How to Pray for our Leaders

Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is The Lord

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
Psalm 33:12, 144:15.
When we sing "God Bless America," we are singing a blessing on this country. Can we ask God
to bless this nation in its present state of heart and soul?
We can pray for us to be a nation that is blessable by God. We can pray that God will do what
only He can do: change the hearts of kings (decision-makers in all areas of our economy and
government) to follow after Him and His word.
Let's pray this for the President and Vice-President.
Let's pray this for all those in authority: Cabinet members, Senators and Congressmen, Wall
Street, bank Presidents, oil company presidents, local officials, and candidates for office.
We need a revolution of blessedness in those in authority.

Pray these "blessed" descriptions of godly leaders.

Lord, give us men and women who...

Do not walk in counsel of ungodly. Psalm 1:1-2

Delight in the law of God and meditate on it. Psalm 112:1

Take refuge in the Lord. Psalm 34:8

Know that their transgressions are forgiven, sins are covered and not counted
against them, and in whom there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2

Are generous and lend freely. Psalm 37:26

Trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:4

Do not look to the proud, nor turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4

Have regard for the weak. Psalm 41:1

Come near to Him for praise and worship. Psalm 65:4

Walk in the presence of God. Psalm 84:4

Know that God is the source of their strength. Psalm 84:5,7

Who are going on with God. Psalm 84:5

Acclaim God, publicly praise Him. Psalm 89:15, 84:14

Receive the discipline of the Lord and learn from it. Psalm 94:12

Maintain justice and do what is right. Psalm 106:3

Recognize that their provision comes from God. Psalm 107:38

Fear the Lord. Psalm 112:1

Are the generation of the upright. Psalm 112:2.

Come in the name of the Lord. Psalm 118:26

Whose ways are blameless. Psalm 119:1

Walk in God's way. Psalm 119:1, Psalm 128:1

Keep His laws. Psalm 119:2

Seek Him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2

Treat children as blessed. Psalm 127:3,5

Whose help and hope is the God of Jacob. Psalm 146:5.

For the next week, bless the spirits of men and women of influence, in the political and economic
arena, to fit the profile of those who are blessed of the Lord.

How To Be Sure God Listens To Your Prayers

There are certain requirements we must fulfill in order to know God will listen to our prayers.
We must belong to God.
There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. 1
Timothy 2:5. Because Jesus is the mediator between us and God, we must give Him our
total allegiance.
Before I yielded the control of my life to Jesus Christ, I would pray, but was never sure if
God was listening or would answer. After I asked Him to be the Lord of my life, I had
confidence that God was hearing and answering my prayers.
We must pray to God the Father in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. Only the name of
Jesus Christ gives us credibility with the Father. Not our education, our wealth or poverty,
our church, our background or position . . . only Jesus Christ. Jesus said, If you ask
anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:14
Sometimes, I use my husbands name, or my church, or my work to gain credibility with
people. But only Jesus name gives us credibility with the Father.
We must have a clean heart.
Psalm 66:18 says, If I had known of any sin in my heart, the Lord would not have
listened to me.
It is very important to keep a clean heart before God. Someone said, I fess them as I

does them, I dont bunch them. Dont wait until you go to church, or a crisis arises in
your life to confess your sins to God. As soon as you become aware of an attitude or
action that is displeasing to God, admit that it is wrong and thank God for His
forgiveness. For additional reading on this subject, go to: "Spiritual Oxygen"
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/meditating/sw_oxygen.htm
1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
We must have a forgiving spirit.
In Mark 11:25, Jesus says, Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven my forgive your
transgressions.
This verse, Jesus makes it very clear that we cant carry anger, hatred or bitterness in our
hearts toward anyone if we expect God to forgive us and/or hear our prayers.
We must pray in faith
Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, And everything you shall ask in prayer, believing, you
shall receive.
The very fact that you are asking God for your needs, demonstrates your faith.
There are many times when God has answered my prayer as soon as I prayed. Other times I have
had to wait for them to be answered. Some of the requests have been on my prayer list for years
and I am still waiting. But I know that God will answer.
Father God, thank you that you delight to communicate with us. Cause us to fulfill Your
requirementsthen we will know that You will hear an answer our prayers. Amen
Note: Some of the content is taken from How to Pray. a booklet written by the late Dr. Bill
Bright

Talking to God!
Always keep on praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Our granddaughters, Mercedes (age five) and Tia (age three), were having dinner with us. They
were wiggly and giggly just before my husband prayed before the meal.
Settle down girls, I said,
Grandpa is going to talk to God.
Talk to God? asked Mercedes, her big, brown eyes wide open.
Grandpa is talking to God?
That was new concept to her. She knew how to pray but didnt realize that praying was
actually talking to God.
Vonette Bright, the co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, International, was the person who

first modeled spontaneous prayer for me, Always keep on praying. When we were driving
from one city to the next, during our conversation, she would suddenly start talking to God about
the subjects we were discussing. When we passed a car accident, she would begin praying for the
well being of the people in the cars involved in the accident. When she was packing her clothes
in garment bags, she would thank for Lord for His provisions.
It is very satisfying to pray spontaneously. For example, last week while my husband and I were
on vacation, we continually talked to God aloud while driving or hiking and at home (not as
often while playing golf!).
We prayed for our children and grandchildren, for our staff, about the subjects of our
conversation, for our friends and acquaintances, the state of the world, for unbelievers, new
believers and much more.
When someone asks you to pray for them, do it right then, either person to person, on the phone
or email. They will be blessed; you will be blessed. When the Lord brings names of people or
situations to mind, pray for them.
Always keep on praying. Prayer is talking to God - talk to Him.
Father, what a privilege it is to talk to You. You are always there, You are always listening. You
always hear us. You care! You like to talk to us. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Prayer - Walking and Talking with God

