Pray Network Forum

I recently heard an interview with Tim Keller in which he said something that seems to apply most to writing.

“Prayer sanctifies your imagination. It plunges it into God.”

Let me suggest a few ways prayer affects your imagination.

Few books or series stretch the reader’s imagination like C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles. Lewis said the idea for the first book came to him from a picture in his mind of a faun standing under a street lamp on a snowy evening with an umbrella in one hand, and parcels held tightly in the other. I think I can see how such beautiful books rose from such a picture. But your imagination does not have to lead to fantesy. It may not even apply to fiction. But it will help you see what your reader needs to see in order to understand what you have to say.

God is the deep source from which the fountain of your imagination overflows. God is the ultimate muse. Prayer brings you into clearer communication with Him.

Your relationship with God lays a foundation from which your imagination can rise. Imaginings need a solid rock of truth and reality to make any sense, to communicate anything to your readers.

Prayer stretches your imagination to greater and higher plains of truth and communication. In prayer God will frame the points you need to make with your imagination. He often does this without your knowing. Your readers will soar with you, and land safely at the same destination of truth.

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“Might we not set ourselves to learn silence, stillness, and solitude? It will not be easy to come by. It must be arranged. The Lord Jesus, available to people much of the time, left them, sometimes a great while before day, to go up to the hills. He could commune in solitude with His Father. Job, enduring his friends’ tiresome lectures and accusations, was very much alone in the ash heap, but it was there that he came to know God as never before. When Paul received God’s call to preach the gospel he did not consult anyone. He went into Arabia. The old apostle John, when exiled to Patmos, must sure have known a holy aloneness through which he received the book of Revelation^.” Elisabeth Eliot

I like to write motivational books on prayer. One of my books is called Deeper Still: Secrets to a Deeper Prayer Life. As I wrestled with what to call this book and after finally deciding on a title, God gave me several confirmations that this was His choice. Within a very short time I saw the words “deep,” “deeper,” and “deeper still” everywhere—a street name, a magazine title, a song on a CD, an article title, and several other places.

God was showing me that depth is very important to Him as we learn the lessons of prayer. The great biblical characters like Job, Paul, John, and even Jesus had to learn this lesson. God wants to take each one of us deeper still—deeper than we have ever been before. And this requires an invitation to times of aloneness.

Going deeper in prayer is not always easy or fun.

Actually it can be quite difficult, especially when we don’t know what God is doing. We have to give extravagant time to God. When I wrote Deeper Still, God was wooing me into a deeper prayer life. I thought to myself:

“Haven’t I gone deep enough? Do You still want me to go deeper?”

That is exactly what He wanted. The difficulties of the end-times require it. You may wonder, “Lord, isn’t it about time that I take action? I’ve been waiting a long time.” But you may not realize the strength that is needed at the foundation of your life in order to stay consistently stable in hard times. Your foundation has to be strong so that no attack from the enemy can penetrate your firm trust in the Lord.

The word “deep” in Webster’s Dictionary means “extending far below the surface, descending far downward, profound, opposed to shallow, piercing a great way, not superficial or obvious, hidden, secret, heartfelt, intricate.” God wants to take us far below the surface in our relationship with Himself. This relationship must not be superficial—as so many are—but heartfelt, hidden, and of great depth.

The quality of our aloneness with God can actually enhance the quality of our time with others. Cultivate that deep, alone time with God and make it a holy aloneness. Make your relationship with God of prime importance because this is what life is all about. Someone once told my husband and I, “God is taking you deeper and working intricately with your life, so that you can work intricately with the lives of others.” I’ve often thought about how true that statement has been to us.

We used to live in Virginia Beach so we learned a lot about hurricanes. A few years ago we had a hurricane called Ernesto that swept through the area. I’ve written about this hurricane before because of its’ profound message. Ernesto was not a very forceful hurricane, yet many trees fell because of the strength of the winds. Many people lost one or more trees during that hurricane. It left Virginia Beach in a huge mess with trees and branches lying everywhere.

The stability of the trees depended on how deep the roots went below the surface. Shallow roots could not stand the force of even a small hurricane. In Virginia Beach in mild weather you could never tell how deep a tree’s roots extended, but in a hurricane the truth was exposed. Shallow roots meant a big downfall. The roots just could not sustain the tree.

Likewise, right now God is developing your prayer life and the depth of your personal relationship with Him. He is inviting you deeper for a purpose. He has great plans to use you in the coming days. You must not bypass this most important season in your life.

