Praying the prayers of the Bible (Mike Bowers)

"The prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God. Praying the prayers of the Bible helps us understand how Jesus, Job, Moses, David, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Mary, Peter, Paul and many others talked with God. They have much to teach us." (J. Banks, Praying the Prayers of the Bible)

Paul was adamant about praying for new churches and those new to the faith. Here's one of his intercessory prayers:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead. Ephesians 1:18-19.

Hope that makes us positive and confident.

An inheritance in the saints that redefines wealth. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Those three qualities in the life of any person would make him/her an overcomer.

Long ago I muttered to God, "I wish someone would pray like this for me." Then in my mind, a big boot came down out of the sky and kicked me in the hind parts. A voice said, "Hey buddy, this is what YOU are supposed to pray for the people in YOUR life."

I said, "Oh yeah. Good idea!"

Pray for people to:

- know the hope brought by a risen Savior

- know about the inheritance both now and down the road and

- be filled with the same power that raised Jesus from the grave.

This is a Bible prayer. It is a Major League prayer. It is kingdom minded intercessory prayer that has no expiration date.

Aim this prayer at people in your life and watch the Lord go to work.

Praise forevermore (Renee Paul)

Offering up prayers of praise, hmmmm.
This was hard to believe or imagine when I was going through what I've called "my hell on earth.” Even the first few years after.
Thank God He put wise, trustworthy, God-fearing, men and women in my life to guide me. The list is long, please forgive me if I forget to mention you; Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, Mr. and Mrs. Bowers, a couple names that wouldn't want to be mentioned. Their guidance is priceless and I'm forever grateful. ❤️ I thank God for each of them daily.
I grew to understand why my Nana and Mom would sing 'One Day At a Time Sweet Jesus, One Day At a Time'
So how to pray praise? During a storm!?
How?
Find something in each day that you can be grateful for, even if its just one.
You woke up breathing, that's something to be grateful for, but what if you were hoping you wouldn't wake up? You want to stay in bed all day, away from people?
If you look harder there is something. The sun coming through the window, the bird singing in the tree, sparkling snow, green grass finally peaking out of the snow, the sight of the blue sky, flowers pushing out of a cold hard ground and showing their colors, etc.
If none of that, how about the 'One Thing' you can never hide from or run from, Salvation?
God absolutely adores you. He chose to love you before you even had the choice to love Him.
Romans 5:8, Ephesians 1:4, Galatians 1:15, John 3:16
That is something to Praise Him and Thank Him for every day! Even if that's the only thing, it's the Best thing.
If the words are few, even if its a whisper say "Thank You God for saving me" before you get up or go to bed, through out the day. In a few days, a week, a month, you'll be surprised how much better you will feel.
You'll start praising with words and songs. Life will still throw curve balls at you but you will know, that you know, that you know, that the Almighty Father has got you. You'll still praise Him through the highs and lows.
If you haven't made that decision to follow God and let His gift of Salvation through His Son's sacrifice on the cross for you, live in your heart and soul, I pray that you would give Him a chance. Your life 'will never be the same again' (that's a praise song).
Here's a few more of my favorite songs through the years that I sing to Him throughout the day as praise prayers;
Grace That is Greater Than All Our Sin
(a hymn)
King of Kings by Hillsong
How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin
Glorious Day by Passion
Death was Arrested byNorthPoint Insideout
Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin
What He's Done by Passion
Our Living Hope by Phil Whitcomb
I Thank God by Maverick City
Worthy of It All by CeCe Winans
I Believe In Jesus by Chris Tomlin

Praise Him for you are fearfully

and wonderfully made, & loved

beyond your dreams ❤️
Psalm 139

A tool to help you focus in prayer (Mike Bowers)

Every day I receive an e-mail called the Moravian Bible Text. As you'll see it includes two scriptures and a short prayer. This tool is a great help to slow me down and help me focus. It's not wordy. It's one thought that is as deep as you can go. I hope you'll benefit from this resource. MB

Psalm 42; Job 1,2; Romans 11:7–18

The Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake. 1 Samuel 12:22

If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

So many times, God, we have turned away from you, giving you every reason to turn away from us. Yet, patiently and persistently, you pull us back from our pride and selfishness. You labor to restore us to yourself and to one another. Thank you, faithful God. Amen.

