Pray Network Forum

Last week I wrote a blog on praying for healing. http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/2020/01/healing-faith.html. Healing is close to my heart. For, although I didn't mention it in that blog, I have terminal cancer. However, I have an unusual testimony concerning praying for my own healing. It seems that every time I have prayed for healing, Hebrews 9:27 comes to mind. 

God has not exactly told me He will not heal me. But He has pretty clearly told me that I am not to pray for healing.

I have wondered why God would tell me this. He has certainly not retracted His promises of prayer or even of healing. He has not restrained me from asking Him to heal others who are suffering. But in the past few weeks God has shown some light on this for me. What God has been telling me relates to Paul's testimony in 2 Corinthians 12 where he said he prayed three times for the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh. The Lord told Paul His grace was enough for him. God has comforted me with Paul's words. But He has spoken to me in the past weeks through Luke 9:23-25.

Christians are to live as people who are going to die. 

This is a key to focusing on our purpose. Because of the urgency of time pressed on me I have been able to write 10 books. I would never have done that if God had not put this pressure on me. He had to remove some of my physical strength and energy to keep me from continuing to be busy with a hundred other things. They were not bad things. But they were not what God wanted me to focus on.

This is a key to courage. I need to be honest. God has had me write some things that have made people uncomfortable, including what I wrote about healing. I might as well admit that what I am writing here will make some of you uncomfortable. In these days of increasing devisiveness, I will surely have to upset more people with what He calls me to write. I want to do that with His love, gentleness, and wisdom. But I doubt if I will have to courage to be faithful, if I am not living and writing like someone who has already given up his life.

This is a key to peace that transcends understanding. Preoccupation with the wants and worries of life steals the peace of God from our hearts. But God instills His eternal peace in us as we begin to say with Paul in Galatians 2:20,

This is a key to God's glory being revealed in us. In John 12:27 Jesus said His heart was troubled and He asked if He should pray to be delivered from that hour. "But," He said, "for this purpose I have come to this hour. Glorify Your name." God can use illness and the most troubling of situations to bring glory to His name.

This is a key to ultimate hope. I need to fix my hope beyond success, beyond popularity, beyond my life on this earth. The fuller context of Hebrews 9:27 calls me to this hope.

Hebrews 9:27-28

I am waiting for Him in His eternal purpose.


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To the woman with the issue of blood who snuck up behind Jesus and touched the hem of His garment Jesus said. “Your faith has made you well.” Jesus taught us some powerful things about faith in Luke chapter 8. There are some principles of faith here that apply to praying for physical healing and much more. Look with me at this passage beginning with verse 43.

It is important to see that faith by itself is of no value. When Jesus told the woman her faith saved her, He was speaking specifically of her faith in Him. She had evidently had faith in doctors, but no one could heal her. The power didn't come from her faith. That power had gone out from Jesus. Her faith did save her when she trusted Him.

It is not true that there are no longer faith healings. They are fairly common in certain parts of the world. In China, for instance healings often accompany the spread of the gospel. But wherever they occur, the power comes from God. I think praying for healing needs to be encouraged in our churches. I believe we would see more healing if we prayed more. God might even use it to spread the Good News of His Kingdom. But our faith needs to be in Jesus. And He should receive all the glory. 

In Luke 8:16 Jesus warned us to be careful how we hear. This is a rather stunning warning against only catching the surface meaning of what He has to say to you.

Luke 8:18

I am not sure I have anything to say to those of you who are satisfied with whatever depth of spiritual truth that you have. But for those of you who hunger grow deeper spiritually I think I have some encouragement. Let me share with you four principles for hearing the voice of God better in Scripture. 

• Read it slowly.

Everything I learned about reading in my younger days encouraged speed. That is wonderful training for many things in life. It is even a good thing for reading through the Bible, say in a year. But slowly reading God's word may be something every Christian should learn to practice. James 1:21 calls us to,"receive the implanted word of God." We need the Holy Spirit to plant His word deep in our hearts and minds.

