Pray Network Forum

Teach us to number our days aright,

                                 that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

                                                                   Psalm 90:12

We seldom think of Moses as a singer/song-writer. He wrote only one song, at least that we have recorded in the Psalter. It is Psalm 90. In it he prayed to see from God’s perspective. Few things empower our prayers like learning to see from God’s perspective. Like most of the Hebrew songs, this psalm is a prayer. And it is important to understand that only God can teach us to see from His perspective.

In the psalm Moses prays for God to teach us to number our days aright. We naturally count our days. We help children celebrate birthdays. And they come to each new birthday with earnest anticipation. As we grow older we no longer come to birthdays with anticipation. Some of us come to them with dread. Interestingly enough many of us grow old enough for birthdays to become precious again, even a source of pride.

“When we lived under the U.S.S.R. we felt we were being controlled. We were told what to say. We were told what to wear. Independence was like a second life, the birth of something new. My wings spread and I started to remember poems I recited to my mother as a child.Now, I have poems of terror.” 

(Ludmila Elagina; Mariupol, Ukraine; quoted in The Washington Post, August 31, 2014)

Remembering what life was like before Ukraine received its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, Ludmila has volunteered to help dig trenches in her hometown because she is afraid of the return of a repressive regime.

She says people are panicking because they don’t know who to trust. If they hear an explosion, they don’t know if it is coming from the Ukrainians or the rebels.

Ukrainian military officials report that rebels who want to reunite with Russia are being supported by Russian soldiers, tanks and armored personnel carriers.

The Russian incursion has deepened anxieties about the future. The West is alarmed. The European Commission president said the crisis would soon “reach the point of no return.” Ukraine’s president Poroshenko warned the conflict could spread further into Europe. Some historians foresee a possible 21st century repetition of the warring 20^th century world.

In these troublesome times, believers in Christ proclaim our creed to the world—

we believe the Prince of Peace will accomplish what warriors could not;

we believe international chaos will be replaced by heavenly calm; 

we believe the future is as bright as the promises of God; 

we believe the Messiah will return to restore paradise; 

we believe terror will be conquered by Truth;

we believe heaven on earth will materialize;

we believe there will be peace at last.

We who live in a country rich in freedom should pray that Ludmila will again be able to remember peaceful poems.

“The boots of the warrior and uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.

His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:5, 7 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

I Thessalonians 5:17 simply reads "Pray Without Ceasing"  Is this really possible?   Did Paul issue a mandate that is unattainable? 

 In my studies I read that this means "a believer should always remain in an attitude of prayer, though not always praying audibly." *

Whew!  That's a relief! 

I am  able  to pray without ceasing if I am willing to have an attitude of prayer.   If we are honest with ourselves we don't always feel like praying, but a strong prayer life is vital in the life of the Christian.  What does it mean to have an attitude of prayer? Having an attitude of prayer is when your mind has been changed to reflect the mind of Christ.  An attitude of prayer says "[Lord] Thy  will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10)

Okay so here's an example of Kay's Attitude of Prayer*:

"I have this co worker who really knows how to get under my skin. This person slacks off and causes me to have to pick up the slack. This person is rude and  sometimes can be very obnoxious.  I have asked this person to try to be respectful and consider others' feeling before they speak, but its as if it goes in one ear and out the other. I find myself really getting upset by this person and one day I almost lost my cool (but the grace of God).  So one day during my time of prayer and meditation I could hear that still small voice say: "Pray for them".  Wow, I thought to myself, pray for them? I came to God to help me to be able to deal with this person, but now I have to pray for them?  It took me a while but after considering what God had done for me over my life, I decided I have a responsibility to pray.  As I prayed for this person a sudden peace came over me.  I actually began to wonder why this person was so difficult and wondered what their life was like outside the workplace.  I began to pray again and I fell asleep feeling as if a huge burden had been lifted off of me.  The next day I greeted this person with a hearty good morning instead of trying to avoid them like I normally do.  I even felt the urge to ask them how their evening went.  After I asked this person, "how was your evening", this person began to reveal to me that they were caring for an elderly parent and how much of a struggle it had been.  She said that she really needed some help.  I knew just what to do as I had found myself in that same situation with my own parents.  I shared with her some of the resources that I had used.  We are now the greatest of friends and we have have found great joy in discussing our families. I never thought that I could have any type of functioning  relationship with this person but my attitude of prayer changed the way I viewed this person,  and made me realize that prayer is an attitude adjuster and can change things for the better." 