BHAP (Mike Bowers)

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain on the land for 3-1/2 years. Again, he prayed and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:16-17)

There's a tendency to think we need to attain a certain level of goodness or maturity before God pays attention to our prayers. I mean, why should God listen to me considering who I am and what I've done? I take courage from the fact that Elijah was a man just like us. A quick study reveals that Elijah rode an emotional rollercoaster in his life. He was fearless, then fearful. He was moody, angry, depressed and yet faithful, influential and bold. He had good days and bad days. Elijah was a man just like us. God withheld rain for 3 1/2 years because of the prayer of Elijah.

Then God gave rain because of the prayer of Elijah. I cannot explain why the mighty God of heaven acts upon the prayers of people like us, but he does. I heard it said, If you bring a thimble to God, he will fill it. If you bring a bucket to God, he will fill that. If you bring a 55-gallon drum to God, he will fill that too. In the hands of God your prayer is powerful and effective.

He is waiting to hear your big hairy audacious prayer (BHAP) right now.

What do you do when you face a problem you can't solve? (Sean Cronin)

What do you do when you face a problem you can't solve? I'd recommend doing the same thing you do when you're faced with a problem you can solve - pray. Someone once told me, “You can do more than pray once you have prayed, but you can't do more than pray until you have prayed." Until you've invited God into your situation, you're working in your own limited strength and wisdom. However, when  you pause and pray you open the door wide for the eternal God to move into your situation. Prayer connects you with the power and guidance you need to conquer your everyday battles.

I think that's why God's word wraps up its exhortation for Christians to put on the Armor of God with a challenge to fight our battles on our knees. Ephesians 6:18 says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."

What challenges do  you face today? Are you worried about a hard conversation you need to have with someone? Are you facing a financial crisis or waiting for a health diagnosis? Don't fight your battles alone. Invite God into those challenges and remember, you can do more than pray once you have prayed, but you can't do more than pray until you have prayed.

Crying out to Abba (Casey Cronin)

I was driving north from Geneseo on Route 63 the other week, when just past the railroad overpass, I spotted a small lawn sign placed near the road’s edge. It was white, maybe plastic, about two feet square with printed green block letters that l said simply;

PLEASE GOD

It took me a moment to process those two words then to reflect on them as I drove on.

PLEASE GOD

Was this some sort of plea someone had placed - hoping for divine intervention for a crisis they were enduring? “Please God; only You can help me.” There were no other signs along the road to help me define its meaning.

Then I thought, perhaps it is more of a creative suggestion to those passing by – what would PLEASE GOD?

Is there something in my life that is hindering my relationship with Him?

We live by faith and not works, but if I could change something that would PLEASE GOD, what would l that be?

Forgive someone a long ago slight? Pray more for others than my own needs? Be more charitable? Try to be a bolder ambassador for Christ? Try to be more of a Tigger than an Eeyore (ask my wife)?

So what do you think the meaning behind that little lawn sign is? It’s a pretty personal question and I’ll let you wrestle with it for a while. I thank God for creative people who can combine two words together to get the gray matter atop our shoulders working.

PLEASE GOD

How reassuring it is to be confident in a Father who hears our please. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don’t know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:26, 27)

What a joy it is to cry out as sons and daughters; “Abba, Father!”

And this joy should compel us to look deeply within and contemplate how we can PLEASE GOD.

Praying ten minutes at a time (Lauren Kausner)

This month is inspiring me to make prayer a more consistent, intentional part of my day.  I’m busy and stressed and all of that stuff.  And I know you are too. But it did occur to me that I could find 10 minutes. I mean I play word games on my phone every morning. But I want to try to make sure my days are devoted to Him and not just to the million things I think are important. So I could do less of the screen time and take 5-10 minutes to pray and try to hear from God. So I’m going to try. Want to try with me.