• Memorize it.

Many of us have memorized Scripture verses from time to time. Most of us would admit that memorizing Scripture is a healthy practice. Last year I began memorizing in a way that I never have before. I read the same chapter of the Bible everyday for a week. And each day I commit a segment of the chapter to memory. It takes me a little over a week to memorize some chapters, others a little less. They generally balance out. I am amazed at the nearness to God that I sense while memorizing larger segments of His word. Of course, this whole process has to be bathed in prayer. As I pray for God to help me memorize, I also pray to see deeper into what He is teaching me.

• Review it.

Anyone who has memorized Scripture knows that you have to review it, to really have it memorized. I find this need greater with whole chapters. I review these chapters every day for about three weeks. Still, I could not quote most of these passages without reviewing them again. To memorize them I have to read each verse over and over again. I usually have to do the same in reviewing them. This becomes meditation which gives me deeper and deeper insights into God's word.

• Submit to it.

For God to plant His word deep in our lives, we need to submit our hearts to it. There are two facets to this. The first is general. I have to yield to the over all authority of God's word. I have to surrender to the understanding that God knows better than I. God has a better grip on reality than my theological system, than my culture, than my limited experience. Have you ever heard something from Scripture, and said, "I don't believe that!"? You need to approach Scripture with the attitude that God is right.

You also need to come to each passage with an attitude of submission to what God presses on you that day. I quoted earlier from James 1:21. That verse continues, "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

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I was asked to take the lead at a Prayer Breakfast for Dr. Adam Greenway, the 9th President of Southwestern Baptist Seminary. Having served on the faculty of this institution for more than two decades, Dr. Greenway is one of my former students. So I gladly accepted the invitation to lead. However the date of the Prayer Breakfast was changed to a day when I was to be out of the state. Thus, I never led the Prayer Breakfast. But why let preparation go to waste? I will share my thoughts with my friends, and ask you to pray for leaders that you know. So, have another cup of coffee and consider this a virtual prayer breakfast. In preparation, I faced the question - what do you say when asked to lead such an important meeting – for the President of a large, influential, global-impacting, institution? One of my favorite Old Testament passages is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” There are so many applications that can be made with this passage, but time was short, so I had planned to focus on “in all your ways.” Many are the “ways” of a leader. Varied are the needs for prayer support. Each person present was to select a “way” and pray accordingly. Think about it this week. If you could pray for a “way” of an influential leader, what would you choose? How about selecting a leader that you know, and pray that for them. Then my Prayer Breakfast preparation will not go for naught. Pass the coffee please.

Addiction in America is an ever increasing national crisis! Millions of Americans have addictions. "According to data from the DEA, from 2006 through 2014, a total of 100 billion doses of oxycodone and hydrocodone were shipped to pharmacies across the country, and from there into households."

This has resulted in "770,000" opioid deaths, which has killed more Americans than all American wars combined. The rising overdose numbers make the drug epidemic more deadly than gun violence, car crashes or HIV/AIDS!

Not only is substance abuse America’s number one health problem, the devastation of alcoholism and other drug addiction has impacted families and communities worldwide. Substance abuse has been directly linked to violence and sexual immorality and is a major source of income for organized crime and terrorist activities.

If you believe that God is calling you to intercede for the addicted please contact us. To find help for addiction through prayer and Christian ministries log on to our web site: http://justprayno.org. To learn how groups can participate in our annual prayer event, click on “Information on the Annual Worldwide Weekend of Prayer” or email: justprayno@aol.com. 

For a personal interview with “Just Pray NO!” Founder and Author Steven L. Sherman, in the U.S.A. call: (727) 647-6467 or email: justprayno@aol.com.

​Why Do a "Mini" Prayer Retreat?