I have a memory. It is a clear memory that brings with it special thoughts and feelings. I have
always welcomed this memory it whenever it arrives. I am coming to see that the reason this
memory is so powerful is that God was beginning to teach me something that I will spend the
rest of my life plumbing the depths of!
As is Gods way, He began to appeal to me, draw me in winsome ways, giving me a glimpse into
this deep topic, the topic of prayer.
Me memory is this: I am a teenager. I have a good, dear friend with whom I walk. We walk to
school and back. We walk to youth events. We walk to each others homes. We walk a lot!
Because she is an alto and I a soprano and because our voices blend well, we do a lot of singing
as we walk. We lose ourselves in our singing. The song I remember best and that made a lasting
impression on me was: He walks with me and He talks with me.
We memorized the words and as we sang we walked in the garden with God at least I did I
never asked her if she did, because I was just a beginner in being influenced by the Holy Spirit
and it was a very private and new dynamic in my life. The words are written indelibly on my
heart and I can still find myself in the garden when I sing them to myself. As Jesus drew me to
want to walk and talk with Him, I was unaware that it would become a profound journey leading
to learning to know my heavenly Father and His gift of prayer.
Enjoy my memory with me as I write the words to this song.
I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses.
He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing

And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.

Id stay in the garden with Him though the night around me be falling
But He bids me go through that voice of woe; that voice to me is calling
And, He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
As I mentioned, this wonderful memory is only the tiny beginning of a lesson on prayer that God
has been teaching me. In the coming months, I will allow Him to share with you, through me,
some of the facets of prayer He has shown me, though I know this is such a profound topic we
are only scratching the surface. I am constantly amazed by the profoundly simple and simply
profound ways of God!!
Prayer Initiated by God
Isnt it wonderful that God has chosen a way to communicate with us that comes so easily?
Prayer is one of the most natural things to us as human beings. One of my greatest pleasures is to
find myself talking with God!
For years, though, when I thought of prayer, I saw it as an obligation; something that should be
diligently initiated by me if I was a good Christian. I will never forget the day that God decided it
was time for me to learn another true perspective on prayer. As with all revelations from God, the
insight changed my life and proved to be a critical step in my understanding of prayer.
Once again I was struggling with God! Over the years I had found myself having discussions or
arguments with God. It seemed to me that often God didnt get quite right how my path should
go! It didnt seem to make a difference that He had always proven right in the past, this time He
had definitely got it all wrong!!
I was in agony before the Lord and resentful of His absence and silence in the midst of the crisis.
Since I was afraid to give voice to my resentment it took me well over an hour before I dared to
make my complaint. Rocking back and forth in my easy chair, I simply mulled it over and felt
increasingly sorry for myself. Eventually, my complaints poured forth like a torrential river as I
listed my faithful efforts to address the circumstance. I was amazed to hear myself defend my
personal credits before God but once the dam had been broken there was no stopping the flow. It
was obvious to me that I had done my very best and God was unfeelingly absent!
I was amazed at something else. Why didnt God strike me dead for being so brutally honest and
for being so critical of Him?! To the contrary, as I wound down I had a growing sense of the
presence of Jesus. Not only was He near, He seemed to be kneeling beside my easy chair,
lovingly stroking my hand!
As my argument finally ran dry, I had the sense that Jesus had been graciously waiting for me to
finish! In response to my litany of personal faithfulness my heart heard Him say: Thats right,
Barbara, you did all those things and much more than you remember! BUT, do you know WHY
you did those things? The Spirit then opened my eyes to see my wonderful Father high and
lifted up, sovereign and loving.