Sometimes I use a devotional from the Youversion Bible app. You can do a short reading a few Bible verses and a prayer. Sometimes it’s is nice to pray along with a written prayer because my mind can’t find the words (especially at 5:30am!). Ok, that is technically screen time, I realize, but with better purpose.

And it’s nice to do it with other people. So let me know. :-)

Praying when we don’t know what to do (Mike Bowers)

Then Jehoshaphat stood  up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard. 6 and said: “LORD, the  God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants  of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ 10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

This prayer is approximately 220 words and takes about 90 seconds to say out loud. Notice his approach of being poor in Spirit. Notice how he addresses the Lord with praise. See how he asks for help with authenticity. The great King Jehoshaphat concluded with a simple, childlike trust: "We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you."

Most everyone I know is dealing with hard issues. Jehoshaphat had a vast army set to invade his land. Follow his example. Give it to the Lord. We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you.

Prayer conquers all (Rick Holland)

What makes us different?

I was visiting a dear friend in Church just recently. She was listening to a long standing  Christian preacher. She turned to me and asked, “is he a Christian”? My response, “well no. He doesn’t preach Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. He is a very strong believer but he doesn’t go all in to Biblical Doctrine.” She said, “I thought something was up, but enjoy listening to him.” My response was, “well I do too”.

Praying for a lost world is what separates us from the pack. Many call themselves Christians, but there are believers in a lost world. That is the hard truth. It’s hard for anyone to hear. Because we genuinely love the people we love.

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Firstly, all Authority has been given to Jesus. Have you ever thought about that? Jesus makes it clear - all of Earth and everything in it is under his Authority. Secondly, therefore go and make Disciples of all nations. It is clear to me, we are to make Disciples, followers of Jesus. Then, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey everything. Then, what happens, God is with us always.

That is a task that could overwhelm us. It’s a huge command. But prayer conquers all. In Psalm  61, David says, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge,  strong tower against the foe.”

A strong alliance with God creates a self assurance that leads to a self confidence in producing a harvest.

Prayer conquers all.

Praying with those on the front line of enemy territory (Mike Bowers)

Pieces of this devotional were taken from a recent email from R & R De**ing. It sounds similar to the opening statement Paul wrote to his friends in Philippi long ago.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ. (Phil. 1:3-6) And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteous that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory of God. (Phil. 1: 9-11)

Now from R & R:
We are thankful, extraordinarily so, to Dad in His most recent movement of power and healing.  If you read our latest newsletter, you will hear the astonishing results of R*b’s coronary angiogram.  The Lord our God goes before us. We  know that to be absolutely true.  We are more than eager to be back in Heart City. Yet we wait on the two week follow-up with the cardiologist and the adjustment of Rob’s body to new medications.

Ramadan started this morning (Wednesday) with sunrise on the Arabian peninsula. So we will be near the epicenter of M activities as they celebrate the beginning of their holy month with their vacillating schedule of fasting and feasting.  We know that in Alleyland this is always a wearisome month spiritually where so many are guarded and fastidious in their rituals.

Please continue to pr*y for our Alley brothers and sisters on the Horn who often find this time very difficult in terms of rejection from family and the persecution that is always stirred up during this religious season.  Pr&y, that the Almighty refreshes their soul guiding them for His name’s sake.

Pr*y for us as we rest and ready ourselves for the upcoming return to our home in Heart City.  His grace is sufficient.  His power is made perfect in our weakness. The Lord does deliver us from all our troubles. The Lord is close, He saves, He protects, and He rescues.

How long Lord? (Renee Paul)

Have you ever asked the Lord to guide someone's heart to salvation? Have you asked Him for a healing? Have you asked for anything, and it seems like it's taking so long!

