Prayer

Do you realize the disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them how to preach, teach or even to cast out demons, but said unto Him,

  "Lord teach us to pray."

"And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, ...And He said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from  evil." Luke 11:1-4

Prayer is Communication

Hearing and being heard.

What is prayer?

   Prayer is a simple talk with my friend.  Prayer is not a magic incantation or positive mental attitude.  We must understand that prayer is a conversation between us and God.  Often we forget that Jesus desires to have a relationship with each of us individually.  It is all to easy to rush of and attend to those things that press upon us each day...the kids, the bills, work, deadlines, even church and ministry can come before we take time to listen to the precious voice of God.

   Yet our Lord desires with a passionate longing that we look to Him first! You see it is His deep love for us that purchased the privilege to commune with Him and to be transform by our prayer encounters with God.  Many times our only communication with Him are in times of need and distress....."Help me O God!" we cry, and true to His mercy and grace he once again answers our prayers.

   Many of us know that God answers prayer but few truly know the God who answers prayer.  Consider the following poem and think about how much God desires for each of us to respond to His great love through the privileged and intimate relationship of prayer. Let each one of us offer the Lord and "invitation" to be a part of our lives today.

The Invitation

You served breakfast on the beach,

Broke bread with thousands,

Sat on a hillside picnic,

Celebrated the marriage in Cana.

Exciting events....all of these.

But this morning it's only me on an ordinary Monday

Requesting the honor of your presence

At my kitchen table for coffee and conversation.

Comfort comes in knowing you require

Neither feast nor crowds

Only an invitation.

Prayer is powerful

   Prayer coupled together with the Name of Jesus is the most powerful force in this present world.  Prayer binds the forces of the enemy and can loose the hearts and minds of men to hear the voice of God.

"....And pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." James 5:16-18

Prayer is the sincere desire of the heart made known to God.

   "Praying always will all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."  Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is the natural relationship between our Father in heaven and us as His earthly sons/daughters.

   See Luke 11:5-11

Basic Principles of Prayer found in Psalms 143

   Verse 8: "Cause me to hear....in the morning."

   Verse 8: "Cause me to know the way...I should walk."

   Verse 11: "Quicken me...for thy name's sake."

Why/How should we pray?

    1. It is commanded: "pray without ceasing" (I Thess 5:7)

    2. Possessions are "sanctified" with prayer.  "For it is sanctified by the Word of God 

        and prayer."  I Timothy 4:5

    3. Man need contact with God like vegetation needs contact with the sun.

    4. "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think

          that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto

          them...."  (Matt 21:22)

    5. The joy of prayer: Praise and joy are also to be a predominant part of prayer.

        Joy can be evidence of faith and of confidence in God's plan, promise and power. 
        "...Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in

        you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".   (Philippians 1:6)

    6. You pray so that he will send you into the harvest. "Pray ye therefore the Lord

        of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."  (Matthew 9:38) Satan

        does not want you to know your potential in PRAYER. In your prayer life, it is life and  

        death that comes out of your mouth.

Focus your prayer

    1. Unity: Among leadership (different ministries within the church) congregation.

        ".....all with one accord in one place."  (Acts 2:1)

    2. Revival: Sometimes we do things for the wrong reasons/motives. We must do it for

        God. Revival is the result of unity.

    3. Pastor and family: He must lead us (quickest way to pastor is family).

    4. Wisdom and understanding: Wisdom to know when to speak and when not to

        speak.  Understanding, be compassionate, have mercy with people (i.e.: always

        late, kids misbehaving, negative, etc)

    5.  Holy boldness. Step out on a limb with God. Trust Him with your prayer. 

        "....yet ye have not, because ye ask not."  (James 4:2)

    6. Spontaneous prayer: over phone, in lobby, parking lot, etc., just pray! They

        are asking NOW!  JUST DO IT!

Prayer Journey

     Purpose:  Teach people how to pray, a plan of action.

    Place: church building, your home, neighborhood, a park, etc.

    Basically the Prayer Journey consists of eight types of prayer with each type

    of prayer done in a different location within the church building.  Recommended locations are the church sanctuary, Sunday School rooms, prayer rooms, fellowship halls, etc.  The types of prayer, the number of types of prayer, and the time spent for each type are flexible.  Each individual will determine his own person Prayer Journey time schedule.  He spends as much time as he want in each prayer location before moving on to the next location.