Tithe Your Time

Where to Do A Mini Prayer Retreat

One Final Note

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Weekly Prayer for the Arabian Peninsula - January 13, 2020

 

Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, the late ruler of Oman, passed away on January 10, 2010. He is a ruler who has been lauded for mediating role he played between conflicting parties in the Arabian Gulf in addition to developing Oman's infrastructure. In recent years, however, Oman has faced challenges of diversifying its economy and reducing dependence on hydrocarbons that fueled Oman's development. 

The new sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, will now have to undertake reforms to safeguard the late Sultan Qaboos's legacy and maintain internal stability. He will also have to uphold the country's foreign policy. In fact, in his inaugural address, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq has pledged to stay course on the country's foreign policy and continue to "assist in resolving disputes peacefully." 

Let us pray for Oman as the country undergoes this transition. Let us also lift up Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, as he begins to rule Oman in face of new economic and political challenges in the country and the region.  

Lord Jesus, You are a Warrior and the Supreme Commander of Heaven's Armies. All power on earth and in heaven has been given to You.
Lord God, we want to pray for all our military and their families.
We pray for safety and peace of mind, for hope and joy, for encouragement and energy, for perseverance and special grace for every moment on the battle fields and at home.
We pray for those who make decisions that impact our military profoundly that they will do what is right in Your eyes, according to Your purposes.
May our military know that You are with all of us and that nothing can separate us from You.
Gratefully in Your safe grip, we pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

One of my favorite movies is Chariots of Fire. It tells the story of men competing in the 1924 Olympics. At one point in the movie the fiancee of Harold Abrahams, who would win the 100 meter race, asked why he was so possessed by his training. One of the other runners said, “Because he has the chance of being the fastest.” She counters, “But all of you are running in the Olympics.” He answers, he does not just have the chance of being a fastest man, but the fastest man who ever was.”

In Luke 7:28 Jesus spoke a much higher greatness. He said John the Baptist was the greatest man ever born. 

“I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.”

But that is only half the verse. Jesus goes on to say you will be greater than John.

“Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Now to be honest, that is hard to understand, much less to believe. I told someone last week that God's standards of greatness must certainly be different from ours. How could any one of us, in fact the least of us, be greater than the prophesied forerunner of the Son of God? I still believe that is the case. There is more to this than I can grasp. But I have been thinking and praying about it. And I think I see ways that by the grace of God we are actually greater than John.

We have

A Higher Purpose

John was the forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus. But you and I have a higher calling than that. We are to tell people the good news of forgiveness and grace. We invite people into the embrace of our Lord. Paul said we reconcile people to God through Christ.

We have

A Greater Message

John's message was for people to repent to prepare their hearts for the coming Messiah. It was in a sense, a mandate. He told people what they had to do. We bring people the good news of what only God could do for them in the gospel. 

We have

A Deeper Ministry

John told people to do what they could do to prepare for the Messiah. We lead people to receive Christ and be transformed by the power of God. In the transformation of the Holy Spirit we become more and more like Jesus until we are changed into His likeness, seeing Him face to face.

But make no mistake—none of this greatness can be accomplished by human effort. We are trusting God day by day for this grace in our lives. The Scripture says,

 “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”

Romans 1:17N.I.V.

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Jesus’s statement about justifying God before men is among the quiet things in The Gospels. Yet this his is at the heart of what God does with our lives. Luke 7:29-30 says,

“When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”

How do we justify God? The common people and even tax collectors did it by radical, public, heart-broken repentance. This is apologetics, although with many of us it is more personal. Note several facets of justifying God that are highlighted in Luke chapter 7.

Justifying The Righteousness of God

You can actually read or hear people who accuse God of evil. We are living in a time when many people are dissatisfied with everything in their lives. They usually express their discontent with government, teachers, or anyone in authority. I believe this may reflect a deep seated resentment toward God Himself. It is the underlying notion that the problems we endure in a fallen world are God’s fault. From what I have read, this discontent seems to be a world-wide phenomenon. Although it may be worse in the west because discontent is greater where people have freedom and more material blessings.