So what do you think? 

Do we live with an attitude of prayer? Kay's example makes me examine my own prayer life. Am I praying for those hardpressed issues? Am I asking God to bless even my enemies.  Do I pray for my enemies and that they are made aware of the hurt and pain that they cause.  

Could it be that our prayers are so consumed with personal requests that we fail to understand that God's will is more important than our own?

Be encouraged,  God understands all that we are going through and he will guide and lead us into all truth.  

Be encouraged that our prayer life will grow the more that we seek God.  

We may not always get it right but its awesome to know that God knows our hearts. He has already prayed and continues to make intercession for us.  

Confession:  I will have a great attitude of prayer so that I may seek the will of God for my life and continue to be made new in Christ. 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time---I Timothy 2:1-6 ESV

May God, through his son Jesus  continue to richly bless and keep you!

Your sis in prayer 

Irene

check out my personal blog www.empoweredtoliveanointed.wordpress.com

Join us in Prayer Each Thursday at 7:30pm EST 

Call in to (209) 647-1600 access code 148178#

*The King James Study Bible Nelson Press 135BG

**Kay is a fictional character based on similar real experiences to protect the identity of individuals 

When I discovered different ways to pray, I was really excited. Prayer had become stale and stagnant to me, an obligation not an inspiration.

This discovery opened up the heavens. I don’t know if I so much found them as they found me. They were in the Bible the entire time. I just needed eyes to see them.

What does this mean?

• There are lots of possibilities for prayer.
• We don’t have to pray like other people.
• We can find the prayer types that work best for us.
• We can pray our own prayers.

This is what I saw.

When you read the letters of the apostle Paul, you see that he’s exceedingly thankful. Time and again, Paul begins his letters with thanksgiving:

• “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you” (Romans 1:8).
• “I always thank God for you” (1 Corinthians 1:4).
• “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16).

Of the thirteen letters that are normally attributed to Paul, he’s thankful in ten of them. But if you read other biblical writers, they don’t sound the same.

Instead of thanks, David offers praise:

• “O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 8:1).
• “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:2).
• “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1–2).

And instead of offering praise, Joshua prays God’s Word. His instructions for bringing the Israelites to the Promised Land were,

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you maybe be careful to do everything written in it.” (Joshua 1:8)

And with these new eyes, I saw 12 different types of prayer.

http://www.madetopray.com

Here are 12 different types of prayer and a step to begin finding your best prayer types.

Agreement
Definition: Multiple believers agreeing on earth with what heaven is saying
Bible character: Acts church
Verse: Matthew 18:19-20

Confession
Definition: Acknowledging your sin to God, and then celebrating the forgiveness you have received
Bible character: David
Verse: Psalm 51:2-3

Fellowship
Definition: Spending time with God in an activity that is not traditionally sacred or prayerful
Bible character: Adam and Eve
Verse: Genesis 3:8

Intercession
Definition: God leading you to pray for the needs of a person, place, or cause
Bible character: Anna
Verse: Luke 2:37

Listening
Definition: Sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening for him
Bible character: Mary of Bethany
Verse: Psalm 46:10

Petition
Definition: Seeing a need and praying for it
Bible character: Leper and centurion
Verse: Luke 11:9

Praise
Definition: Declaring the truth about who God is, what he has done, or what he has promised to do
Bible character: Peter
Verse: Psalm 150:6

Praying the Bible
Definition: Praying the words of the Bible as your prayer
Bible character: Joshua
Verse: Joshua 1:8

Praying in Tongues
Definition: Praying in a personal spiritual language that edifies you and your relationship with God
Bible character: Paul
Verse: 1 Corinthians 14:14

Prophetic
Definition: Receiving a message from God for someone else
Bible character: Jeremiah
Verse: Jeremiah 1:7

Thanksgiving
Definition: Offering thanks to God
Bible character: Paul
Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Warfare
Definition: Confronting the kingdom of Satan with the weapons of God’s kingdom
Bible character: The seventy-two others
Verse: Ephesians 6:12

Find your best prayer types at www.MadeToPray.com.