During the last several years, I have concentrated a large majority of time in writing books on prayer. This has called for a lot of root work. It has called for alone time with God and heavy concentration. I am an active person and like to be out in the nations, but God is inviting me to go deeper. I have learned to say “yes” to this call. I know it is perhaps the most crucial time in my relationship with God. I have learned that the value of this time of going deeper with God is worth gold. I need to be exceedingly grateful for it even though it takes effort and a prioritizing of everything I do.

God is inviting you to enter into deeper intimacy. As you accept this invitation, I recommend that you do the following:

• Thank Him for what He is doing in you - Live a life of praise and thanksgiving. Choosing to go deeper with God will pay off in the end. Thanksgiving brings joy and contentment.
• Refuse to listen to the devil - Just as those shallow trees fell in the hurricane, God does not want you to be shallow so that you fall in the end times. He wants to strengthen you now. Listen to God when He is calling you deeper, and accept His invitation.
• Be patient and don’t complain - Watch your speech and guard it carefully. Be one who speaks positive words that bring joy and faith to others.
• Be content with where you are - Thank Him for the depth He is developing in your life through your present circumstances. Let Him work intricately with your life.
• Cultivate holy aloneness with God on a daily basis - Plan it in your schedule. Sacrifice in order to give God your time. Make Jesus central in all that you do.

Your depth with God now is of utmost importance. He knows what is needed. He is working intricately with your life. He is deep, and He is inviting you to go deeper into His heart through prayer. He knows how strong the winds will be howling in the end-times. He is very purposeful in what He is presently developing in your life. The devil will say it is not important. He will tempt you with these thoughts:

“Eat, drink and be merry. Nothing will happen. Live just for today.”

But God is developing this holy aloneness with Himself for a purpose. Every day of “root building” is beneficial. When you are building depth, often you can’t see anything happening on the surface. It can even feel that all is dead and lifeless, but actually the opposite is true—sustainable life is being built deep down where it really counts. Realize that your root development will one day pay off. Let His song be with you even during the midnight hour.

Don't miss the Intercessors Arise prayer webinar called: How to Grow in Intimacy with God. It's filled with free prayer material to help you grow in your relationship with God  - SECURE YOUR SEAT HERE!

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:7-8). 

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
www.intercessorsarise.org

Here’s a list of 3 lesser known facts about the Western Wall that will fill your heart with faith in its holiness and grandeur. This spiritual site is worshiped by many. You too can send prayers to the Western Wall and they will soon be answered.

• Nearest Site To The Holy Temple

          The Western Wall is a survivor of the destruction that was caused by the Romans to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in 70 CE. The Temple was the center of the spiritual world, the main channel for the flow of Godliness and the western wall is the nearest site to it.

• Immortal Symbol

          After the Temple's destruction, the sages blessed the Western Wall and said that the divine presence would never leave the Western Wall, and that the Wall will never be destroyed.

• Place of Pilgrimage & Heroism

          Solomon built the Holy Temple, and on the pilgrimage festivals, the entire Jewish nation gathered together three times each year. When the First and Second Temples were destroyed, during the Bar Kochba revolt, Israel's brave heroes fought for every stone of the Temple.

The Western Wall is a remarkable symbol of pilgrimage and heroism. You can too send a prayer to the Western Wall and feel the nearness to God.

To believe God for greater things requires that we know God in greater ways. Asking boldly in prayer means we must move beyond superficiality. God's compassion is stirred by those who attend to Him daily, listening to His words and seeking His face. God is looking for deep friendship with His people, and for those friends, He has great promises. Here are some of the promises He is making for this season.

 Keep Reading:

Grandparenting looks different to many grandparents. In some cases,
grandchildren live with their grandparents, some live near their grandparents and some live many miles away, even across the ocean. Our grandchildren’s parents may be spiritually rebellious or neglectful of their spiritual lives, failing to make time to read God’s Word, pray or regularly fellowship with other believers a part of their routine. However, even if our grandchildren’s parents have a strong established Christian home, busy schedules, jobs, parenting and all the distractions of today’s world conspire to distract or destroy the family.

Many grandparents have broken hearts because their precious grandchildren are not learning about the love of Jesus; some have been estranged from their grandchildren.  Long distance grandparents find it difficult to be a part of the lives of their grandchildren. Although today we do have many more resources to connect with them than we did years ago.  Today, resources such as Facetime, Skype; cell phones, texting, email, videos and others can be used for grandparenting.

