Along the way, I was influenced by statements like that of American financier, statesman, and adviser to U.S. presidents, Bernard Baruch, who said, “Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” Someone had me memorize James 1:19, “brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak . . .” A famous poster said, “Listen and Silent have the same letters.” So, thanks to my parents and my culture, I spend a considerable amount of time listening to God and my prayers are usually brief, and to the point. Let me clarify, I don’t listen to God with my ears, nor does God speak to me with His mouth. But if I am still, and quiet, and meditative, I don’t need human ears or a divine mouth to hear from God. So, next time your prayer life is lacking, try listening.

After the large group of disciples deserted him Jesus ministered only in Galilee for some time. He did not go at all into Judea because the Jewish hierarchy were threatening to kill him. With the Feast of Booths at hand Jesus went back to his childhood home in Nazareth. There he found his brothers and sisters and their families gathered. His oldest brother, Joseph, welcomed him. 

“Jesus! We are glad to see you. We are preparing to go to Jerusalem for the feast and were expecting to see you there.”

Jesus said, “I sent my disciples on to Jerusalem with their families. I think I would rather stay here where it is quiet.” 

His brother James said, “We have been talking about this, Jesus. You need to go up to Jerusalem. We hear that you are doing amazing miracles. We still cannot figure out how you could have produced wine when they ran out at that wedding in Cana. Some people are saying you turned the water in the stone jars into wine.” 

Joseph said, “Listen, if you really do these things, you need to go where your followers will see what you do. No one who is trying to become prominent should work in secret.”

Jesus answered, “You don’t understand the situation. Timing is crucial for me. The time is always right for you. The world cannot hate you. Your lives reflect the world around us. The world hates me because everything I do and say testifies that their works are evil. You go on to the feast. I am not going up to the feast with you. My time has not yet fully come.”

After the rest of the family left Jesus began to pray. After a few moments he heard someone talking outside the house. He went to the door and saw his mother and his youngest brother talking to his Aunt Susanna and her son David. As Susanna and her son turned to go Jesus stepped out to meet Mary and Simon.

“What is happening? Why have you not started for Jerusalem?” Mary sent Simon into the house with directions to get some things. 

To Jesus she said “We were all meeting at the synagogue to travel together. And Susanna's son Jesse arrived with a donkey cart. That meant we could take a few more things for the journey. Susanna and David returned for a skin of wine. And I came back for some blankets and a round of cheese. Are you sure you won’t go with us to the feast?”

“No, mother. I cannot go until the timing is right.”

“I suppose I understand, son. But you said your time had not yet come at the wedding feast. And God still honored what you did.”

“I know mother. But I would not have done anything then without my Father’s prompting. I am afraid my brothers did not understand that at all.”

“I know, son. They never understood your motivations. Your father and I have not always understood. But your brothers and sisters were not shown God’s plan by an angel as Joseph and I were. It was more than your brothers could understand, when you stood in the synagogue and said the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled in you. It is difficult for them to believe the brother that they have known all their lives came from God.” 

Jesus nodded his understanding. “Be assured that my Heavenly Father is speaking to them. In time, they will come to believe.” As They were talking Simon came out of the house loaded down with blankets, and Susanna and David came back along the road. 

Mary put her hand on his arm and said, “It is not for me to say, but I think God’s time for you is very near. You must pray about coming to the feast in order to be ready when your time does come.” Jesus said goodbye and returned to the house to pray. 

After a while, he too arose and started north on the road to Jerusalem. He did not join a group for the journey. He entered the city secretly to observe what was being said. The people were all whispering about him. But no one dared speak of Jesus openly because the chief priests and rabbis were so angry.

Some of the people were saying, “He is a good man.” 

Others said, “When the messiah comes will he show us more signs than this man?”

Still others argued, “It doesn’t matter how many miracles he does, he is leading the people astray. Don’t all of our leaders oppose him?”