OnSite is currently offering a training that models what a quiet time can look like.  The training then gives all in attendance the opportunity to experience one-on-One time with God- to freshly allow each person to personally taste and see that He is good; in the model of Psalm 34:8.  See our schedule for upcoming trainings, or contact Rob to arrange this simple one-hour training for your church, small group, or neighborhood gathering.

Although he was the Son of God, Jesus had a clear vision for prayer.

The book of Luke gives us a glimpse into Jesus’ prayer life. One particular night after he started his public ministry, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people. But he went alone up the mountain and spent the whole night in prayer. The next morning, he acted upon the result of his prayer time—he chose twelve from among the multitude to be his close disciples (Luke 6:12).

Luke 9:18 says Jesus prayed in private. Luke 9:28 says that Jesus took three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—up a mountain in order to pray. And in Luke 11:1, Jesus was praying near his disciples and after he finished, one of them said, “LORD, teach us to pray.” This disciple had observed Jesus’ vision for prayer and wanted to grow in prayer.

In his classic book about spiritual disciplines called Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes, “All who have walked with God have viewed prayer as the main business of their lives.” Do you have a vision for prayer? Would you be the one disciple who says, “LORD, teach us to pray?”

Learning to pray begins with a clear vision for prayer. Here are four helpful ways to think about prayer:

Prayer is the root of your relationship with God.
The heart of a person’s relationship with God is his or her prayer life. Says Foster, “Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.” Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you’re closely connected with God. Have you ever known a man and woman who were married on paper, but not really connected in relationship? They were legally married, but didn’t function relationally as married people.

The same can happen with God. You may have already confessed to God your sinfulness and asked Jesus to be your Savior. In that moment, you were justified—made right—in God’s eyes. The blood of Jesus bought you for God and you became a child of God. This, like marriage, was a legal transaction, but like marriage, the legal position doesn’t guarantee intimacy. Intimacy has to be built; intimacy has to grow. Prayer is a primary way to build intimacy with God, which is why prayer is the root of your relationship with him.

Prayer is a means of God’s grace.
Foster writes, “Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.” You can see how important prayer is to spiritual development. If you avoid prayer, you cut yourself off from the central flow that is meant to transform you. God didn’t bring you into his kingdom to leave you the same. He loves you as you are, but he has great plans for you, bigger plans than you can imagine. And he didn’t save you so you could pine away for a castle in the clouds. Eternal life began the day you started following Jesus; eternal life began on this earth.

So then, prayer is God’s chief work in you. God’s grace is a combination of his blessing and power. It is God’s grace that changes you so you are not the person you once were. You have grown in love and patience and kindness because of God’s grace chipping and adding, removing and filling in. And it is God’s blessing that has bestowed goodness and gifts upon you so they are too many to count, and if you were able to see them all stacked up, you would be forever overwhelmed. Prayer is a means of God’s grace.

Prayer is your loving place.
Prayer is God’s most consistent place to love you. What you need is not more knowledge of God’s love, but more encounters with God’s love. You can understand the love of God with your mind, but until you experience God’s love with your heart, you won’t really comprehend it. Consider the orphan. You can adopt him, give him a home, and everyday tell him you love him. But just because you say it doesn’t mean he knows it.

He won’t know he’s loved until he feels he’s loved. Until love captures his heart and kneads its way through, defying firmly-rooted ideas that he deserved to be abandoned or he’s unworthy of love. Regardless of how many times you profess love, it’s like a banging gong or clanging cymbal until he himself feels loved. And that comes only through experience. Prayer is the encounter with God that enables you to feel loved by him. Prayer is where God loves you.

Prayer is where ministry is made.
Prayer is where ministry is made. You see this pattern in the Bible. Jesus prayed before choosing the Twelve. Who would these disciples become? The founding members of the Church that became a worldwide, enduring movement. The Apostle Paul went on his first missionary trip as a result of prayer. What difference did Paul make? He wrote most of the New Testament and catalyzed the church planting movement. Jesus and Paul’s first ministry was prayer.

