Today we will be discussing going deep in prayer. Prayer is our communication with God. In 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 we are told to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We are to pray without ceasing or all the time. Our conversation with God should start when we awake and continue until we go to bed. I get up at 5: 30. The first thing out of my mouth is, “Good morning, Father.” This begins my conversation with the Lord for that day. This type …
Last Words: Wait and Go
Last Words: Wait and Go This daddy whispers into his daughter’s ear before walking her down the aisle. We may not know what he said to her, but I’m confident the words this father spoke to his daughter are remembered by her and treasured for the rest of her life. When the phrase “last words” is uttered, what comes to your mind? Maybe the last words shared by a dear friend before she moved far away. Perhaps those shared by a mother, a father or a grandparent as they breathed their last breath before stepping into …
Praying for Boldness, not Protection
Praying for Boldness, not Protection Peter and John were hauled before the powerful Sanhedrin religious authority. They were threatened and then commanded to stop speaking of Jesus before being released. The power wielded by this religious body would lead many of us to pray for protection if we were in the shoes of Peter and John. Let’s look at what they prayed instead: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” Acts 4: 29 Boldness, not protection was their request. As we consider living lives of purpose …
Unanswered Prayer: Feeling Invisible to God
Unanswered Prayer: Feeling Invisible to God For this Faith Post Friday, I want to focus on something that truly stirs my heart – unanswered prayer. I know each of our stories is different, but I’m going to bet you have experienced a time when you felt invisible to God. When we are desperate for Him and we cry out for help and He doesn’t rescue us, how do we move on from that? How is a Believer in Christ supposed to process that? How do we trust that God loves us and sees us when we …
Help
In the last couple of months I’ve had to make quite a few phone calls. Lots of time has been spent listening to prompts to press a series of numbers to get to the right department. It’s quite a complicated effort to ever get to a living breathing voice. Even quite a few local offices now have these answering services. And frankly I just want to talk to a real person. Oh beloved life and phone systems can sure get complicated. One thing you can know – talking to the Lord requires no wait. You’ve been frustrated by things that …
Why pray: God already knows our needs?
Before answering that question, let us define prayer. My definition may appear a simple one to some, but to me prayer is the expression of a believer’s sincere desires and emotions made to God privately or publicly. And prayer should be dialogue: because the petitioner should listen and not do all the talking. It is required of believers that they pray: at the beginning of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6: 5 and Luke 11: 2, He did not say if you pray but when you pray. And He set such a good example in His prayer life that once when …
Does God Always Answer our Prayers?
It has been said that God always answers prayers, but the answer may be yes, no, or wait awhile. And we should know there are some hindrances to answered prayer. First, we need to know that the only prayer of the unsaved God answers is God be merciful to me a sinner. Remember one of the malefactors on a cross being executed with Jesus confessed his sin and asked for Jesus’ mercy. Jesus promised him that day he would be with Him in paradise. Luke 23: 39-43. Next, faith is essential for answered prayer. Many references could be given, however …
Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?
I remember once while my husband was fighting a losing battle with lung cancer and was in the hospital, my younger son asked me that question when I reminded him that night to pray for his dad. He often backed me into a corner and I was not surprised when he decided to become lawyer. I searched my mind that night and said God does sometimes change His mind and used Hezekiah as an example. However, Hezekiah’s extra fifteen years were not very happy ones. If you’d like more about this read: 2 Kings 20:1- 21. So when praying, we …
Private versus Public Prayer
Based on God’s word, I believe both private and public prayers are acceptable to God. And based on Romans 8: 26-27, I believe the Father knows the unexpressed desires of each child’s heart and honors that desire. During intense grief, have you ever been unable to put into words the deep need of your heart? The Holy Spirit knows what we should pray for at such times and makes intercession for us. Though public prayer has its place in worship, I find it far more difficult to express the desires of my heart in public. Perhaps that is true with …
Jesus Gives the Model Prayer
Jesus was not One only to say, ‘Do as I say”, He could have said, “Do as I do!” All that is necessary to verify that truth is to read the four gospels. Truly Jesus was a Man of Prayer. As the disciples walked daily with Jesus, they were keenly aware of His busy schedule: also they were aware that frequently He took time to be alone with His Father and talk with Him. Once after Jesus had been praying in an undesignated place, one of His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray as John taught his disciples …
Why Pray in Jesus’ Name?
First, as a habit we should not add In Jesus’ Name at the close of our prayers. I have been guilty of that and perhaps you have, also. Most of us are creatures of habit and may develop some habits without knowing why. We heard others add in Jesus’ Name at the end of prayers, and after becoming a believer developed the same habit when we prayed. Jesus said whatever we ask in His Name, He will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Then Jesus added if we ask anything in His Name, He will …
Somebody Prayed
As a little girl I was not exposed to church much. My parents didn’t attend. But one of my earliest recollections of church was with a baby sitter. I spent the night with her and her children and she went to church. So the next morning being Sunday I went with them. I don’t remember much about the service except the altar. When this sweet dear Christian lady went down to the altar to pray I went too. When she knelt I knelt. It just seemed natural to follow her lead. I feel the Lord saying to me that she …