This story was based on certain things in John 7:1-13.

Father, the world hates us more and more as we draw nearer to You. Help us be sensitive to Your timing and your prompting in our lives.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

WRITING PRAYERFULLY

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http://daveswatch.com/

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https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author Central page.

I watch a lot of college football.  I've seen all the bowl games, even the ones that no one has heard of.  In one of those games, I saw a commercial that really intrigued me.  It pictured a "first date" meet-up between Satan and 2020 (personified as a woman), and then the development of a relationship between them. 

It's unlikely that the producers of the commercial have any idea about spiritual warfare, but the reference brought to my mind the fact that 2020 was indeed a year of real spiritual warfare.  Any time we see evil at work - and we saw plenty of it last year - we can be sure that spiritual battles are being fought.  And we can also be certain that God will bring good out of it, just as he did in Joseph's life.  So here are a few thought questions to help us analyze our spiritual growth and health in 2020.

The year brought with it "lockdowns" like we've never seen, and with that a level of isolation we've never experienced.  So…..

• How have we used the time to deepen our personal relationships with God?
• With the increase in time spent at home, how intentional have we been about developing family relationships and even leading our families spiritually?
• Given the lack of commuting and travel, have we taken advantage of opportunities to know and serve our neighbors?
• Given both the challenges and opportunities financially, how has our stewardship reflected our walk with God?  (Matthew 6:21)

We've seen increasing levels of division along racial, political, and religious lines.  So…..

• How have we taken advantage of opportunities to be peacemakers? (Matthew 5:9; Romans 12:18)
• How have we carried out the ministry of reconciliation? (2 Corinthians 5:18)
• How have we been an answer to Jesus' prayer that his people would live in unity?

The increase in political division has gotten to the point where even civil conversation is now the exception, and differing ideas are banned in our key social media outlets.  So…..

• How faithfully have we been in prayer for our leaders - of both parties - and for the direction of our country? (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
• To what extent have our own beliefs and priorities been shaped by politics vs. setting our minds and hearts on things above? (Col. 3:1-2)

Around the world, Christians are suffering disproportionately.  From attacks by Islamic extremist groups in North Africa to discrimination in food distribution in countries like India, the church is under attack in many places. At the same time, God is opening doors of opportunities for believers to serve their neighbors and communities that were not open previously.  So….

• How faithful have we been in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world? (Hebrews 13:3)
• How have we prayed for God to open new doors for the Gospel? (Colossians 4:3)

All of these things (and more) are important because, frankly, we may have flipped a page on the calendar but we have not yet turned the page on all these spiritual battles.  None of these key situations has changed significantly with the dawn of 2021.  As a result, we should expect the same challenges - and opportunities - this year as we saw last year. 

God will be faithful to his people because that's his nature; but how faithful will we be to Him in the spiritual battles of this coming year?

Times have changed. People are staying home from church services in record numbers – and blaming the COVID virus. History has shown when we are forced by circumstances to change, we eventually get comfortable with the change, and even prefer the new methods to the old. John Cage, an American composer, artist, and philosopher, confessed, “I can’t understand why people are frightened by new ideas. I’m frightened of old ones.” Most churches I know have recovered approximately half of their pre-pandemic attendance, while experiencing positive numbers of online viewers. The fear is that folks have become so comfortable worshipping at home, in their pajamas, seated in their recliner, sipping their coffee that they will not choose to return to personal worship attendance. If that happens, churches will need new ideas. Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote, “Wise men put their trust in ideas and not in circumstances.” What will the post-pandemic church look like? Most will need to learn how to do online worship with greater excellence. We may need to train telephone and media counselors to deal with online responses during the worship service and especially during the response time. Some facilities may need to be reconfigured. More emphasis on home groups could be needed. A study of effective media ministry ideas could be time well spent. I once taught a Seminary course entitled, “The Use of Media in Evangelism,” but it was an elective course and few students saw the need to register for it. Seminaries and Bible Colleges may need to reinvent that course or one similar to it, perhaps make it a requirement. The future could be very different from the past. We’ll need to pray our way through it. Which reminds me that according to my research for America’s National Prayer Committee, approximately 95% of Seminaries and Bible Colleges do not have a separate course on prayer in their curriculum. It’s time to add such. Only then will we be able to understand Paul’s wish for young Timothy, “May the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 2:7).