While prayer is God’s work in you, prayer is your chief work. It’s easy to make ministry the chief work, but this is backward. Instead, prayer is where ministry is made. Until you treat prayer as your main ministry, your activities will only be fractionally as powerful and successful as their potential. You may accomplish much on your own, but what if you’re settling for a shadow of what God intends? Your ideas and abilities aren’t big enough. Don’t promise God to people, but only give them you. Give them God and you, which will come through prayer. Prayer is where ministry is made.

If Jesus had a vision for prayer, maybe we should too.

 discovered God’s Word was a great resource to help me with my praying, not only for my family, but also for myself. In Hebrews 4:12 we read, “The Word of God is alive and powerful ... It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

In her book, Jennifer Kennedy Dean writes, “Prayer is simply opening our lives to God, acknowledging our total dependence on Him ... It is living in the presence of God, always in the process of being reshaped and recreated by Him.”1                            

According to Isaiah 55:11, “God’s Word will not return empty.” When we claim His promises and pray according to His will, He will accomplish his desires. I believe God hears our prayers and then saves them for the right time to answer.

If you subscribe to my blog on this website I will send you a free downloadable copy of “31 Scriptures to Pray for your grandchildren”. Just enter your name and email on the form on your right.

Here is a prayer adapted from Ephesians 1:17–23

 
(Insert grandchild’s name)

 
Dear Father, I ask you, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give _______ spiritual wisdom and understanding to grow in his/her love for you.

 I pray that the eyes of _______ heart will be flooded with light so that he/she can know the hope and glorious future you want to share with him/ her.

 I pray ______ will begin to understand how incredibly great your power is to help those who believe in you.

 I pray ___________will realize that the same mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at your right hand is available to him/her today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

By Lillian Penner

.  Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Live a Praying Life, (Birmingham: New Hope Publishers, 2003), p. 31.

Click here for everything you need to mobilize prayer

Many people are uncomfortable with the word fear in relation to the Christian life. That may be because we confuse the fear of the Lord with the petty fears of this world. Some Bible translations use the word reverence where the word fear is indicated. I don’t think that is completely wrong. But the word reverence is not strong enough. It does not bring to our minds enough force of emotion. We are to tremble in fear before God. In Leviticus 9 we read about the first offering offered in the tabernacle in the wilderness.

Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

We come into the presence of our Lord before whom John fell down as a dead man.[1][1] If you begin by thinking about the majesty and holiness and grace of God you can call upon him trembling in such reverent and joyful fear.

In 1 Peter 1:17-19 Peter writes,

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

http://daveswatch.com/

“Cast all your cares on God; that anchor holds.” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

The God who is the one and only God does not wish to remain anonymous.

The God who cared for His people in the Old Testament gives His saints today peace in pandemonium, calm in chaos, and courage in valleys.

The God who liberated His people from slavery sent Jesus to unshackle us from sin’s cruel bondage. 

The God who observed the misery of His chosen people in Egypt has His eyes constantly on us. He is perfectly aware of our headaches and heartaches, and He deeply cares about our well-being.

The God who led the Israelites through a dangerous wilderness by daily cloud and nightly blaze conducts us through life’s labyrinth by a built-in Guidance System.

The God who changed His people’s diet from unsatisfying fare to Promised Land milk and honey satisfies our appetite for excellent thoughts by His timeless wisdom.

The God who will always be who He has always been has always loved us and always will. So we do not address our prayers “to the God it may concern.”

The God who is love is our Firm Anchor on life’s high seas. He is all we ever really need in life.  

“I Am the One Who Always Is.” (Exodus 3:14 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

This devotion based on Day 39 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

* "I've never thought about praying on site at the schools before.  God brought so many different ideas to my mind to pray about while I was here today.  It wasn't until I followed Him here that He brought these to light.  I can't wait to do something like this here again!"

Blessed Are Your Feet

Romans 10:15b- As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (NIV)

                “There is power in the name of Jesus. He will break every chain.” (Gospel music played in the background at the viewing of the body of Michael Brown)

                At noon yesterday, family members and friends gathered for a private viewing of Brown’s body in St. Louis. His mother said “they say tomorrow is going to be the hardest day, but I think today was.”

                The black 18-year-old was shot by a white police officer on August 9. Brown’s father said he didn’t want protesters at the funeral, since what their son needs is a moment of silence.