He said, as I saw beautiful, white fluted columns rising to the heavens, These represent the
many prayers that you have prayed. Not one of them has fallen before Me and I am going to
answer above and beyond what you have thought to pray! He then informed me that the only
reason I had even thought of the prayers I had prayed was because I had glimpsed dimly what I
had seen in my Fathers heart!!!
As I absorbed this amazing fact, the words that came out of my mouth were, Thank You, Father,
for what you are going to do! My perspective had been changed forever and I became aware
that when I felt like praying it was because God had initiated that prayer. What a faith builder! I
was to learn more amazing perspectives.
Prayer Inspired by God
My journey in prayer seems, in one sense, such a long, slow one. I know, however, that I was
being led along at the pace that was best suited for me. Each nugget of revelation came when I
was most ready for it, growing in impact as time went by. It is in the looking back that I see the
steady walk with Jesus and the expanding ability that came to hear His voice. Truly, He was
instructing and teaching me in the way I should go!
I clearly remember the time a wonderful truth revealed itself to me. It is a truth that still thrills
me! Although it is linked to the perspective that God initiates prayer, it is a truth, a facet of
inspiring truth, that is distinct.
I have always felt a close affinity with David! His walk with God was so spontaneous, so loving
and trusting, so vulnerable, so appealing to me that I aspired to be like him. One day as I was
reading in 2 Samuel 7, once again thoroughly enjoying the conversation David was having with
His God, when my eyes popped open with an insight I had never had! David said in verse 27,
For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to your servant, saying, I will build
you a house. Therefore, your servant found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.
Immediately, as is wont with a revelation, scriptures previously read and partially digested flew
alongside this delicious morsel! ..without Me you can do nothing. ..we do not know what we
should pray for as we ought.. It registered with an almost physical impact GOD INSPIRES
PRAYER!! He not only desires to walk and talk with me, He not only initiates communication
with Him, He shows me when and what to pray!!!
Implications flooded my mind! There is a time to pray certain things! If God indicates it is
time to pray as He is revealing and leading, it means this is the best time to pray what He has put
on my heart what I have found there! I can claim no ownership of a good prayer. Again,
snippets of verses of scripture came to mind: All your righteousness is as filthy rags. There is
no one who is good except the Father. Every good gift and perfect gift comes down from the
Father of lights
Prayer would NEVER be the same for me. I saw that, while it could be simply and expression of
my own ideas if I chose, prayer was intended to be a transfer of Gods thoughts and plans into
my heart!
He wants me to share His heart!! He wants me to be a part of what He is doing!! Prayer is
intended to be at our Fathers impulse! At His inspiration!
I was so full of these thoughts, little did I know there would be much more.! These were

first baby steps! Foundational steps.!

Prayer and the Promises

God was very surely laying a foundation of understanding about prayer in my heart and each
stone laid was invaluable to building me into a house of prayer! As I was grasping the innate
qualities of prayer I saw it as both natural to me and supernatural from God! Gods heart is
always about bridging the gap between Himself and His creatures.
Jesus said, Ask, and ye shall receive. James said. You do not have because you do not ask
or ask amiss. We instinctively know that we can ask, dont we. And we know that we should not
ask amiss (selfishly). What we often dont know is that God simply wants us to want what He
wants!!
So He has supplied us with what we call His PROMISES!
It was not a big leap for me from seeing that God inspires prayer to realizing that He has given us
exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine
nature..! 2 Peter 1:4 But it was nevertheless a revelation.
God, as the Master Builder has given us literally hundreds of promises to be used as building
blocks in our lives as He perfects us. As He shines the light of revelation on these precious
stones we have the opportunity to co-operate with Him in the building process by agreeing with
Him that He fulfill His promises.
I remember a song from my youth:
Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring.
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God!
These promises are woven into His word and lie like treasures and pearls to be discovered
and desired by us! I began to realize that I was living like a pauper when God had already given
me all that He has! I needed to learn to stand on the promises by asking God to do what He
already wants to do! What He is waiting to do! However, while the promises seem to be there to
pick and choose from at random, this work of building me into a house of prayer is carefully
planned by my Father and it is vital for me to let Him be the architect and carpenter!
One of my most favorite promises is:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with My
eye. Psalm 32:8
I am His workmanship!
Prayer is Gods gracious provision and is initiated and inspired by Him! Also, my part in prayer
is to hear, see, believe and ask in order to appropriate the promises He shows me.
And, thats not all!!

The Joy of Prayer

(The mystery of thanksgiving)
I mentioned earlier my moment of truth wherein my eyes were opened to the mysteries of
prayer. I want to highlight now one of those mysteries that was revealed to me at that time the
important act of thanks-giving.
As I received the revelations that God initiates and inspires prayer, as I recognized that I was
actually praying what originated in Gods heart, as I realized that the implication that God
desired more than I the answers to those prayers, the immediate result was an exclamation from
my mouth: Thank You, Father, for what You are going to do!!
Giving thanks to God became of singular significance to me in my prayer life. Whenever I would
face a situation that seemed discouraging, difficult or even devastating the Spirit would remind
me of the power of thanksgiving. I would then change my prayer from, Please, God to
Thank You, Father, for what You are going to do! Instantly my outlook was changed to see the
problem as a possibility for God to act! Initially I saw this as a mystery because of its power to
transform my perspective and would identify it to others as putting on my rosy set of glasses. It
was almost magical!
Later, while studying the first chapter of Romans I was struck by how important thanksgiving is
to God. When I saw that lack of thanksgiving results in futile thinking and darkened hearts I
realized that thanksgiving isnt just a thoughtful thing we do when we feel like it. It is an attitude
God has designed us for and intends for us to choose! It is vital to a healthy relationship with our
Father! It is living in reality! It is choosing to believe that Gods promises and faithfulness are
more real than our circumstances.
For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are
eternal. 2 Cor. 4:18
It is a reasonable act!
Besides being the reasonable thing to express, thanksgiving is an expression of pure joy!
Burdensome and burdened prayers become out-pourings of faith, hope and love for our Father as
we give thanks for what He is doing in our circumstances. Prayer is a joyful act!
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter His courts with joy!!
I am so grateful for this revelation! The joy of prayer (prayer with thanks) is my privilege and
my responsibility. It has become one of my disciplines of prayer I will share more of these with
you next time..