#ItSeemsToMe...

"God save everyone" is a well intended prayer that is guaranteed not to be answered. 

This is how God loved the world - God gave his one-and-only (Jesus) to die for everyone. Anyone who believes will be saved.

My "God save everyone" prayer is a fine sentiment but unbiblical. It makes us feel like a good Christian but God has already provided salvation to all  ("The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people." Titus 2:11). Individuals must believe. God will not respond to such a prayer, as wonderful as it would be if Go did, simply because we are too busy to take the time to interact with the Spirit to discern why the Lord has prompted us to pray.

• Ask - "Why are you reminding me about this person? Problem?
• Seek - the leading of the Spirit by listening before you begin listing your requests
• Knock - with strong faith when you are pointed in the right direction

A more biblical prayer would be to petition the Lord on behalf of a specific person: "God, reveal yourself and your salvation-love to ____." 

• Someone you have suddenly begun to think about
• A person you read about in a news story
• The person you are seeing in a video or on TV
• An individual you have noticed in a store (the Spirit may use their slow pace or their loud complaining to capture your attention)
• The character you are reading about in a book may remind you of a family member
• Someone you work with
• A golfing buddy
• Your neighbor
• A stranger that catches your eye while driving ...

Maybe this is what it means to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Maybe this is what the Spirit is teaching us about being prayerfully-alert in Ephesians 6:18:"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all God's people everywhere."

"God, you are unwilling that any should perish; your heart desire is to save everyone. Who may I have the privilege of praying for right now?"

#ReimaginePRAYER...

As our countries face many difficult issues, amidst the riots, the uncertainly with the COVID 19 pandemic. It's easy to get discouraged, especially when thinking of the world our grandchildren are living in today. However, we have a big God bigger than the challenges and struggles we experience at this time and our grandchildren's future. In the Bible, we have an excellent example of how Joshua and Caleb handled their challenges.

However, we have a big God bigger than the challenges and struggles we experience at this time and in our grandchildren's future. In the Bible, we have an excellent example of how Joshua and Caleb handled their challenges.

Moses sent Joshua, Caleb, and the ten other men on a scouting exploration to Canaan, as spies to the Promised Land. After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned to Moses to give their reports. Ten of the spies said that it was a magnificent area, but the people are mighty, and their cities are fortified and very large. The people are giants, much stronger than we are; we would not be able to attack them.

However, Joshua and Caleb reported to Moses that the land was right, God would lead them, and they had nothing to fear because their God was bigger than their obstacles. How do you see God? Do you see God big enough to meet your challenges and struggles?

God often allows challenging situations in our lives for a purpose, teaching us to depend more on Him. Although trials and problems are inevitable, they can be our friends. Pray your grandchildren will learn to expect them, submit to them, and learn from them. The challenges and struggles they are facing are not meant to destroy them. They are designed to promote spiritual growth, develop character, and make them capable of fulfilling their God-given assignments. Our adversities may be blessings in disguise.

God sometimes wants to demonstrate to us truth about Himself. Only through trials do we move from academic faith to practical faith. As grandparents, we can pray our grandchildren will see their challenges as exercises designed to become stronger spiritually and mature in their character.

Pray your grandchildren will invite Jesus into their hearts, hide God’s Word in their hearts, and grow in their spiritual lived.

Pray that your grandchildren will see God as a great, big, strong God they can trust at all times, in all circumstances like Joshua and Caleb.