When do we stop? When do we say "That's enough, I give up!" "God must not be listening.” "God just doesn't care.” or "Well it's not God's will.” A month, 2 months, 6 months? A year, 5 years, 10 years? Do we just stop? How long Lord? It gets exhausting, even frustrating! I recently, in the past couple years, found a prayer poem that came up on my Facebook news feed that goes like this:
         If God answers your prayer,
         He's increasing your faith.
         If He delays,
         He's increasing your patience,
         If He doesn't answer,
         He has something better for you.
                      Unknown

Okay that sounded good to me, so if I'm still praying and waiting God is not only answering in His timing, but He's teaching me something through the prayer and waiting. Then there's the parable Jesus taught His disciples about persistent prayers that is a great encouragement to not give up, Luke 18:1-8 The persistent widow. That is a great encouragement for me to not give up!

I've prayed for many people in my life so far (and still am) to turn their hearts tward God and His precious gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Some have made that decision close to their death bed. Some soon after they hear how much they are loved by God our Heavenly Father want to be baptized and start a relationship with Him.

The most recent person has taken almost 13 long, hard, tear filled years. Deeply hurt by the church many years ago. Even to the point of hate and anger, I thought "Oh God, will this ever happen?”

Only Him, only by His grace. Persistent prayers. She finally asks me about God and how I know what I know. Asks me to pray when something is going on in her life, and even tells me she will pray when there's something going on in my life. She stumbled on "The Chosen" series with her husband and came to me very excited about it and said she and her husband couldn't stop watching it till they got through all 3 seasons!

So, how long Lord, how long? Till His work is done in them and the one praying (There are lessons. He's teaching all around) Praying till He comes and takes me Home. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 6:18. Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Don't give up!

I'm not the one who moved (Joy Santiago)

So most everyone knows I'm a PK (Preacher's Kid), and I'm the youngest of 6, and Sunday Mornings 8 people crammed in the Station Wagon on any given Sunday headed to church, you just never knew what would happen or what you'd hear! On one particular Sunday Morning the boys were shoving each other saying how squished they were and of course Dad and Mom were getting irritated, and told them that being close isn't always a bad thing, so Daddy started telling us a story of when he and our Mom first got married. He said they were driving home one night in his 57 Chevy. He was driving and had his arm around Mom who was squished sitting right up next to him, his arm around her, and he must have been speeding and got pulled over by a cop. As the cop came to the window he said, I thought there was only 1 person in the car, you too were so close, and he let them off with a warning. All of the sudden my Sister goes, that is so sweet how come you don't sit like that anymore? Well without hesitation and all the sudden a little upset, my Mother turns to my Dad and says, “Yeah, WHY DON'T WE SIT LIKE THAT ANYMORE??", He just calmly turned towards her and said, "I'M NOT THE ONE WHO MOVED!" He was still in the same driver's seat he was all those years ago and she had moved over. She just quietly goes, you're right! HE DIDN'T MOVE!