The Disciplines of Prayer

(Practicing the privilege of prayer)
Over this series on prayer, I have attempted to capture and convey the essence of what God has
taught me about the amazing dynamic of prayer. Because prayer is essentially a conversation
with God, it will reach its pinnacle when we find ourselves in our heavenly home where our
faltering attempts to relate to God will be perfected. The glimpses of its potential will become an

unending landscape of possibility.

Whenever I begin to pray converse with God I am immediately reminded of the disciplines
(rules, if you will) that have brought me to the joy of prayer. As my husband and I were traveling
on the highway the other day I realized how thankful I am that there are lines on the highway. I
didnt have to wonder if the car next to us would know where to steer. Rules are guidelines
leading us to safety and order. Disciplines are pathways to fulfillment, hence the privilege of
prayer!
Here are the main disciplines my Father has taught me through His Holy Spirit that cause me to
pray effectively. I call them the principles of believing prayer.
Recognition of Gods will.
Contrary to my perception as a young Christian it is possible, even mandatory, to know the will
of God. Colossians 1:9 says:
be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Hebrews 12:2 says:
..be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
Obedience is required of us in our walk with God and He, as the perfect Father, will be sure to
make His will known to His children.
Relinquishment of our will.
Our most treasured possession is our own will. We want our own way instinctively and
persistently because of our fallen nature. So, in order to walk with God, we are required to
entrust ourselves the control of our lives to the Lover of our souls. In Romans 12:1 we read:
..present your bodies a living sacrifice .
Responding with faith - in Him.
As we choose to yield to God we are agreeing with Him that He is sovereign and the designer of
our walk with Him. Psalm 7-8 leads us in this act.
Behold I come; in the scroll of the Book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O
my God, and Your law is within my heart.
Psalm 139:16 declares
.. in Your Book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were
none of them.
Why would we not surrender to such love and care?!!
With these perspectives prayer becomes an ordered response to Gods active part in our lives. As
we consider our loving heavenly Father it becomes an easy, even reasonable sacrifice to give up
our wills and trust Him with all our hearts!! God only asks that we have faith in Him! As we
focus on Him He directs our hearts, our wills and our steps.
When we interact with someone we are very conscious of whom we are talking with and would
never consider blindly launching into a litany of our own ideas without consideration. As we
embark on prayer we must recognize Who He is before we begin our requests. In fact, as we
consider Him our prayers are affected and directed.

Practicing the disciplines of prayer becomes a privileged response to God.

I will close this series with the encouragement of the following scripture:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know how to pray as
we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be
uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He
makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Love your walk and talk with God!
What is Wrong with Society Today?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self control, against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22.23
Reading a local paper recently, I came across a Dear Abby column. I hadnt read one in years
didnt know the column still existed. She asked her readers what they thought was the main
problem in society today. In a nutshell, these were the responses she received.

Lack of personal responsibility

Greed. A Whats in it for me attitude.

Intolerance

Apathy

Breakdown of the family

Personal isolation

No respect, no discipline, no courtesy and no consideration of others.

These responses remind me of what the Bible (in the Message version) says in Galatians 5:19-21
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time:
repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional
garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion;
paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a
brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; smallminded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;
uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go
on.Galatians 5:19-21
Those verses explains it all so clearly. When we trying to get our own way, our society crumbles.
We are all sinners -- have a sinful nature and tend toward selfishness. There is only one solution.
A changed heart and that is why we need God. When we have the Holy Spirit within us,
controlling our lives, He will change us into other centered people. He produces in us:

love

joy

peace

kindness

goodness

gentleness

faithfulness and self-control.

What a relief to know that we can changethe Holy Spirit will change us from the inside.
The Bible tells us:
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away;
behold, new things have come. 2 Cor 5:17
One day the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the truth in Philippians 2:13,
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
God is changing me and He can change you-- He even helps us want to change.
I encourage you today, right now, to ask to God to take control of the throne of your life.
Together we can help change society. There is hope. People dont know that Jesus can change
them. We can tell them.

Pass it on
It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm to its glowing,
Thats how it is with Gods love, once youve experienced it:
You spread His love to every one; you want to pass it on.
Here is a prayer you can say:
Father, I ask you to take control of my life and change my heart. Make me the kind of
person that reflects the Spirit of Christ; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. I give my heart to you today and everyday from now
on. And then help me look for opportunities to share this good news with others. Amen.
Why Should We Pray?
Recently, I received an email with this question. Why is it important to pray?
Before I answered the question, I reminded the writer of the question that praying is a two-way
communication between God and His people. God speaks to us through His Word, through
impressions, nature and people. We talk to God out loud or in our mind.

There are many reasons to communicate with God.