Taken from Numbers 13

Prayer Suggestions:

I have developed “31 Scriptures to Pray for Grandchildren” which many grandparents have found helpful. Taken from the book, Revised and Expanded Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book is available on this website for a discounted price of $15.00 including shipping. The book will encourage you, challenge you, and give you many suggestions to intentionally pray for your dear grandchildren of all ages including “Scripture

s to Pray for Teens and Grandparents’ to pray for themselves” in the book.

By Lillian Penner, Prayer Director Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I wake up in the night and am unable to get back to sleep. I’m sure it is partly due to the physical, since I am facing major surgery in the next few days. I am also sure it is partly spiritual, since this was happening, to a lesser extent, long before the need for surgery. Sometimes, when I wake up, I do so with scripture on my mind. Often the scripture comes in the form of a song or hymn. I remember many years ago, confessing this rather unusual habit to my mother, who replied, “My prayers have been answered. God has given you my song.” Then she confessed to likewise awakening with music on her mind. Both of us felt OK with this, since we were in good company – with each other, as well as with the Psalmist, who said, “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word” (Psalm 119:148). Other times I awake with people on my mind. Since this is frequently former students or friends who are serving as missionaries on foreign fields, I assume they are in need of prayer in the middle of their day, even though it is the middle of my night. Even when the image is not of missionaries, I begin to pray for members of my family and then on to friends as they come to mind. Even though I eventually go back to sleep, I guess for a time, I become somewhat of a watchman of the night (Isaiah 21:11). I share this to challenge you – when you awake in the night, consider that it might be in order to pray for someone in need.

#ItSeemsToMe... it is way too easy for Christians to unintentionally offer prayers that are actually more Republican than righteous; sound more like a Democrat than a disciple. When our political preferences infect our intercessory petitions, we have shifted from empowering the Spirit to employing the Spirit. No one of us is immune from this politicized syncretism.

Our best solution is to leave our political wish-list aside when we pray.

Begin with praise (declaring the goodness of God). Give thanks (declare the grace of God.

• A - ASK...for a fresh filling as you surrender to the Spirit ...Ask a question
• S - SEEK...a scriptural focus in silence, stillness
• K - KNOCK...when you receive Spirit-led, scripture-fed direction, move forward boldly in faith

When you pray for your candidate, also pray for the other.

When you pray about those you consider an enemy of your positions, ask for God's mercy to bring (repentance (a change of mind).

When you have completed your prayer/praying, ask the Spirit to help you review and, as needed, revise.

#ItSeemsToMe...my politicized prayers may be canceling your other-party-platform prayers. God is neither Democrat nor Republican. If you do not believe that, then may I ask that you work and vote for your party but stop bothering God.

Are you growing nearer to God in prayer?

We are familiar with John 15 that says our Lord is the vine and we are His branches. Jesus applies that wonderful picture in the verses that follow.

John 15:7,8

This morning I prayed, “Lord, help me find the remote control.” Many of our prayers are trivial. In fact from God's perspective most of our prayers are trivial. I am reading Munich Signature as I re-read The Zion Covenant series. In the book a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany wonders how her husband could have longed to have a radio, and how she could have wept that all five of their children needed shoes at the same time. Now they wept with thanksgiving that all of them were alive and together on the deck of a rusty steamer that left Hamberg without a destination. We will someday see that most of our prayers are less important than we once thought.

Many of our prayers are actually counterproductive. We pray, “Lord take me out of this difficult situation.” or “Make my life easier.” when God has appointed us to bear witness to people there who will come to Christ, or to minister to others who are hurting there. In another series by Bodie Thoene, the author of The Zion Covenant books, a black man in a dire situation wants to pray for God to let him die. His wife reminds him that he had prayed that way before. And now he could thank God for not answering that prayer.

James 1 advises us to give thanks for tribulation because that develops steadfastness in our lives. In Romans 5 Paul says we are to allow that growth in spiritual stability to become character and hope in God that will never disappoint.