And make no mistake; this infects people in our churches. John the Baptist himself was offended by what God was doing. He sent a delegation to Jesus asking if He were really the Christ. We know from Matthew's Gospel that John was in prison. So we can understand his disillusionment. But Luke, by the Holy Spirit, points out that John's disciples reported to him what Jesus was doing as the news of His raising a man from the dead was spread abroad. I wonder if John thought Jesus should have been bringing final judgment rather than raising the dead.

The very word “just”* indicates that the issue is the justice or righteousness of God. The people who repented at the preaching of John justified God. Confessing their sins publicly declared God’s righteousness.

Justifying The Wisdom of God

John may also have been questioning the wisdom of God. Have you ever thought God did or allowed something that went counter to His purposes? One of the brightest and godliest students in seminary with me died in an automobile accident shortly before we were to graduate. It was difficult not to feel like God had wasted all his education, talents, and spiritual gifts by allowing his life to be cut off so early.

We have to trust that God knows what He is doing even if we don’t understand. In the long run God will use us as a testimony of His wisdom. Jesus told a parable in this passage using the ministry of John and His ministry to point out that they were like children playing in the market who wouldn’t cooperate no matter what the others did. He concluded,

“Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Our faith declares the rightness of God to those whom we love. We can even trust God to make enough difference in us to touch the lives of people we don't even know. This even goes beyond our world. In Ephesians 3:10 Paul says he was entrusted with the gospel,

“So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Justifying The Grace of God

Most of all our faith in God demonstrates His grace in our lives. Scripture warns that things will be difficult in the last days. Whether we are coming into those harsh days or not, we need to be a witness in times that will be worse because of the cynicism and discontent of people around us. 

Note the final word Jesus sent back to John the Baptist. 

“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Blessedness refers to what God does in our lives. A good attitude is something we need to pray for God to produce in us. And a godly attitude comes from saturating ourselves in His promises and spending time in fellowship of God.

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* The Greek word is, δικαίoω, dikaioo, just or righteous.

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Beyond the Walls is a weekly email to help Christ-followers move beyond the walls of their church buildings, homes, comfort zones, and culture to engage people where we live, work and play with the Gospel. 

For the Fame of His Name!

John Whaley
The Rooftop US

If anyone prayed for our first prayer service on Sunday, Thank You!  God met us and gave us a great time of community prayer.

About 15 people participated, including several leaders.  We provided some instructions at the beginning and then we went into our prayer time.  We had selected 6 topics beforehand, and had identified a facilitator for each topic.  We took each topic in turn, with the facilitator sharing for 3-5 minutes on a couple of things they were thankful for in their area and then a couple of key prayer requests as we enter 2020.  We broke up into three small groups to pray for the topic, then went on to the next topic.  Sticking to one topic at a time (rather than having all the prayer requests presented at the beginning) helped the group to agree together in prayer.  And alternating between prayer times and sharing times kept the group focused and engaged (where a prolonged time of sharing followed by a prolonged, skipping-around prayer time tends to be disengaging).

Several people commented afterward that they were blessed by the prayer time, and each group had a lot of participation.  Breaking into groups ensured that everyone got a chance to pray.  We did find that a group size of about 4 was the most effective; we had one group of 6 people, and feedback from that group indicated that people didn't have as much of a chance to pray.  When people think they're only going to get one turn at a given topic, they're tempted to pray longer, which exacerbates the problem, causing people to disengage a bit and making harder to agree in prayer (how do you follow the person who just prayed for everything?!).

The three of us who planned the meeting debriefed this morning and agreed that we want to continue to keep this simple and focused on prayer.  We didn't have time to put together childcare for this meeting, but we agreed that that was a need going forward.

We'll be holding our next prayer service on March 29, sticking to our pattern of meeting quarterly on the 5th Sunday of the month that has 5 Sundays.  (This is also the pattern for our "outside the box" serving; every month that has 5 Sundays, we use the 5th Sunday as a time of community service rather than our normal worship meeting).  We're planning to meet quarterly for the first half of the year, and then to consider increasing the frequency to monthly.