To glorify God. Jesus said, Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13). The Father loves us and wants to bless us. We
ask, He will do, and the Father will be glorified (get the credit).
To obey Gods command. Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should talk
to God thousands of times a day about everything. Big problems, small problems, quick
prayers of thanksgiving, help me prayers or help them prayers.
Fellowship with God. The prayers of the upright are His delight. (Proverbs 15:8).
Revelation 3:20 tells us that if we open our heart to Him, He will come into our hearts
and have fellowship (we hang out with Him) with us. The Westminster catechism tells us
the chief end of man to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. God loves for us to talk to
Him.
We follow Christs example. There are so many references in the gospels of Jesus taking
time to pray. (Luke 5:16) says, But Jesus often slipped away to others places to be alone
so that He could pray. We are His followers and we too must make prayer a priority.
Prayer brings results. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
(James 5:16). I encourage you to take the time to think about the prayers that God has
answered. And also, make a goal to pray more.
Prayer is vital to Christian maturity. We will not grow in our faith, if we do not spend time
with God and His Word. We can go without food for a day or two without too much
effect but then we begin to get weak. In the same we way, we will get weak in our spirit if
we go without spending time with the Lord everyday. Prayer and the Word are food for
our souls.
Father, what a privilege it is to talk to You. How awesome to think that You actually love to hear
our prayers. Help us to spend more time talking to youabout everything. Amen.
Some of the content was taken from How to Pray, by Dr. Bill Bright.

Hearing His Voice

God uses a number of methods to communicate with us:

He speaks through His Word,

the Holy Spirit,

as well as through people and circumstances.

God has specific purposes for imparting His thoughts to us. Namely, He desires that we
comprehend His truth so that it can shape our life and so that we can share His good news with
others. But if God has a particular intention for communicating with us, we have to ask, what
happens when we fail to listen?

We can find the answer at the beginning of the Bible, in the account of Adam and Eve. We know
that God spoke very clearly to the fist man (Genesis 2:16-17), instructing him not to eat from the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This issue is that the first man and woman understood perfectly (Genesis 3:2-3) but did not obey.
Their disobedience marks the beginning of mans sin problem which has plagued the human race
throughout all history. Every person born thereafter with the single exception of the Lord Jesus
Christ - came into this world with a sinful nature originating from Adam. That means that you
and I have never met a perfect person. All sin, suffering, heartache, problems, war bloodshed and
violence can be traced back to its origin in the Garden of Eden.
Unfortunately, what occurred in the first family centuries ago has been happening in some form
with every family since. As with Adam and Eve, once we have received Gods instructions, we,
too, are accountable for what we have heard or read. We can avoid much heartache and trouble
by heeding the Lords communication; failure to listen results in severe repercussions.
By studying the account in Genesis 3, we can identify eight consequences of ignoring the Lords
instructions:
We End up Listening to the Wrong Voices (verses 1-2)
Eve had unmistakably heard God correctly. But, even having understood, she began to listen to
another voice. The serpent spoke and inserted a question mark into her recollection of the Lords
words: Indeed, has God said? The woman allowed herself to be drawn into conversation
with him. The voice she listened to was unfamiliar it was the voice of neither her Creator not
her husband, yet she paid attention and allowed it to supersede Gods clear instruction. As a
result, she fell into sin just like anyone today who stops listening to God and offers an ear to
Satan.
Consider how many voices we hear in a given day. What we read and hear continually bombards
our minds, hearts, souls and spirits. Between the television, the radio, the newspaper and
magazines not to mention the opinions of friends and coworkers we are barraged with vain,
erroneous, non-biblical, ungodly philosophy. And we have to choose whether or not to listen to
it. When we fail to heed Gods words or to continually remind ourselves of scriptural principles,
we begin to listen to wrong voices and then we drift away from God.
We are Easily Deceived (verse 4)
Notice how Satan takes what God says and distorts it. The Lord told Adam and Eve that if they
ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die (Genesis 2:17).
Satan uses just enough truth to sound credible, but then embellishes ever so slightly: You surely
will not die! It is Satans nature to lie and deceive, because there is not truth in himhe is a
liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
Satan deceives with what he knows will appeal, not the truth. He says, You need this, and you
ought to have that and this is exactly what you have been looking for. He probably said,
Now, Eve, you need to get the full picture: God does not want you to know what He knows,
because the day you eat of that trees fruit, you are going to be just like God. It so happens that
Eve did learn some things when she partook. How many of have learned some things we wish
we never knew?
We are Expressing Pride and Independence
The ultimate root of all sin is pride it is the equivalent of our saying that we know better than
God and can handle the situation our own way. This is in reality an act of rebellion, because it is