I.    Praise and Worship:  The sanctuary is an excellent location to begin the Prayer Journey with praise and worship.  In this segment of the journey, do not ask God for anything.  Instead, worship Him for who He is.  Exalt Him!  Magnify Him! Focus on Him alone.  Praise and worship sanctifies the atmosphere and creates a throne room in which all of God's power becomes readily available to the pray-ers.

II.    Repentance and Forgiveness:  There are two types of forgiveness in this segment of the journey.  First, each individual prayerfully forgives anyone who has offended him.  Second, he ask God to forgive him of his own personal offenses, sins, and shortcomings.  Repentance is included in this type of forgiveness.  Technically, if one cannot forgive others, he has no right to ask god to forgive him.  Jesus taught us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

III.    Petition:  This is probably the most common type of prayer.  In the petition room, bring your own personal requests, needs, and desires to the Lord.  "Petition" God or ask Him to supply these needs for you "according to His riches in Glory."

IV.    Intercession:  In this room, travail must take place.  Realize that you are standing between someone with a need and God.  Understand what it means to "weep between the porch and the altar."  If you feel you have already expended yourself in vain on behalf of someone, remember Paul's saying, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."

V.    Mediation: Spend a quiet time with God.  Read His Word or a book by an inspiring Christian author.  Close your eyes and meditate, allowing Him to speak to you.  Listen via ear plugs or tape.  Bask in His presence.

VI.     Thanksgiving:  Thank God for specific blessings.  "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving." (Psalms 100:4)   "....the fruit of our lips giving thanks...." (Hebrews 13:15)  For most participants, this is probably the most exhilarating room in the whole journey.  As God is thanked, he reciprocates with showers of His sweet presence flooding the room.  On one Family Prayer Journey, as a family of five began their thanksgiving prayer, they began to weep, and the Spirit of the Lord swept over they as they fell into one another's arms thanking God for one another and their home.

VII.    Praying the Word:  The scriptures illustrates the power of praying the Word.  In Psalm 119 the Word of God is referred to 178 times in 178 verses.

VIII.    Singing:  "Sing praises to God, sin praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises." (Psalms 47:6) Make this a joyful room of praises sung to God.  If you feel inhibited singing aloud, do not let Satan cheat you out of this portion of the Prayer Journey.  Sing with a partner or read aloud from Psalms or read the words of a favorite hymn.  Your singing is beautiful to God!  "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." 

Apostolic Praying

An attitude of prayer:

1.    The prayers of Paul seem to have a central theme which we may not have really realized.  His prayers were primarily for the saints that they would come to the full realization of their potential in God.

2.    There is no lack of power, plan or provision available to us through God. "...we have received....the spirit of God: that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (I Corth 2:12)  Paul repeatedly prayed for us to have understanding and knowledge and also for us to have enlightened eyes, increased faith, and spiritual gifts.  He prayed that God's gift would be activated in us and that we would have a realization of His power.  All these things are freely given to us but are ineffective unless we realize them and release them.

3.    In your kitchen your have many power appliances.  One of these may be an electric knife.  If you did not realize the capability of this too, you would use it as just a simple knife; but what a difference it makes in knowing and understanding and using it in its fully power!  "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His might power." (Ephesians 1:19)

Pray the Apostolic Way!

Maintaining a fresh anointing.

1.    Ralph Sockman, in his book, Whom Christ Commended, states: "We say Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, yet we are doing new things with electricity every day.  The force of gravity is the same as it was yesterday, but we have come a long way from Galileo to NASA.  Similarly, though God in Christ is eternally the same in character, He can do ever-new things with the spirits of men.  When a child becomes understandingly responsive to a father, the two together can accomplish what they could not do before.  When we, children of God, graduate into true friendship with God, we open infinite new possibilities of experience."

2.    We are creatures of habit.  This can be good in discipline to good things.  It can be bad if it restricts and binds us in attempting greater things in the kingdom.  Check up on your patterns of praying.  Pray fresh, pray big. Prayer has been around a long time, but no one has ever discovered all that is available by praying. (Lamentations 3:22,23)

Praying in agreement

"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:18-20)

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."  (Acts 1:14)

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one accord in one place." (Acts 2:1)

Church Services

Praying for and discerning the will of the Lord.