STOP MOVING!! Stop saying I Don't Feel God Close to me. THEN MOVE TOWARDS HIM and you WILL! Be Strong & Courageous We Hear Daily From Pastor Mike, it's so uplifting, yet sometimes really hard to do in times of trouble and doubt! "Be Strong and Courageous. Do Not be afraid or terrified because of them; for the LORD your God goes with you; He Will NEVER Leave You or Forsake You."
(Deuteronomy 31:6) This verse was written to encourage the people of Israel, including Joshua, Solomon, and Hezekiah's military officers. Their Old Testament reality presented their lives with insurmountable challenges, and God wanted them to know unequivocally that they could TRUST Him to Lead them to Victory and NEVER leave them. It was a call of Obedience amidst great adversity. Two verses later God repeated, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will NEVER Leave you nor Forsake you. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED." When WE promise "always" or "never" we are truly incapable of upholding it. And we all know the old infamous saying, "never say never!" Well when God Promises "ALWAYS" or "NEVER" He CAN be fully trusted to Honor HIS word (Numbers 23:19). Of course me being a Worship Leader I love music, and growing up in the church I've been able to hear and learn some amazing songs but there was always one song we would sing that just didn't set well even as a child, maybe you know it. “God said it, I believe it, that settles it for me, and we would sing it with such confidence that how we felt about it is what mattered! Very often, people have such a hard time taking God at His word. Once I became an adult and stronger in my Faith, well that song REALLY bothered me because the truth is, " If GOD says it, THAT SETTLES IT!, whether I believe it or Not." Amen? And there is No reason to doubt it! God Commands our confident trust IN Him. In a World that encourages us to believe in ourselves and achieve all we deserve, it's paramount to understand WHO and WHOSE we are. Society sets a bar to earn and accumulate. Accomplishments and accessories are lauded above humility and God-ordained purpose. So in a place of Worldly Standards, The Old Testament admonishment of (Deuteronomy 31:6) can serve as a benchmark in our Everyday Lives. Another reminding verse, (1 King 8:57) "May the LORD our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us." Lord, capitalized, is significant. It means Yahweh, the highest and most emphatic expression of our loving and compassionate Father. He is our Dad, Who loves us Perfectly,it Honors Him for ALL He IS and brings Him close to us as the compassionate Creator of our Hearts. So Just like My Dad said, He's not the one who moved! Today Move closer to HIM, find where He is, and get as squished as you can to him "Keep God So Close You Can Hear When He Whispers!" This World May Fail Us Daily and Leave Us. HE NEVER WILL! Lord, I pray for every person reading this devotion, that just like Ephesians 6 says that God tells us our battle is not against flesh & blood, but it is a spiritual battle. You tell us to put on the full armor of God & then you say PRAY! Not Slay!, but Pray! Lord, Prayer is the most aggressive, proactive, offensive, invasive, action we can take in any situation. Prayer reaches into the spiritual realm & Unleashes God's power to do His Will and today I'm asking that we all feel the presence of Him so close that he won't have to remind us, I'm not the one who moved! Thank you for the ability to Pray let us use it more in our daily lives, Thank you for your Love, Grace, & Mercy for even me a sinner saved by Grace! AMEN

Praying from within the grace of God (Anonymous)

Jon Weese, who calls himself the “lead follower” at SouthlandChristian Church in Lexington, Kentucky, explained how he came to realize the concept of grace as a 12 year old. That summer, when shooting off bottle rockets with his brothers, one of his started a small fire that damaged a neighbor’s carport. Jon fled to a nearby stormwater culvert after his big brother informed him he was probably going to jail for arson but no arrests were made. Hours later, Jon’s father informed him only that he would owe the neighbor $40 for the damage done to the structure. No other words were spoken about the incident.

Back then Jon mowed lawns during the summer, and at $6 each, he figured he could pay off his debt quickly. He started out for his first job when he noticed his dad following him, carrying a lawn chair. His dad set the chair up in the driveway of that first house and proceeded to tell Jon to, “Sit down”. Obeying his father, Jon did, until his father began to pull on the lawn mower's starter cord. Jon protested; “No Dad no, I’ve got this, I’ll mow!” Again, but more emphatically this time, his father said; “Sit down!”

Jon had to sit in that lawn chair while his father mowed, trimmed and swept clean that neighbor’s lawn that day. And he had to sit in that chair the next day at a different house, and the next day until his father had mowed 7 lawns in their neighborhood. Finally, the father gave his son the $42 he earned mowing those lawns with this instruction; “Jon,” he said, “pay our neighbor the $40 you owe him. With the $2 left over you can buy candy at the gas station if you want or spend it at the arcade playing video games. Go and live it up!”

Twelve year old Jon was crushed and said he had a really hard time accepting the gracious gift his father had given him that he knew he didn't deserve. He remembers sulking alone in his bedroom when his father came in, gave him a big hug while Jon cried in his arms.

His dad explained the lesson to be learned. “Jon” he said; “You owe God a debt that can never be paid and Jesus took care of it for you, so you can enjoy the grace of your heavenly Father.”

The grown up Jon Weese said that episode was the first time he had a picture of what Jesus came to accomplish during His time on earth.