impossible to know better than an omniscient, all-wise God. His commands are not given to
make life dull; every single though shalt not in the Bible is an expression of His love and
protection for His children.
We Make Decisions that Appeal to the Flesh (verse 6)
Satan never tempts us by offering spiritual growth, improved prayer life or more effective ways
to share our faith. No, Satan always appeals to the flesh, not to the spirit. There is nothing wrong
with our God-given desires; but Satan takes these legitimate longings and, with our cooperation,
gets them out of balance. As he did with Eve, the Devil appeals to three yearnings we all have
human appetites, beauty and knowledge. The he twists them so that instead of simply desiring
and enjoying them, we begin to lust after them and be controlled by them. So what God gave in
freedom ends up enslaving us. By relying on the Holy Spirit, however, we can have the wisdom
and direction to keep yearnings within the parameters God designed for us.
We Excuse our Wrongs and Blame Other People (verses 12-13)
When God asked Adam why he was hiding, he immediately pointed the finger at Eve. In fact,
there is even a sense of his blaming God for having given him the woman! In turn, Eve blamed
the serpent. Neither one could rightly pass the blame because they both new the command and
were therefore responsible. Besides, the Devil cannot make a believer do anything; we may
consent to give in to his temptation, but we are ultimately accountable for that decision. People
today blame everyone from parents and coworkers to society itself. But we must recognize that
passing the buck does not solve anything and that we ourselves are responsible before God for
our choices and behaviour.
We Suffer the Consequences (verses 14-19)
All three parties involved had to face the results of their disobedience. Satan was sentenced to
eventual condemnation. God announced that woman would be ruled by man and would
experience pain in childbirth. He also declared that man would have to leave the garden and toil
laboriously to earn a living. Furthermore, humans would from here on experience death.
At this point, some people look at the penalties and see only harshness. However, what God did
amidst His justice amidst His judgment of their sin was to make a way for the man and
woman to be forgiven and cleansed. If he did not provide a remedy for the situation, mankind
would now be eternally and hopelessly separated from Him. So, the Lord God made garment
of skin. In the very first book of the Bible, we see not only the justice of God but also His grace,
doing for Adam and Eve what they absolutely could never have done for themselves. They
would not have known what to do, now would they have known how to do it.
And if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you are just as helpless as
Adam and Eve were. The only possible way your sins are going to be forgiven is for you to come
to the Cross, where Jesus Christ died. The covering of our sin is strictly by the grace of Almighty
God, and it is symbolized in the shedding of the blood and providing of the skins.
We Cause Others Around us to Suffer (verses 6, 17-19)
We have seen how sin and its resulting misery extended from the first woman to the first man
where she gave him the forbidden fruit. Anguish continued to spread as sin further poisoned their
family: the Bible records that Adam and Eves firstborn son Cain murdered his younger brother
Abel. So in the earths very first family, we witness murder, jealousy and strife. Down through
the centuries, Satan has in one way or another had his impact of discord, turmoil or bloodshed in
all families. Everyone is affected because sin is not something that we can isolate. In other

words, if you and I sin against God, we are going to hurt somebody else.
We Miss out on Gods Best
When God created Adam and Eve, He intended that they live in the Garden of Eden with all of
its absolute perfection. There, God had provided for their every possible need, and in addition,
they felt no guilt of shame (Genesis 2:25). Yet they chose to disobey, and as a result, the first
family suffered horrible consequences, including being cast out of their flawless environment.
The Good News
Although sin has spread to the entire human race, there is good news: You can be forgiven of
your sin. But there is only one way, and that is by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior. Keep Gods words and doctrines ever before you by frequently and regularly
spending time in the Bible, by participating in corporate worship, by building your knowledge
and applying it to your life, principle by principle. If you constantly refresh your heart and mind
with Gods truth, you will be able to resist the lure of competing voices.
Would you like to know Jesus personally? Why don't you pray the prayer below and ask
Jesus to be Lord of your life:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.
I open the door of my life to You and ask You to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take
control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me
the kind of person You want me to be.
Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours? If yes, pray now and according to his
promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.

Prayer Journey
Have you ever taken the time to evaluate your journey with God? Are you growing in your love
relationship with Him? You may be thinking, Can you really know if you are growing
spiritually?
Yes, there are ways you can evaluate your spiritual growth. One way is to think through your
prayer journey. Are you praying more? Because prayer is talking with God, ask yourself if your
communication with Him is getting better.
I encourage you to take the time to think through your prayer journey. The following are some of
the elements in my prayer journey that show me if I am growing spiritually:
Trust in His Promises
Am I trusting God and His promises more that I did twelve months ago?
Up to this time, you have not asked a single thing in my name; but now ask and keep on
asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full (John 16:25).
Ask Specifically
Am I asking for specific things, or do I pray generally? You will recognize when your prayers are
answered if you ask specifically.
For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him. And then helping you do

what He wants (Philippians 2:13).

Intercession
Am I praying for others on a regular basis?
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made
for everyone (1Timothy 2:1).
Cultivate a Quiet Heart
Do I have a quiet heart? Panic and peace cannot occupy the same place.
When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? (Job 34:29).
Resting, Trusting, Leaning
Do I trust and rest in God, or do I let circumstances determined my feelings?
But I have stilled and quieted my soul... (Psalm 131:2).
Thankfulness, Praise and Worship
A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most complete prayer. - Gotthold
Lessing
Spiritual Warfare
Do you dress yourself with the armor of God each day?
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities,
against the powers of the dark world and against the forces of evil in the heavenly
realms (Ephesians 5:12).
Pray Without Ceasing
Talk to God about everything.
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
The real reason for prayer is intimacy with our Father. - Oswald Chambers
Father, we know You want to have a close, growing relationship with us. Lord, we also want to
know You more. Deep within our souls we want to know You. Amen.
How to have a "Quiet Time"
What is aQuiet Time?
A Quiet Time is a daily personal appointment with God, during which we get away from
distractions and meet with God through prayer and Bible study. Through these disciplines God
talks to us and we talk to God.
Why is Connecting Daily with God through a Quiet Time so Important?
It reminds us that we belong to God.
Jesus said, I choose you! (John 15:16)
It creates room for God in our busy lives.
Be still and know that I the LORD, and wait patiently for him.
(Psalm 37:7)
It builds our relationship with God through regular communication.