                Just before the viewing was finished, the Rev. Charles Ewing, the late teen’s great-uncle led the family and friends in prayer. “Help us, Lord, to get through this. Help us bind together in the spirit of unity and let peace prevail. Let joy prevail. Let harmony prevail. In the mighty name of Jesus. Help us to keep our minds stayed on You, for You said You would keep in perfect peace those whose mind is stayed on You. There shall be glory after this.”

                Racial discrimination has a long and sad history, but the Bible consistently condemns it. If we go back far enough, we’re all related (Genesis 1:26-28; 3:20). God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). Evidence from genetic science points to the unity of the human race. The Human Genome Project shows that the human genome sequence is almost exactly the same (99.9%) in all people.  

                The parable of the good Samaritan exposes the wrong of the ethnic prejudice between Jews and the Samaritans (a mixed race). Jesus told His followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19)—all ethnic groups. Paul taught that unity among different ethnic and racial groups in the church witnesses to the world of the wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). God’s plan is the unification of diverse kinds of human beings in one body, the church of Jesus Christ.

                It is terrible when Christians of any racial background exclude others from their churches. This is antithetical to the glorious future God promises (Revelation 7:9-10). 

                Some of us grew up singing “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world; red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.” He still loves them, and they are still precious.

                So what color is God’s skin?  The Up with People song gets it right—“It is red, it is yellow, it is black, it is white; everyone’s the same in the good Lord’s sight.”

                In yesterday’s Washington Post, Columbia University’s Fredrick Harris asked the question, “When does a moment become a movement?” He wrote, “Events such as the killing of unarmed, 18-year-old Michael Brown can provide the moral shock that political movements need to build their ranks and bring attention to a community’s afflictions.” Whether or not what happened in Ferguson, Missouri sparks a movement remains to be seen. But in the shadows of grief, the vision of peace still inspires hope in believing hearts.

                I can almost hear echoes of Martin Luther King, Jr. quoting Amos 5:24—”Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”  

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

Whose heart are you praying? It is often a step of growth for a person to move from praying casual prayers to crying out to God with their heart. But it is greater spiritual growth to move to praying God’s heart. Even a new Christian can desire to please God. And you don't have to be a spiritual giant to know the best things that ever happen are the will of God. As we grow in those prayers, We begin to long for those things that God desires.

YOU CAN PRAY FOR THE PURPOSES OF GOD.

Read your Bible daily asking God to show you His purpose and purposes. You can ask God to show you His purposes all around you. You know that God is not willing for anyone to parish. Are you praying for lost people He has brought into your life? You know He desires holiness. It is easy to complain about the wickedness that we see in politics, the media and modern society. But it is more important to pray for God to bring about His holiness.

MISSIONS ARE ON GOD’S HEART.

Are you praying for missions and missionaries around the world? Start with someone you know or know about. Keep in touch with that person. Pray earnestly for God’s mighty hand on them. From there ask God to show you more who take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Ask God to expand your passion for the world that Jesus came to save.

YOU CAN PRAY FOR COMPASSION.

Are you asking God to stir your heart with His love? Ask Him to give you His love for people all around you.

PRAY FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

Spiritual growth can be painful. We often waste our prayer tmes asking God to make us comfortable. You can pray for God to do what is necessary in your life to make you strong. I sometimes find myself in the midst of pain or difficulty praying for God to keep me from missing the blessing or benefit He intends for me out of the situation. “Father, it would be terrible for me to go through this suffering and still miss what you intend to do in my life.” I find this much more satisfying that simply praying that God will get me out of the painful situation.

http://daveswatch.com/

 If your Grandchildren are going Back to School

This eBook will give you Effective Ways to Pray for them.

It’s the time of year our grandchildren are going back to school, some are excited to be back in school, and however, some are anxious because of the unknown.

The beginning of the school year can be a stressful experience for children from preschool thru college. New teachers and staff, new classmates, and unfamiliarity in a new school setting can leave children and youth vulnerable to all kinds of negative influences. At this crucial time for our nation, we can do nothing more important than pray.