This past weekend I attended a women’s conference the keynote speaker spoke on the subject of “Courage”, courage to be a woman of God in the world we live in today from the first chapter of Joshua.  Joshua was afraid when the Lord told him that Moses was dead and he was going to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. However, the Lord said, “Be strong and courageous, be careful to obey my law, do not turn from the right or left of it, meditate on it day and night. Then you will be successful . . . .Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” [1]

Grandparents are often overwhelmed and discouraged about how to grandparent in today’s ungodly culture. Just as Joshua was afraid when the Lord gave him the assignment to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land grandparents are struggling how to reach out to their grandchildren in our technological age.  I believe these words to Joshua “Be courageous” applies to grandparents today who are struggling with grandparenting in a broken world.

I find there is a requirement in those verses for me to spend time in Good’s Word, be careful to obey God’s Word, holding fast to the truth, and meditating on it. If I am spending time with the Lord consistently I will be able to trust Him with the heavy burdens on my heart. I will be able to ask the Holy Spirit to make intercession when I don’t know how to pray for the grandchild who is breaking my heart.[2]  God’s Word gives me courage, which comes from knowing God, trusting Him to work in the hearts of my grandchildren.  I pray intentionally for my grandchildren to experience the reality of a relationship with Jesus and live the adventure of walking with Him.

I had to ask myself the following questions after hearing this message from Joshua. I hope you will ask yourself these questions, also.

 “Am I a courageous woman/man of God?

 Am I a courageous Godly grandparent?”

Do I nourish my spiritual life with God’s Word consistently so I can nourish my grandchildren spiritually?

Do I pray intentionally for the spiritual well being of my grandchildren?

Do my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren see what it looks like to walk with Jesus from my life?” 

 Courageous Godly Grandparents will invest in their own spiritual life to be able to lead their grandchildren into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

By Lillian Penner, Co-Director of Pray Ministry, Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

In a culture where the individual is everything, a congregational prayer meeting is perceived simply, as a lot of individuals in the same room praying. Sadly, we are blind to the critical importance of corporate prayer. We fail to see the difference between the individual’s right and privilege of prayer, not to diminish its value or power, and corporate prayer, from the office of the church.

Eugene Peterson lamented,

The single most widespread American misunderstanding of prayer is that it is private. Strictly and biblically speaking, there is no private prayer. Private in its root meaning refers to theft. It is stealing. When we privatize prayer we embezzle the common currency that belongs to all. When we engage in prayer without any desire for or awareness of the comprehensive, inclusive life of the kingdom that is ‘at hand’ in both space and time, we impoverish the social reality that God is bringing to completion.^[1]

Peterson concedes that prayer involves the individual, but he asserts,

…it never begins with the individual and it never ends with the individual. We are born into community, we are sustained in community; our words and actions, our being and becoming, either diminish or enhance the community, just as the community either diminishes or enhances us.^[2]

In the gospels, we find the model of individual prayer – Jesus, portrayed in prayer, constantly. In the early hours of the day and late at night. Before and after ministry events. Prayer marks His life. He ministers out of these private times of prayer, after being alone with His Father. This is the premier model – Jesus, a man, living in and out of divine collaboration, a God-man partnership, a heaven-earth tandem; a man tuned to heaven who speaks and acts out heaven’s word and will.

In Acts, we meet the church gathered in prayer, corporate prayer. Though there are moments of individual prayer – that is, the personal prayer life of the believer never goes away – the corporate prayer expressions dominate. Corporate prayer provides another dimension. Here is the church gathered, many members, one body with Christ, the Head, now in heaven. This heaven-earth tandem is corporate. It is the reformation of the Old Testament tabernacle community; people who lived under the fire and moved following the cloud. Who camped around the ‘Presence’ of God.

In ancient times, the church sponsored daily corporate prayer called Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer). When people lived in small villages with the church at the center of the town, daily corporate prayer gatherings drew the villagers inside for moments to consider God in the midst of their daily lives. These two go together. They complement each the other. Neither is complete without the other; the personal and the corporate. This individual intimacy with God and corporate humility and unity is prayer with the goal of personal transformation and the collective prayer of a people who by such prayerful assemblies, declare their deep dependence on God as His visible community.  Through prayer, we are a part of His body on the earth, carrying on His business, engaging in kingdom transactions in His behalf. You can never have a praying church without praying people; and you will never have a prayerless church with praying people.