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)
It helps give direction to our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
(Psalm 119: 105)
It enables to live deep and fulfilling lives.
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and
they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)
I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
What are some Practical Steps to do a Quiet Time?
Set some time aside during a day, or every day. Start with about 15 minutes and you work up
to 30 minutes and more for each day.
Pick a place that you want to go to be alone:

It doesnt matter where you go (a lake, bedroom, roof, park, etc.). The important
thing is that you get rid of all distractions. Get away from people, phones, the
internet, computers, anything that would detour your thoughts from God.

Get your Materials Together

A Bible in a modern version (NIV, NASB, NRSV)

A notebook and pen

A songbook, favorite worship tape/CDs & player

A reading plan such as Search the Scriptures (Inter-Varsity Press)

Follow a Simple Plan

Relax, Be Quiet before God ask God to settle your mind and heart and then to
become present with you! It is difficult to set aside all the voices in our lives that
compete for our attention. Here are some practical activities to help you.

Bring a pad of paper, and ask God to quickly bring to mind the important
tasks that need to be accomplished that day. Write them down and set the
pad of paper aside. This practice will allow you to release these concerns
knowing that you will return to them later.

Turn your mind toward God. Think about who he is, what he has done,
and your relationship with him. This intentional focusing on God begins
your quiet time.

Worship

Praise for who God is.

Thanksgiving for what God has done.

Adoration express to God your love for Him

Listen and/or sing a worship song or two to God.

Bible Read a section (eg. 6-12 verses), asking God to speak to you through the
Word.

Read slowly, repeatedly, aloud, asking yourself the following questions:

For what specifically can I offer praise to
God (Father/Jesus/the Holy Spirit)?
What do I see about what God has done for
which I can thank Him?
Is there any example for me to follow?
Is there any command for me to obey?
Is there any sin or error for me to forsake?
Is there any promise for me to claim?

Write down in your notebook anything you observe and learn from God in
the passage.

Pray Talk to God

About anything youve just read in the Bible.

About your requests for others (family, loved ones, Christian friends, nonChristian friends, family and colleagues, our church, government,
missions).

About what you need (confession and forgiveness of sin, Christlikeness,

daily filling of His Holy Spirit, work, finances, family, relationships,
witness).

These are just some guidelines, and not a strict formula you have to follow to get something out
of your quiet times. You can start with this model and move on to tweak it to mold into a model
that is the most beneficial for you.

The Supernatural Power of Praise

"With Jesus' help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the
glory of His name. Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for
such sacrifices are very pleasing to Him" (Hebrews 13:15,16)
Sometimes, in my busy schedule which takes me from country to country and continent to
continent, my body is weary, my mind is fatigued, and if I am not careful, my heart will grow
cold. I have learned to meditate on the many blessings of God and to praise Him as an act of the
will. As I do so, my heart begins to warm and I sense the presence of God.
The psalmist often catalogued the blessings of God and found new reason to praise Him. I would
like to share with you several reasons why I believe praise of God is so important in the life of

the believer.
First, God is truly worthy of praise. Second, praise draws us closer to God. Third, all who praise
God are blessed. Fourth, praise is contagious. Fifth, Satan's power is broken when we praise
God. Sixth, praise is a witness to carnal Christians and non-Christians. Seventh, praise opens our
hearts and minds to receive God's message. Eighth, praise is a form of sacrifice. Ninth, praise
makes for a more joyful life. Tenth, praise enhances human relationships. Eleventh, praise is a
supernatural expression of faith.
A further elaboration of the benefits and power of praise is found in my book Believing God for
the Impossible. An entire chapter is devoted to this exciting subject.
With the promise of His blessings, so clearly delineated by the psalmist, comes the privilege and
responsibility of offering up sacrifices of praise, and this leads to a supernatural life made
possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Bible Reading:
(Jeremiah 33:9-14)
Today's Action Point:
I will look deliberately today for reasons to praise my heavenly Father, knowing that I will find
many. Whether I feel like it or not, I will praise Him throughout the day, seek to do good and to
share His love with others, knowing that such sacrifices are pleasing to Him.
About the Author:
As the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, along with his wife, Vonette, Dr. Bright
established one of the most successful evangelistic movements in the world - resulting in more
than 4 billion exposures to the Gospel of Jesus Christ since 1951.
On July 19th, 2003 at the age of 81, Dr. Bill Bright went home to be with the Lord.