Our grandchildren are growing up and being educated in a time of global uncertainty, with peer pressures and temptations that you probably never experienced as a youth. We as grandparents can help provide a hedge of protection for them, so they may be able to resist the temptations and deceptions they encounter, and experience, instead peace, joy, success and fullness of Jesus Christ in their lives.          

I would love to send you this free eBook to help you pray intentionally for your grandchildren as they go back to school. You just need to subscribe to receive my blogs on this website or if you are already a subscriber, send me a request for the Back to School eBook. lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

There are only 17 more days until National Grandparents Day

Don’t forget to make National Grandparent’s Day

A Day of Prayer on September 7 as they go Back to School.

By Lillian Penner

National Prayer Coordinator

Christian Grandparenting Network

www.christiangrandparenting.net

lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Author of Grandparenting with a Purpose

Blogger://www.grandparentingwithapurpose.com

Twitter: Penner@grandparentpray

https://www.facebook.com/GrandparentingWithAPurpose

             “He who, from zone to zone, / Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, / In the long way that I must tread alone, / Will lead my steps aright.”

             (William Cullen Bryant, “To a Waterfowl”, 1818)

             Miserable in your circumstances? Feeling nobody understands your heartache or even gives you a passing thought? Skeptics scoffing at your faith stance?

             A baby boy’s whimpers awakened sympathy in the heart of an Egyptian princess, so you can be sure your helpless cries touch the loving heart of God. He tracks every one of your woes and bottles all your tears.

             The Wonderful Counselor is ready to hear your dilemmas. The Mighty God is able to handle your desperate situation. The Everlasting Father is unfailing in compassion. The Prince of Peace sets your heart at rest in the eye of life’s storms.

             The God who moved with Abraham until he found the Promised Land, who laughed with Isaac until he learned to trust, and who wrestled with Jacob until he won a blessing will not break His sacred promise to care for you.

             Epicurus said “if there are gods, they do not care for you.” False gods of the heart are incapable of caring, but the God who is love cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

             Aristotle said “it would be eccentric to claim that Zeus loved a human being.” He was right about Zeus, but the God with a heart loves all of us (Psalm 136).

             So do not wring your hands in worry—fold them in prayer. Trust God to sustain you in sad and dark times, and keep looking for exit signs from burdensome situations. Dramatic rescue will happen at just the right moment. Heaven’s clock is invisible, but it keeps perfect time. Exodus is certain as sunrise.

             “The Israelites groaned beneath their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their pleas for deliverance rose up to God. God heard their cries and remembered his covenant promise. He looked down on the Israelites and felt deep concern for their welfare.” (Exodus 2:23b-25 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

This devotion based on Day 38 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

1. “We” trumps “I.” Jesus instructed us to pray “OUR Father…” (Matthew 6:9). Ordinarily, things are getting off-track if there is too much use of the word “I” in corporate prayer.
2. God-centered rather than problem-centered. The Lord’s Prayer, the prayers in Acts and Paul’s epistles, and the other prayers in the Bible sometimes addressed current problems (e.g., prayer in Acts 4:23-31 regarding persecution). However, the overwhelming them is always God’s power, glory, and sovereignty (e.g., “Hallowed be Your name” and Ephesians 1, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion”).
3. Brief trumps long. The Pharisees were known for their lengthy prayers, but Jesus encouraged His disciples to not put their trust in long prayers or “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7, Matthew 23:14).
4. Focused prayers trump shatter-shot prayers. Too often, people’s prayers are unfocused, covering too many topics and petitions all at once. If we want to have our prayers answered, it’s much better eliminate “fluff” and unnecessary rabbit trails. Specific prayers bring specific answers.
5. Prayers filled with faith and victory will always trump prayers marked by doubt and defeat. Nothing will bring discouragement to a prayer meeting faster than people who are praying prayers of unbelief.
6. United prayers trump individualism. Corporate prayer is only powerful when the prayers are offered in one accord (Matthew 18:19-20, Psalm 133). This is undercut when people’s prayers cannot receive an “Amen” from the rest of the participants.
7. Spirit-led prayers trump human concerns. Understandably, prayer meetings often attract people who have “burdens” to pray about, whether the burdens are for themselves or for others. But unless these human concerns become motivated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-30), they will end up just being filled with well-meaning “flesh.”
8. It’s often helpful to mix elements such as worship and Scripture into prayer meetings. We see this approach in Colossians 3:16-17: Word, “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” etc.
9. Prayer meetings should be times of HEARING from God and not just SPEAKING to God. The principle in James 1:19 applies, being “quick to listen and slow to speak” (or pray). This means it’s OK to have times of silence and listening, not feeling it necessary to fill the entire time with speaking/praying.
10. Prayer meetings usually work best when there is a balance between human leadership and free-flowing group involvement. If the hand of human leadership is too strong, people will be intimidated from listening to God or participating. But if there is no leadership at all, the prayers will often go off on tangents and become unfocused. This doesn’t mean the leadership has to be from just one person, but it’s helpful if people know who is “in charge” of sensing God’s direction in the meeting. People who are intercessors or prophetic sometimes distrust structure and time constraints, but the Bible provides numerous examples of God instituting structure before He performed miracles (e.g., breaking up the people into groups before feeding them loaves and fish). However, if there is going to be structure as to the format, time limitations, etc., they should be clearly communicated in advance (e.g., Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 14 about the use of spiritual gifts in public meetings).
11. When revival is one of the objectives of a corporate prayer meeting, the elements of 2 Chronicles 7:14 should be kept in mind: E.g., humbling ourselves, seeking His face, repenting (turning from our wicked ways), listening, receiving His forgiveness and forgiving anyone who has wronged us.
12. Just as in our individual prayer lives, it’s helpful to keep an informal record of some of the prayer requests offered, and then the answers received. Keeping track of some of the testimonies will build faith in God’s faithfulness and in the power of prayer.