But even when our prayers are shallow and misdirected, they are prayers. And God uses them to draw us nearer and nearer to Himself. By our continual praying we abide in Jesus. Through the power of His word and the trials of life our prayers grow us nearer and make us more like Him.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

Amazon Author's Page

https://www.amazon.com/David-Young/e/B008C7VLAQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

http://markmirza.com/conflict/

There are a lot of ideas on how to address our problematic issues in the USA, namely:

• Racial Fairness
• Political Tension
• Employment Disparities
• Etc.

From my little perch in Midtown Atlanta, GA, I see the numerous arguments, and the emotional intensity on opposite sides of each issue! They are evident in both the world and the church.

May I give you a simple solution from Scripture?

First, my message here is not for the unsaved. Why? Because spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). The only message I have to the unsaved through all of this is, “Get saved!”

But, what is the message to the Christian, to each of us individually?

It comes from Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

I think that means:

• Be obedient unto love, not hate, no matter how different someone’s views or looks are from you. And;
• Be obedient unto forgiveness, no matter what was done and by whom.

Too simple?

Maybe so, but isn’t that just like God?

PS. Don’t confuse simple with “easy.” It’s not easy. . .which is why we have the Holy Spirit.

I look forward to serving with all y’all.

Blessings,

Mark S Mirza
Common Thread Ministries/Founder
National Day of Prayer/Georgia State Coordinator

The Web of Prayer

Phil Miglioratti (MA ’74)

Spring 2001 TEDS Bridge magazine

I think five or six of us showed up that June 1990.

We placed our chairs in a small circle and introduced ourselves: “Hi, I’m Al from Palatine…I’m Joe from Arlington Heights…John from Lake Zurich…Gary from Schaumburg.” They had come to my office to pray, to pray with other pastors.

Even six months prior, only dragging me to pray with other pastors would work.  I thought these meetings were intimidating.

On its tenth anniversary the church I pastor still was hovering around the “100 Barrier,” and the last thing I desired was to put a positive spin on how fulfilling that was.  The church I had left nine years earlier was growing off the charts; for every one person we added, they added 99!  I just did not want to listen to the ministerium wax eloquent about the latest theological fad or nit-pick about another church that didn’t do things exactly right.  Needless to say, my heart needed a spring cleaning.

But spring of 1990 came and with it one of the most exciting times of my spiritual journey. Our church had come into an unexpected time of repentance (we called that morning “Shock Sunday!”). This led to a new awareness and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.  Thanks to my co-pastor I found myself in dialogue with another evangelical pastor; he graciously walked me through some basic steps for keeping the church from flying apart at the seams.  During one of our discussions he mentioned a group of pastors that had gathered for prayer in the past but lately had not made any effort to.

Then it happened.  I asked him for the mailing list.  Pastors from a variety of locations and denominations received a postcard in the mail from some other pastor with an unpronounceable last name and from an unheard, “no-name” church.

That June meeting in 1990 began the Pastors’ Prayer Group, and since then we have met every week for prayer.

The Pastors’ Prayer Group is a strategic component in the exploding global prayer movement.  Alongside Pastors’ Prayer Summits, the National Day of Prayer, Prayerwalks, Prayer Journeys, and a growing list of others, the Pastors’ Prayer Group has a unique contribution to make to the overall refining and restructuring of the church.  They are an invitation to band together with fellow pastors.  So far, nearly 300 Pastors’ Prayer Groups have registered.

This isn’t about becoming prominent in your community, nor is it the latest technique of church growth.  The call to lead or network a Pastors Prayer Group is a call to submission, sacrifice, and service: unreturned phone calls, unanswered letters, under-attended gatherings.  But not these alone.  It also entails overflowing joy and overcoming confidence in the presence of the Lord!

Connect with Others Who are Applying Romans 12:2

To Both Personal & Corporate Praying

Don’t be conformed nor confined by the status quo...