Meantime, we're beginning plans for an "equipping class" to train congregation members in prayer.  More to come on that.

Last summer, a couple of the Elders of our church felt a nudge from God that we needed to move in the direction of being more of a praying church.  A group of about a dozen people began to gather every other week (it was the off-season for our small groups) to pray for the church, for our community, and for the development of the prayer ministry.

A core group of three of us continued to meet after the summer to make plans for launching a prayer ministry.  In this blog, which I expect will run over several months, I plan to document our journey, as well as to seek input from those who have traveled down this road in their churches.

First, I have to say that I am so grateful to be a part of a church where the leadership is actually pushing more of an emphasis on prayer.  This starts with our senior pastor.  

Our first initiative was to be a 10-week "equipping class" on prayer, open to the congregation.  More on that later.  We had planned to have a congregation-wide prayer service in the middle of that class, on the last Sunday of March.  But our senior pastor pushed us to put together our first prayer service for this coming Sunday (December 29), even realizing that many folks will be out of town and that we don't have a lot of time to publicize the service.  That's how much he wants to push forward in prayer.

So we met yesterday and planned out the service.  We're looking at 60-90 minutes, with an introduction from one of our Elders, then a worship song or two and some quick instructions.  We've chosen 6 topics for our prayer time, each one focused around a key aspect of our life as a church or on a local outreach program or a mission program.  We identified a facilitator for each topic (and a backup); these facilitators will be responsible for speaking for 3-5 minutes on what they're thankful for in this past year of ministry and key ways they see God moving in 2020.  Then we'll break into groups for prayer.  We'll alternate between sharing and prayer, to keep ourselves focused on one topic at a time and to help people stay engaged.  At the end, we'll offer a personal prayer time where a few of our elders will be available to participants in the service to pray with them personally.

We have no idea if God will bring 6 people or 60 to this first prayer service, but we're anticipating eagerly what He will begin on Sunday.

I would really value prayer that God will prepare the way for this service, making key facilitators available and placing it on people's hearts to come and pray.  I'd also be interested in hearing the experiences of others who have started a prayer service in their churches - what worked, what didn't, etc.

I'll report back next week!

Greetings Praying Friends!

For over 13 years officially I have worked with the amazing network group, International Orality Network. Last October an opportunity came for me to move into ministry in a paid position with a Bible Translation organization called 4.2.20 Foundation as the Prayer Strategist and Director of Prayer Strategies. They are based out of Jerusalem. 

During this year of 2019 I have been transitioning from that previous position and intentionally moving more fully into this new season of ministry. It has been a time of learning and many shifts. I invite you to visit us at: https://4220Foundation.com

Moving fully into new position with 4.2.20 Foundation: https://4220Foundation.com

I remember once making a request of my parents that was so out of sync with the plans for the family, that they just stared at me, no verbal response, just a glare. Some may say that my request was unanswered. It took me years to learn that my request was answered. The answer was in their glare – a silent “no.” The more I studied prayer, the more I discovered that Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer in his teaching on the subject. In spite of both secular and church pressure to admit to unanswered prayer, I concluded that there was no such thing as unanswered prayer. One such secular pressure was in a song by Garth Brooks, in which he returned to his High School reunion only to see the girl he had prayed to marry. Her condition was such that he sang, “Thank God for Unanswered Prayers.” Even in church, I grew up singing the hymn, “Have Faith in God” in which the second verse begins with “Have faith in God when you pray’rs are unanswered.” However, that which we often label unanswered is in actuality, a silent response, that answers without words. The response is so out of sync with the plans of God, that no answer is necessary, just silence. If God appears to be silent, the fault may be yours, not His. So, what does one do when God appears to be silent? Do not assume that He is uninterested. Listen more intently. Walk more closely. Consider God’s silent “no” may be a re-direction, rather than a rejection. Re-think the request. It is possible to “ask and . . . not receive, because you ask amiss” (James 4:3).