Scotland pastor, William Still (1911-1997) asserted that the church-wide prayer gathering should be “the tip of the iceberg.”^[3] Prayer should be pervasive throughout the life of the church. Without a church-wide prayer meeting, however, the so-called tip of the iceberg, one can almost certainly guarantee that there is little prayer throughout the various organizational layers and operations of the church – a house of prayer.

• This blog is an excerpt for The Praying Church Handbook – Volume III – The Pastor and the Congregation.
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P. Douglas Small is founder and president of Alive Ministries: PROJECT PRAY and he serves in conjunction with a number of other organizations. He is also the creator of the Praying Church Movement and the Prayer Trainer’s Network. However, all views expressed are his own and not the official position of any organization.

A group of near culture believers who have moved to the Arabian Peninsula for work have a passion to share and are meeting regularly to encourage each other as they ask the Father for opportunities to share and disciple. Please pray that the Lord will move mightily in and through them.

A country with very few indigenous believers is slowly beginning to see some fruit, as those who have begun to follow Jesus are giving testimony to their friends and family. Give praise for these bold ones and pray that they will continue to share with great joy, continued boldness, and great wisdom. Pray that many will be added to the Kingdom.

Even after seeing the truth in the Word and realizing that Jesus is so much more than just a prophet, it is difficult for someone from the Muslim faith to embrace the Gospel as the way to God.  A young woman exclaimed, "How could I ever believe that the Quran is not from Allah?" Pray that the beloved people of the Arabian Peninsula will be freed from the chains that bind them to falsehood. Pray that they will be given faith by the Holy Spirit to repent and confess that Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life.

A woman with stage 4 cancer is reading the Word with her mother. May they receive the faith to embrace the truth of the Good News and surrender their lives to Jesus. Pray also for divine healing in accordance with His will and for His glory.

Do you take a Sabbath from your writing. I recommend that you take one if you can. I say, if you can, because many of you write while maintaining a real job. And you won't write much if don't write in every free moment you can muster.

After retiring from active pastoring, I began trying to write full-time. At that point God was convicting me of not having taken days off or taking enough time for spiritual and physical renewal in my 40 plus years as a pastor. So I begin my full-time writing with a Sabbath. I don't write or work on my writing from Friday evening to Saturday evening. I have found it rewarding in a number of ways.

First, I have not had to deal with burnout. Most of the time I chafe because I feel like I have not got enough done by 6:00 when I quit on Fridays. Frankly, this keeps me motivated. The break always refreshes my passion. I am usually anxious to get started again on Saturday night. Of course, we are often doing family things on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Those things add to my motivation rather than distracting me.

I also gain inspiration in a Sabbath. I do not necessarily recommend that you stop thinking about your writing while taking a Sabbath, whenever you try to take it. But some of my best ideas come when I am not thinking about writing at all. If I didn't discipline myself a little, I would hardly ever have a time I was not thinking about my writing.

Finally, and most closely related to Biblical observance of the Sabbath, by taking a break I acknowledge that God is the source of all writing. I show that I am trusting Him to help me think. I am asking God's help in finishing what I working on. A Sabbath declares that everything I am, and have, and do comes from God. I give it to Him much like I worship with a tithe of our income.

 http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/  

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http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://daveswatch.com/

"And pray in the Spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." ~Ephesians 6:18, NIV     

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I believe we have to some extent lost the concept of observing the Sabbath in these days. I believe we still need a Sabbath rest. Hebrews 4 indicates that Jesus is now our Sabbath. Whatever other applications there are to this truth, it certainly means we rest in our relationship with Him. And the most important facet of observing a Sabbath rest is prayer.

By prayer we come to intimacy with God. It is worth something to devote a day once a week to prayer. I don't think I should never have recreation on my Sabbath. But recreation shouldn't take precedence over prayer.

A Sabbath should include some physical rest. Jesus taught and healed on the Sabbath. But He also took His disciples off for an occasional vacation. But I can pray while I am resting physically.

Are you praying a Sabbath rest?

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http://daveswatch.com/

I have listened for more than three decades to one sided conversations about the problems and decline of the nation of Jamaica. I say one sided, as upon reflection the conversations always came from the defeated victim perspective. As I listened to these conversations I observed emotions of frustration disappointment, embarrassment and expressions of disgust.  I would often wonder why Christians would speak in this way? The topics of conversation are no different to those of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Nigeria; I list these countries as I have lived in each of them and the UK is my permanent address.  The conversations are the same the hearts of men are desperately wicked and the symptoms of wickedness are all around us. 