In Ephesians 2, Paul writes; “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (vv 1-9)

During this season of prayer and fasting I hope Paul’s words encourage you to not grow weary but to gain joy and strength because of His love for us.

Am I praying? (Lauren Kausner)

One of my favorite children’s books that my parents bought for my kids was a book called Am I Praying? by Jeannie St. John Taylor.  The story follows a child throughout his day getting up in the morning, taking the bus, going on a school field trip, getting lost, etc.  In each of the circumstances, whether happy or sad or scared, he wonders if he is praying.  First of all, the illustrations are kinda hilarious.  But more importantly, I think the book demonstrates that so many of our thoughts throughout the day are prayers.  For instance, when the boy wakes up he is happy about the day and thankful he is able to go on a field trip  (check, that is a prayer).  Later he gets lost on the field trip and he silently asks God to help him (check, that is a prayer).  On the bus ride home, he is thinking back on what a great day he had and that God helped him find his teacher (check, that is a prayer).*

I have had periods in my life where I was disciplined enough to spend time each morning praying before starting my day.  I confess, this has not been true for quite some time.  Perhaps I will get there again someday.  And I felt guilty about that at times until I realized that I was in prayer on and off throughout the day.  I think sometimes we get caught up thinking prayer must be formal and fancy.  It can be-if it’s genuine.  Or sometimes people feel their “form” must be correct-kneeling, eyes closed, head bent, etc.  This posture can be very helpful for prayer, but I don’t think it is necessary.  Prayer is a conversation.  It’s just talking, and since God can “hear” our thoughts, it can also be thinking.  In the book, this little kid is in constant dialogue with God.  He just openly takes all his happy and unhappy moments to God.

So, for instance:
·        You wake up feeling stressed about the day and on your drive to work you say, “God help me get to everything I need to do today” (Psalm 4:1, Psalm 5:1-3, Matthew 26:36-42)

·        At work, that co-worker tries to manipulate you again and you think, “God that person makes me so mad, why are they like that?  How am I supposed to love that person?” (Psalm 10:12-15, Psalm 25:20-21)

·        You glance out the window and see a beautiful blue sky with puffy, white clouds and you think, “God that is so beautiful!” (Psalm 8:1)

·        Your two year old has dumped out all 127 crayons on the floor AGAIN and you say, “God I’m so tired of doing this!” (Psalm 22:1-2)

·        You snap at your wife/husband/child/mother and say something nasty and later you say, “God I’m so sorry” (Psalm 51)

·        You get an unexpected break, or something goes way better than it should have, and you know God had something to do with it and you say, “Wow God, I can’t believe that just happened!” (Psalm 92:1-5)

I hope this gives you a new sense of the doable-ness of this verse: “Pray continually” I Thessalonians 5:17.

*It’s been a while since I read this book, so my examples are probably not accurate.  But you get the idea.

A focused direction (Sean Cronin)

What you believe about prayer will affect how you pray. If you firmly believe God answers prayers, you'll pray often and with confidence. If you're uncertain about prayer, you will pray sporadic and feeble prayers.

In the ancient Greek world, most people prayed sporadic and feeble prayers because they weren't confident in the power of prayer. The word used in that day for pray was the word euchomia. It meant to ask, wish, or make a vow. Prayer to most of the ancient Greeks was like wishing upon a star. People threw up petitions to the gods they hoped existed, were available to hear them, and powerful enough to grant their requests.

Interestingly, when the authors of the New Testament wrote about prayer, they did so with a revised word for it. They added the prefix "pros" meaning "to" or "toward" to give the word focused direction (proseuchomia). No longer did people need to lob their requests to the heavens hoping some god may hear them. Now they had a direct line to the one true almighty God.

That's why Jesus taught his disciples to prayer to their Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:9). Now we can approach God's throne with confidence knowing that he hears us and will answer our prayers according to his perfect will (1 John 5:14-15; Hebrews 10:19-22; John 14:14).

Do you believe prayer is a direct line to the creator and sustainer of the universe who loves you and wants what is best for you? That's what it is!