Let God transform you/your congregation by changing the way you think about prayer.

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A year's worth of blog entries!

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God combines memoir with theology. Step-by step instructions introduce the practice of praying in color as a way to do intercessory prayer.

Posted by Phil Miglioratti

In the early days of the Coronavirus quarantine, I was extremely restless and frustrated. Even in retirement, I’ve been running close to full speed. Sitting in my den recliner I was reading my Bible, and praying, and asking God what I was to “do” since my travel was now limited and cancellations had caused more Liquid Paper than ink on my calendar. Having just read James 1:22, “Be doers of the word,” I looked up and saw on the fireplace mantle, my wife’s display of all the books I had written, and it was as if God spoke audibly, although I heard no sound. “You don’t have to travel to write another book, so do it.” Thus, was born my most recent book. It took a few weeks to write, and a few more weeks to publish, but last week, “Praying through the Beatitudes” was released – an answer to my pandemic prayer. As a big fan of twentieth century Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, I have long had one of his quotes in my notes. “Prayer is commission. Out of the quietness with God, power is generated that turns the spiritual machinery of the world. When you pray, you begin to feel the sense of being sent, that the divine compulsion is upon you.” Sitting in my den, I definitely felt commissioned, even compelled to write. Prayer commissioned. Prayer driven. Prayer answered. By the way, should you want a copy, it can be ordered by title, on amazon. And what has God directed you to “do” during the pandemic?

God is on the move ...

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/june/meet-the-man-proclaiming-jesus-at-the-george-floyd-memorial-site-where-a-supernatural-awakening-has-begun

Ps 24:7-10 BSB

7Lift up your heads, O gates!

Be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of Glory may enter!

8Who is this King of Glory?

The LORD strong and mighty,

the LORD mighty in battle.

9Lift up your heads, O gates!

Be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of Glory may enter!

10Who is He, this King of Glory?

The LORD of Hosts—

He is the King of Glory.

Please come, Lord of Hosts, King of Glory, Lord Jesus Christ, only Savior of the world.

Rom 8:28, 37-39 BSB

28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose...

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Please work all things together for all who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Let us be more than conquerors through You.

Nothing can separate us from Your love.

Hab 3:17-19 Douay-Rheims Bible

Habakkuk Rejoices

17For the fig tree shall not blossom: and there shall be no spring in the vines. The labour of the olive tree shall fail: and the fields shall yield no food: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.

18But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.

19The Lord God is my strength: and He will make my feet like the feet of harts: and He the Conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.

Even though chaos, violence and tragedy are around us, You are the Conqueror, and our strength, and protection, and we rejoice in You.

Let Your light drive out darkness. Let Your love destroy hate. Let Your will be done on earth as in heaven, Your kingdom come and Your Name glorified.

Your Name Lord Jesus Christ, is the banner over us.

Amen.

God is at work From Sally McClung's blog https://floydandsally.com/blog/2020/5/22/he-is-at-work