1.    Let all things be done decently and in order to the edifying of the church body.

"...to the edification and exhortation and  comfort" (I Corth 14:3)

"Let all things be done decently and in order." ( I Corth 14:40)

2.    Keeping our minds in focus.

The power of unity. Leave the pressure, stress, worry, anxiety and fears behind you.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mightily wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2: 1-4)

Two of the meanest tricks of the evil one are to tell us that our God does not hear our prayers and that He does not love us enough to do anything about them if He does hear us.  Knowing that he is the father of all liars, I beseech you that you do not waste precious time listening to his lies.  The Lord our God is love; He loves you and He hears you.  Above all else, pray.  The proverbs says, "Beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone."  Prayer makes us beautiful from the bone out!

3.    Burdened in the Spirit when Zion travails.

When you have a burden, you need to pray...do not go tell everything you know.  Effective praying is done through the Word.  God has given you the burden.  He is depending on you to intercede for the individual or circumstance.  A burden is something that is carried.  It is a heavy weight.  On He can lighten the load.  Give it to HIM.  Don't be like the character "Chicken Little" going around telling everyone the sky is falling.

4.    Prayerfulness: Honing your spiritual perception.

How should be approach people?  With gentleness, kindness, concern, love, wisdom.  God does not give burdens to everyone....only those who will act upon them with prayer and a desire to see them through.  Then and only then will God expand our walk with Him...this is a privilege.

From Genesis to Revelation, anyone who did anything for God or who desired to be godly, prayed.

Details take time.  We often think God has not heard because we do not see the answer immediately or in the time frame we have allowed; but if we know He is answering, the waiting can be more productive for the kingdom.  We are swamped with options; our challenge will be to avoid becoming swallowed up by the world's values.  As we work in the business world, we must be careful not to forget what is eternally important.  We need to focus on what God's word says is important, not all the things that scram at us to be done.  with so many demands on our time, we must make sure we influence people for Christ at home, at work, wherever we may be.  We'll have to manage our time well and that means first making certain we're growing spiritually.

Fasting

Feeding the new man

Why fast?

    When you fast and pray and walk with Jesus, you learn who's talking.  When we become dull and calloused, Satan can misquote or suggest something.  Prayer ajd fasting will reveal the voice of the Spirit.

"And He said unto them, this can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:29)

How to fast:

    Cornelius fasted four days.  Fasting must have purpose.  We fast to: humble ourselves before God.  Withdraw from natural pleasures.  Spend time in prayer and soul searching. Draw nigh to God totally.

"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

The Word says prayer is essential to getting close to God!  Fasting gets rid of hindrances of the fleshly or carnal nature.  We do not receive the Holy Ghost and say that's it.  Babies are not born and then stop growing.  We must grow in the Spirit.  Fasting keeps you fine-tuned to the Spirit.  We don't fight spirit with flesh. We fight spirit with Spirit!  There are over 28,000 witches praying to Satan to destroy ministries and families.

If you are physically unable to fast, what then?

    You can designate certain things out of your meals.  You can specify certain times.  Always remember any sacrifice is honor to God.

Different types of fasts:

    There are different types of fasts.  The scripture shares some of these with us:

        1.     Absolute: Moses (Ex 34:28) No food or water for 40 days.

        2.    Forty day fast: Elijah ( I Kings 19:8)

        3.    Jesus: forty day fast ( Matt4) No food or drink

        4.    Proclaim a fast: Ezra ( Ezra 8:21-23)-set a certain time.

        5.    One day fast: (Neh 9:1) They separated themselves from the world, spent the         

                day in prayer and repentance.

        6.     Esther: (Esther 4) Fasted and besought God.

        7.    Ninevah (Jonah 3: 5-10) People believed. God proclaimed a fast. Entire

                city, people, livestock, etc.

        8.    Daniel (Daniel 1:9) Daniel found favor (Daniel 10:2-3). Daniel mourned three

                weeks.  Ate no meat, bread, or strong drink.  The early church, Paul, and 

                others made mention that they fasted but did not give instructions.

Most of the Old Testament fast were three days without food or water.  Elijah, Moses, and Jesus went on 40-day fast and were strengthened by the Lord.  Daniel went on lengthy fasts consisting of 10 days and 21 days.

WHATEVER WE DO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WORD, GOD WILL HONOR IT!

A PRAYER

The Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush.

He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals;

He provides me with images of stillness,

Which restore my serenity.

He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind.

And His guidance is peace.

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day,

I will not fret, for His presence is here is timelessness,

His all-importance will keep me in balance.

He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity

By anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility.

My cup of joyous energy overflow.

Surely harmony and effectiveness

Shall be the fruit of my hours

For I shall walk in the place of my Lord

And dwell in His house forever.