             “If clearness about things produces a fundamental despair, a fundamental despair in turn produces a remarkable clearness or even playfulness about ordinary matters.” (George Santayana, The Background of My Life, 1944)

                People across America were saddened last week to learn that comedian and actor Robin Williams had died, apparently by suicide. It was also reported that he had suffered from severe depression.He was well known for rapid-fire improvisations and serious dramatic roles. He was also known for his charitable work, kindness, generosity, and entertaining U.S. troops overseas. President Obama called Williams “one of a kind.” Then the president said “he touched every element of the human spirit; he made us laugh, and he made us cry.”

                Williams had problems with drugs and alcohol, but had sought treatment. He’d also had heart surgery in 2009, something that caused him to take a serious look at his personal life. Acknowledgment of his severe depression came as no surprise to many. Ordinary people can identify with his despair; people who “have it made” also can, realizing it is possible to have everything and still feel like dying.

                Though some people talk about depression as a character flaw or sin, followers of Christ are not exempt. And despite simplistic statements that people just need to “pull themselves out of it”, recovery is far more complicated. If we want to reach out to people suffering from recurring depression, we must realize they need more than a push to “get moving”. It we want to help, we must realize the truth of what Plato said—“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

                To be honest, some sadness and depression are normal in every human life. Moses was in such despair he asked God to take his life (Numbers 11:14-15). Elijah was so deeply depressed he prayed to die (1 Kings 19:4). Psalm 42 is a meditation by a person suffering from depression.

                Difficult circumstances may darken our mood. At other times, we may feel down for no apparent reason. This is part of the pain of being human. But there’s also clinical or chronic depression—a pervasive, persistent despair having nothing to do with our circumstances. This is the dark night of the soul that F. Scott Fitzgerald said made it “always three o’clock in the morning, day after day.” Most people with chronic depression can find help from prescribed medications and counseling.

                The person who wrote Psalm 42 was obviously suffering from depression—perhaps situational, certainly painful. But the psalmist did not give up, believing that God and not depression would have the last word. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”

                Plato was right—everyone we meet is fighting a hard battle. Every human being has pain, whether the cause is visible or not. So we should have a heart and empathize with others.

                No matter what we go through, we cannot control what happens to us but we can control how we respond to our experiences. Victor Frankl learned this lesson in a  WWII concentration camp: “the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”  We can choose to respond with humble gratitude for the many blessings from God we have received; with patient trust in God’s faithfulness even when we cannot see the ultimate destination of our difficult journey; with courage to face each day’s challenge as it comes, depending on the power of Christ within our hearts.