So, what do you believe about prayer? How is it affecting how you pray?

Praying for truth amidst falsehoods (Jordan Byrd)

There are a few items on my daily prayer list that extremely frustrate me. They are situations, where the truth seems obvious to me, but falsehood reigns and seems to get its way. Situations where falsehoods running amuck impact my life, my family's life, and the lives of 1,000s if not millions of people in the world.

How do such falsehoods get pushed back? How do such falsehoods get overturned? How do such falsehoods give way to the truth?

There are, of course, human touches of how falsehoods end up being dealt with. But ultimately, they are only dissipated by the light of truth shining on them  and overwhelming them.  And that light is God.

Jesus, God revealed in flesh, is the light of the world. Nothing is hidden from him. No darkness can withstand his light. The promise we have in Jesus is that death - the ultimate form of darkness - does not have the last word.

On this side of life, we petition that the darkness of the falsehoods that surrounds us and overpower us would be dispelled by the light of God's truth. We petition that those involved in perpetuating falsehood would be found out and the truth exposed by the light of God. And even if they don't on this side of life, we have the hope that when the restoration of all things at Christ's return happens, that the darkness will forever be dispelled by the light of God's reign over all.

As you encounter frustrating situations where the darkness of falsehood seems to be getting its way, I invite you to join me in praying, "Lord, may the light of your truth dispel the darkness of falsehood, as only you can do."

Pray anyway (Renee Paul)

Praying to God our Almighty Father is intimidating. He is The Author and Finisher of life. The Judge, the Great I Am. What right do we have to even approach Him!? What have we done to deserve His Almighty ears!?

We are told; Prayer is so easy you can do it with your eyes closed
P.U.S.H.(pray until something happens)
P.R.A.Y.(pray repent ask yield)
B.H.A.P.(big hairy audacious prayer)

Wow it's hard to believe!

Jesus said, "Have faith even the size of a mustard seed and it will be done" Matthew 17:20-21

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayer. 1 Peter 3:12

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me, I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord, "Lord save me!" The Lord is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary, when I was brought low, He saved me. Psalm 116:1-6

Wow, does He really listen? Through my insecurities and lack of self- confidence I chose to trust He would do it for me too. I prayed anyway. When I was in distress, full of sorrow and uncertainty, I chose to believe He would hear my cry,  and He did! He is my forever Faithful Father I can rely on forevermore. Now I talk with Him daily, like He's right beside me, just like He is my best friend and He is.

Absolute dependence on God (Rick Holland)

Observing Lent is a lot like anything else we observe. It is a reminder that our dependance on God is a necessary choice when we go about our daily lives. I know you’ve heard this a million times in your lifetime. It may have started with Children’s ministry, then Church Camp, then Youth Ministry, then Marriage Counseling, and finally in Church. But honestly, how many of us share that same vigor we had when we were young and ideal, when we had our whole lives ahead of us? It’s a long journey. When we’re young we can’t imagine how busy we’d get when we’re older. Now it’s our turn to take care of a family, play bills, and worry for our kids, so they don’t have to. Soccer, Basketball, Work, Wrestling, Tournaments, and Travel, and the list goes on and on. All of sudden we’re 40, 50 or 60 years of age, and ask ourselves-where has the time gone? Kids are grown, graduating, and a vital piece of our lives is ready to disconnect from us - our kids involved in our everyday lives.

I remember the man who studied the Bible with me (Rob Maher) - and he helped me realize the importance of discipleship and Biblical conversion. He told me when he was young, he’d see his Father agonizing in prayer many times. I’m sure he felt overwhelmed and flat out taxed. But Rob told me, it took the pressure off him. He saw a real life Dad, praying and casting all of his anxieties upon the Lord. And he lived it, Rob said he always kept his cool. That had a major impact on me becoming a disciple. Because, let’s face it, life is hard. Satan pulls every stop to get us from trusting and loving God. Don’t ever forget the power of Satan. Just look at what he has accomplished in the last 150 years, 118 branches of Protestantism, many branches of Catholicism and so on. When we wake up in the morning, the World seems to be falling apart. People are angry and divided. Rumors of Wars and Wars taking place. People seem so divided, more than ever before. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

In Matthew 4, the Bible says in verses 1-11,
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

This passage may have inspired Lent. Jesus shows absolute dependance when he was at his weakest moment.  His response, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Prayer is the necessity and key ingredient in having a relationship with God. The Greatest thing about God, he genuinely  loves us deeply, and cares for us.