1. The Lord is my strength and my song. Exodus 15:2, Psalm 118:14
2. The Lord is a warrior. Exodus 15:
3. The Lord is greater than all other gods. Exodus 18:11
4. The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love. Numbers 14:18
5. The Lord is God—there is no other. Deuteronomy 4:35
6. The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth. Deuteronomy 4:39
7. The Lord is your life. Deuteronomy 30:20
8. The Lord is with you. Judges 6:12
9. The Lord is peace. Judges 6:24
10. The Lord is God who knows… 1 Samuel 2:3
11. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior. 2 Samuel 2:22
12. The Lord is good. 2 Kings 20:19, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 129:4, Psalm 135:3, Psalm 145:9, Jeremiah 33:11
13. The Lord is glorious and strong. 1 Chronicles 16:28
14. The Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
15. The Lord is true wisdom. Job 28:28
16. The Lord is a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9
17. The Lord is King forever and ever. Psalm 10:16
18. The Lord is always with you. Numbers 14:11, Psalm 16:8
19. The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23:1
20. The Lord is a friend to those who fear Him. Psalm 25:14
21. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Psalm 27:1
22. The Lord is my strength and shield. Psalm 28:7
23. The Lord is trustworthy and true. Psalm 33:4
24. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18
25. The Lord is the King of Glory, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Psalm 24:10
26. The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. Psalm 93:1
27. The Lord is glorious and strong. Psalm 96:7
28. The Lord is compassionate and merciful. Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8
29. The Lord is a Father to His children, tender and compassionate. Psalm 103:13
30. The Lord is righteous, good, and kind in everything He does. Psalm 25:8, Psalm 145:17
31. The Lord is close to all who call on Him. Psalm 145:18
32. The Lord is watching everywhere. Psalm 139:1–6, Proverbs 15:3
33. The Lord is a faithful God. Isaiah 30:18
34. For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. Isaiah 33:22
35. The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. Isaiah 40:28
36. The Lord is the Living God and Everlasting King. Jeremiah 10:10
37. The Lord is my inheritance; I will hope in Him! Lamentations 3:24
38. The Lord is here among us. Micah 3:11
39. The Lord is a jealous God. Nahum 1:2
40. The Lord is slow to anger. Nahum 1:3
41. The Lord is our God. Zechariah 14:1
42. The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Mark 12:29
43. The Lord is risen. Luke 24:34
44. The Lord is the One who judges me. 1 Corinthians 4:4
45. The Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
46. The Lord is coming soon. Philippians 4:5, Jude 1:14
47. The Lord is faithful. 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 1:9
48. The Lord is my helper. Hebrews 13:6
49. The Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. James 5:1
50. So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. 

God is love. 1 John 4:16

Yesterday we concluded our group study of Paul Miller's "A Praying Life".  We've been meeting online for the last 6 sessions, and we did lose quite a few people along the way.  We've been following the outline of the book loosely and bringing in other materials and topics for the class.

We ended our study by looking at community prayer, that is, praying effectively in a group setting.  This was one of the items identified at the beginning as an item that the group wanted to discuss, and we had it in our "parking lot". 

We recognized that community prayer is more complex than private prayer because it adds a horizontal dimension.  Community prayer is all about praying to God, with people.  It can be tough to maintain that balance - so many groups I've prayed with have suffered from people praying more for others in the group to hear than for God to hear.  Not so much from pride like the Pharisee, but just from a lack of understanding of the dynamics of group prayer.  Prayers end up horizontally-focused, long and winding and full of information that God didn't need - not to mention focused on surface issues rather than the deeper works God wants to do.

We discussed the "ABCs" - Agreement, Brevity, and Christ-centeredness, and how these support each other in an effective group prayer setting.  

The whole series was well-received, despite the interruption from the coronavirus.  I'm sure we'll do this again, possibly with some additional tweaks.  We had to cancel our planned prayer service at the end of March due to the lockdown, but hopefully we'll be able to proceed on schedule at the end of June.  And we continue to pray about where God is leading us next to develop a culture of prayer.

Praying for and during Ramadan

 

Ramadan is starting on April 23, 2020 (or April 24, 2020) this year. During the month of Ramadan, billions of Muslims will be fasting, praying, and reading the Quran as a community. Lockdowns, curfews, and restrictions on public gatherings across most countries due to COVID-19 have dampened Ramadan preparations this year. 

As our Muslim cousins shelter in place, we want to pray and ask that Jesus visit them during this month in dreams and visions. We want to pray and ask that Jesus reveals Himself to many many Muslims during this month. 

Let us join with others this year in praying for Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula and throughout the world during the month of Ramadan. 

Prayer Resources:

Prayercast - https://prayercast.com/love-muslims-home.html

30 days of prayer - https://www.30daysprayer.com/participate/