                Williams was once asked, “If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?” In response, the comedian told a joke about a concert including Mozart and Elvis, then said he’d like to know that there’s laughter. There is laughter in heaven (Luke 15:7; Revelation 12:10-12). There is also joy in the here and now, as we draw near God (Psalm 16:11).

                “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Therefore I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT)

             Johnny R. Almond

             Christian preacher and writer

             Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

             http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

 greeting to all my friends and those reading this post.

join me pray for my country, Ebola is killing my friend aand relations.

It is so difficult .

 Starting a prayer movement

The first step is to pray. In Luke 10:2, the Lord invites us to pray and ask for laborers into the Harvest field. Seek Him to identify other prayer laborers in the community.

Secondly, look for where God is already at work. Identify existing prayer groups and networks that are already praying for the city. Explore the different types of prayer meetings that are going on in the community, how long they've been praying together and past attempts they've made to try to pray together with other groups.

Thirdly, identify any unresolved issues that might keep the community from praying together in humility and unity. Prayerfully seek reconciliation and possibly work together to resolve any problems.

Fourthly, call a community wide prayer gathering for the current leaders and intercessors within the community to meet one another and simply to pray together.

Discern together what the next steps should be for your community. Some cities will decide that the Pastors should meet weekly for prayer. Some will want an annual city prayer and worship gathering. Some cities start a 24/7 House of Prayer. Some communities start prayer walking troubled areas of their city.

Seek out resources that will help foster the prayer movement in your community and share them with those who are interested.

Pray Together

Discover God’s DNA for Your Community

Connect through Prayer

In working together to disciple teenagers, prayer is your foundation and source of strength. Your relationship with God fills you with His love, which overflows into the lives of those you are reaching. As you connect with Him you are more prepared to connect with others. Prayer is the vital communication we have with Him.

Ask God for His Vision

God knows how He wants to mobilize a move­ment in your area to reach and empower every teenager. Why not allow Him to orchestrate the movement? Ask God to give you His vision and heart for your community.

Establish a Foundation of Prayer

Building a local movement means making prayer intentional. With whom can you pray and who will pray for you? Here are some ideas:

+ Make prayer a consistent part of your network meeting.

+ Meet regularly in smaller prayer groups.

+ Take one or more days to have a group prayer summit.

+ Enlist the local Moms in Prayer Intl. group to pray for your network and the schools you want to reach.

+ Set up an online social networking group to share requests. (On www.youthworkers.net you can set up your network and share private posts with your group’s members)

3D Prayer

Prayer can be multidirectional for your community. New England regional coordinator Mark Orr gives this great reminder to hit three levels as you pray:

+ Pray Up: Establish the vertical relationship with God through praise and thanksgiving.

+ Pray Across: Intercede for one another regularly and at gatherings.

+ Pray Out: Listen to God as He reveals your community’s needs and resources for teenagers.

Prioritizing Prayer

In our network one leader served at a small church that had a prayer garden and we met there. Our prayers were about seeking His will, lifting up our kids, and our community.

As we prayed, I saw us mature with cohesive­ness and intimacy among us. Then we were prepared to truly help.

--Venetia Yates, Network Coordinator Bosque Farms, New Mexico

Pray Together Interactive

Connect through Prayer

How is your soul today? How can prayer help you in working together to transform teenagers into disciple makers?

Ask God for His Vision

Take some time to pray right now. How do you sense God is moving in the lives of teenagers in your community? When can you schedule some more time to get away, asking God what He has to say about reaching and equipping youth in your community?

Establishing Your Foundation

Who would be willing to pray for the youth of your community? As you read “Establish a Foundation of Prayer” on page 4, which ideas resonate with you? What action points can you set to get people praying together?

Praying in New Dimensions

How can you build prayer more intentionally into your networking times with other youth

INDEPTH Check out these links at www.youthworkers.net/training

+ Adding Dimensions to Prayer in Your Network

+ Making Prayer a Priority

+ Listening Prayer: Discover God’s DNA for Your Community

+ Birth of a Prayer Movement

http://nationalprayercommittee.com

http://prayersummit.net

http://www.ihopkc.org

http://www.praynetwork.org

http://www.youthworkers.net/index.cfm/fuseaction/blog.view/BlogID/1550