We have talked about the symptoms the, should of, could of and should be…. But that hasn’t worked.  Indeed things seem to be getting worst so let’s pray the solution.  We need our national anthem to become a reality so let’s pray it, we need to play our role in this so let’s pray the pledge over ourselves.  We now need to have the conversation with God.

I have a heaviness in my heart for the Nation of Jamaica it has been with me for a while now.  After personal and group prayer today 5^th March I shared this with the congregation at Bibleway Church of God and asked that we pray for 30 days beginning 6^th March – 4^th April.

Objective

Mobilise the Jamaican Christian diaspora to pray with and for Jamaica

Prayer changes things, let us agree in prayer over The Nation of Jamaica

Jamaica became independent of the UK in 1962 and showed great vision to be dependent on God by way of the National Anthem, which is a Prayer and the subsequent National Pledge our role to be “Change Agents”.

Call To Pray Together

Join us at The Bibleway Church of God 19/21 George St, Balsall Heath, B12 9RG. Date 8th April, 2017 @ 10am - 12pm contact: bwcog@outlook.com

“May God open our eyes to see what the holy ministry of intercession is, to which, as His royal priesthood, we have been set apart. May He give us a large and strong heart to believe what mighty influence our prayers can exert. And may all fear as to our being able to fulfill our vocation vanish as we see Jesus, living ever to pray, living in us to pray, and standing surety for our prayer life.” Andrew Murray

© Melva Dennis 2017

Last week I shared about the broken second vertebra of my neck during the teenage years and the many answered prayers of Pastors wives during the course of my nine month healing. Since the bones were not healing at the four month mark, surgery was scheduled in which my neck bones were to be wired together, making future turning of my neck impossible. I resisted this, primarily because it would signal the end of my athletic aspirations. One week before the surgery, a plaster body cast was made on my body, from the hips to the top of my head, with a hole for my face, and holes for my ears. Once it hardened, it was cut off of me, and was to be placed back on following the surgery and remain on for a few weeks until the bones had set. The day before the surgery I was “prepped” – shaved of all body hair from the waist up. As pastors wives prayed, so did a lot of other folks. On the morning of the surgery, we were called and told not to go to the hospital. The atheist orthopedic surgeon had changed his mind. He explained that he didn’t understand why he changed his mind, but we understood. That surgery never happened. The next check-up revealed the bones had begun to heal. Prayers were answered! Sometimes God cuts it close, but is never late. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much” (James 5:16).

A very sweet and intelligent mother of three young children has received a copy of the Word with eagerness to explore what it says. Pray that she will read with hunger and understanding and her eyes will be opened to the truth. 

Do you pray before you begin writing? I suspect most of you do. I do not see anything wrong with brief prayers. Some of you have prayed, "Lord, help me write." Or you may have prayed something like, "Father, guide my thinking." I pray prayers like that. Just acknowledging God has a positive effect on your thinking. And of course, God answers prayer.
But I would like to suggest that you at least try something a little more difficult. Could you spend extended time in prayer as you sit down to write. I will let you decide how long extended prayer is for you. But I am suggesting that spend enough time to deepen your fellowship and pour your heart out in praise. For me the main problem with this is time pressure. Even if you are not on a specific deadline, there are always things to do. Most writers, and I assume most of you, have a real job too. And there is only so much time to write.
I have been particularly driven lately. And even if I don't have an appointment or some other distraction in the next hour or so, I am anxious to get going. But there are blessings that balance the difficulty. The first, is peace. I write better when my heart is at peace. I just wrote something that I am unhappy with. Of course I am agitated that I may not be able to fix it. But I will be better able to improve it if I am trusting it to God.
Another benefit is inspiration. I have seldom come up with a wonderful idea while I was praying. In fact, some of my ideas that were obviously direct from God came at odd times when I was neither writing nor thinking about what I wanted to write. But prayer brings me close to God who alone inspires.
The final benefit I will mention here is a higher perspective. More than anything else, a devotional time helps me see from God's point of view.

Give this a try. You may find that it is not your best way of writing. Or you may gain some benefit from it. You may even find the breakthrough you have been looking for in your writing. I hope you are blessed by it.

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