There has to be a point where any of us begins to pray to a God that we know little about. I often think those are refreshing prayers. We find one of these in the 24th chapter of Genesis. Abraham sends his servant on a mission that would be impossible without the direction of God. After traveling for weeks he stops outside the town where Abraham's family lived, and prays.

“O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink’, and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”

Genesis 24:12-14

I don't believe it is wrong for the servant's approach to God to be tentative. He begins by addressing the LORD as the God of Abraham. I believe it would have been wrong for Abraham to pray such a second-hand prayer. It would have been foolish for this servant to continue to pray like that after God had revealed Himself in these events. But at this point he seems to be reaching out to the LORD for the first time. I think his approach was humble and fearful. And even if it lacked faith, it was a step toward firm belief. 

This is not merely a prayer for success or blessing even for his master, Abraham. This is a prayer to Know the will of God. He is praying for God to show him the young lady that He had appointed for Isaac. He recognizes that just any girl will not do.

And he is praying that he might know God himself. He prays that he might know God's steadfast love to Abraham and Isaac. And of course knowing that would be a good step toward knowing God. I don’t think this was much different that someone today praying as Fancis Schaffer suggested in one of his books.

“God, if you are real, speak to me.”

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We all have Prayer Lists.

Most write their own list. Some simply memorize or visualize who they pray for. Many follow the printed list in the Sunday bulletin. Apps send them to our smartphones.

The difficulty with Prayer Lists is not having enough people, places, or things to pray about; The problem is how to keep it fresh. AND, how to give ourselves permission to take a name off the list! (Personally, I find that even when a person passes, I feel a responsibility to pray for their spouse or family; a good thing but not helpful in keeping my list from ever expanding).

To #reimagine our Prayer Lists, we need to keep centered on Christ, tethered to Scripture, and constantly guided by the Holy Spirit. New ideas or formats are helpful, as long as we are not replying on the methodology.

Our desire is for our Prayer Lists to be "transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how we think. This will empower us to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life of prayer, satisfying and perfect in his eyes." (Romans 12:2; The Passion Translation)

With that understanding, here area few ideas to prompt your own thinking

• Stack new requests at the top; review older entries periodically from the bottom up
• Cluster names by needs (health, relationships, finances, salvation, justice, neighbors...)
• Cluster names by the first letter of the first name then pray for those in a single cluster 
• Divide names/needs in 7 daily groupings (Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, etc.)
• Use these categories; choose one for each prayer item based on their primary need or the best objective for them:
  • Worship • Fellowship • Discipleship • Leadership •Stewardship • Citizenship

Whatever your format, always begin with an A.S.K:

• Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you so he will guide you in knowing who to pray for and what to pray for them
• Seek the Spirit's leading with silence, stillness, scripture, song, scripting your thoughts
  • Praying for fresh leading each day produces discernment that will empower you to pray beyond the obvious need. The obvious issue may be the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, the Holy Spirit wants to use to draw you into related issues that are not obvious but equally important.
  • “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again." (Mathew 6:7; New Living Version)
• Knock ... when the Spirit makes your focus for that person or situation or issue clear, approach God in prayer "boldly and with no hesitation."  (Hebrews 10:19; The Passion Translation)

...And, always end with "so that..."

• Pray like "Epaphras, a servant of Jesus Christ...He always prays for you (so) that you will grow to be spiritually mature and fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. .. (Colossians 4:12)
• When you pray for someone or something (a congregational need or a cultural issue) add these two words before you conclude your prayer: "...so that..."
• This adds a disciple-making element to every prayer. Whether the obvious need is for healing, or wisdom, or repentance, or spiritual insight, your prayer connects their presenting/temporal need with their greater need to become like Christ.
• Every prayer should become a petition for both their felt need and their growth in Christ.

Please add your comment, additional scriptures, formats that have helped you #reimagine your Prayer List!