Join us in a month long journey of prayer and fasting. I hope from sacrificing time this month, this will lead you to daily time with God our Father and Jesus Christ our Savior.

Our guide in prayer (Casey Cronin)

Mixing metaphors, I may not be the brightest crayon in the box but it took me some time to figure out what a “bucket list” was. Basically, it’s a compilation of things a person wants to accomplish before they “kick the bucket”. The term predates the 2007 movie of the same name by years but seems to be an accepted part of today’s vernacular.  So ask someone, ‘what’s on your bucket list?’ One item on mine is a visit to Hawaii someday. Sounds simple enough, but where to start planning this adventure? Which islands to visit? What’s worth spending money on and what’s not? Before I go I’d want to get some insight into what to expect, maybe find someone who’s been there before. Someone like Jon and Linda Walker, who’ve visited Hawai’i a bunch of times. They know more about Hawai’i than I ever will! I imagine their first-hand knowledge would be worth seeking out before I made any reservations.

Getting back to the subject at hand; how does one learn to pray effectively? Is there someone who could educate us on praying, someone so familiar with it as it is second nature to them? I bet you already know someone who could guide us in this adventure.

In Mathew 6, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives his listeners a Ph.D. recitation on prayer. He lays out the dos and don’ts: pray in secret, not conspicuously in front of others, don’t babble on or serve up a word salad but sincerely converse with your Father. He knows your needs before you can even put them into thought.

In the model prayer presented in Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus explains that the first emphasis is our relationship with God; His name honored, His Kingdom advanced, His will be obeyed. The second emphasis is on God’s relationship towards us: sustain us, forgive us, guide us, and protect us. Prayer may sound simple but it is hard work and a life-long pursuit.

Praying against the powers of the world (Jordan Byrd)

Psalm 55:9 (NLT) Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans. For I see violence and conflict in the city.

Like me, you can likely point to a situation (or maybe many situations), where the powers of the world are actively working against you: against the things that provide for your basic needs; against your say-so in society as a follower of Jesus; against the truth on a variety of fronts. The kinds of oppression that seem so well orchestrated and impossible to undo. How do you respond to these attacks?

While there are social, political, legal and violent angles that we could pursue, our imagination as followers of Jesus can't stay there. For we, who are united to Jesus, claim to believe that Jesus is the highest authority and power there is. By our adoption into Christ, we have direct access to the Lord of all.

The writer of Psalm 55:9 is in a situation like ours, where they feel overwhelmed by the orchestrated schemes of their enemies. But the writer appeals for the seemingly impossible. The writer appeals for the Lord to confuse the enemy's efforts. The writer also appeals for the Lord to frustrate the enemy's plans. The belief of the writer is that no effort or plan of an enemy will be able to indefinitely succeed under the Lord's rule; and they are trusting that the Lord will actively stand against the efforts of an enemy according to the wisdom and goodness of God.

While it can be tempting to pursue alternative avenues to respond to an enemy, may we not overlook the primary recourse available to us through the Lord over all.

Lord,

Confuse the efforts of my enemies – the powers of this world that oppress my life and stand against your way. Frustrate their efforts. Make it difficult for them to execute what is false, and what is hurtful and deathly to my life and to the lives of others. Put unexpected obstacles in their path. Lord, rescue me, for I know you hear my voice. You rule forever, and I know that in your wisdom and goodness, you will address those who are against me. Bring us all under the truth. Father God, it’s by the power of your Spirit, and through your Son, Jesus, that I pray to you.

Amen.