Eagerly Watch
In the morning, I lay requests before You and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:3).
One version of the Bible translates the phrase, wait in expectation as to eagerly watch or I
watch and wait. That verse took on a new meaning for me when Tabitha, one of our
granddaughters, was at our house for a sleep over. I used to have our grandchildren stay
overnight when my husband Marvin was travelling, but this time she insisted that she come when
Grandpa was home so he could take her fishing.
Tabitha was so excited that they were going fishing the next day. As I tucked her into bed we
talked about her day and discussed what we should pray about. We decided to pray for a sunny
day so they wouldnt have to fish in the rain.
The next morning, as soon as Tabitha awoke, she ran to the front door and opened it wide to see
if God had answered our prayer. She was eager and she was expectantly watching. She was
waiting to see what God had done.

I asked myself,
Katherine, when was the last time you were that anxious to see how God was going to
answer your prayer?
Children have great faith. I guess that is why Jesus said:
I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).
Lord, You expect us to teach our children and grandchildren, and yet often their childlike faith
puts us to shame. Enable us to have the faith of little children. Amen.

Fasting
He replied, This kind can come out only by prayer (and fasting) (Mark 9:29).
Prayer became more of a discipline in my life after I yielded the control of life to Jesus Christ
and began to walk in the Spirit. (Until then, I called to God in emergencies and before meals, but
prayer had not become a way of life.) Then the Bible became alive to me and I began to pray
specifically, trusting in and testing Gods promises. Many, many prayers were answered.
I also began to fast. Sometimes for three days, sometimes once a week, sometimes for 10 days or
two weeks. Sometimes it would be a complete fast - only water. Sometimes I would have juice.
At times I would give up eating certain foods, or television or even wearing makeup.
When our son was in his early 20s, we discovered he was addicted to alcohol. For a while he
alienated himself from us and from the rest of the family. We never saw him drunk - not once but others had and we loved him too much to let him destroy himself.
I love coffee and our children often joked that I was addicted to coffee. So I reasoned, If they
are right, my prayers for our son are phoney. So I decided, with Gods help, I would stop
drinking coffee until he quit drinking alcohol. And that is what I did. Giving up something I
really enjoyed so that perhaps God would deliver our son.
God answered. As a family, we decided to have an intervention. We all told him that we loved
him, but knew he was in deep trouble and wanted him to go to a treatment center to get help.
Before the intervention, my husband made the arrangements for his flight and stay at the
treatment center. His boss not only gave him a leave of absence, but helped pay for his treatment.
There was only one thing left - he had to agree to go.
Thankfully, he did agree to go and after six weeks at the center he came home and to our
knowledge has never had another drink. He was delivered from the addiction to alcohol and
today has become a great husband and father.
Sometimes we have to fast and pray to have our prayers answered. If God impresses you to do
so, let me encourage you to obey Him.
Father God, I sure dont understand the increased power that fasting brings to our intercession,
but I do know that You expected Your followers to fast. Please cause Your people to fast and pray
so Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you. Amen.

Hailing the Chief

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
This week, while going through my files, I came across a wonderful article about prayer. Very
moving. I had forgotten about it.
The author portrays God as the Commander and Chief and because of His many responsibilities,
He has countless phone calls to make, letters to sign and talks to prepare for. But He is really
looking forward to the meetings He has scheduled with people who are very important to him.
The executive assistant opens the door and shows the first person in. The woman, without even
acknowledging the Commander and Chief, sits down and recites a memorized prayer:
Thank you for the world so sweet, thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the birds
that sing, thank you sir, for everything. Goodbye.
Before the Chief could even respond, she got up and left the room.
The next person was a stout man in a business suit. He also ignores the Chief. This man began to
pray using long, religious sounding words and then, he too, left the room without acknowledging
the Chief.
There were several others - a woman who fell asleep while talking to the Chief, a young man
who was terribly disrespectful and an elderly man who recited a long list of prayer requests. All
of them ignored the Person they were talking to - they only wanted things from Him.
Then a little boy was ushered into the room. By then, the Chief was very discouraged. He had
looked forward to visiting with His guests, but they hadnt been visits, they were monologues.
However the little boy was different. He sat down politely, folded his hands and waited. The
Chief asked the boy,
Isnt there...something you want to tell me? Something you want to ask me, or say?
The little boy looked down for a moment, thinking. Then he looked up.
Yes, he said. I guess there is.
Well, what is it? the Chief asked.
Thank you for inviting me, the boy said. Thats all.
When the Chief heard that, he couldnt say anything for a while. All he could do was smile. But
then they talked and talked and talked for the longest, most wonderful time.
Our Father in heaven delights to have fellowship with us. Why is it that so often we are like the
first guests, just asking for things, and not like the little boy?
Father, thank You for reminding us that You really delight in us. You want us to enjoy You. Help
us to be like that little boy. Amen.
Pass It On!
"Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others" (2

Timothy 2:2)
When you were a kid did you ever play the game telephone? There would be a long line of
people - the first person would whisper a secret to the second, then the second to the third and on
down the line. Usually by the time the message got to the last person, it hardly resembled the
original secret.
The "pass it on" principle in 2 Timothy 2:2 was one I stood on for many years when the Lord
compelled me to begin a telephone prayer chain across Canada. We were going to pray for every
Member of Parliament in our nation. We called the provincial directors and they called the
municipal directors and they called the church coordinators and they called the prayer chain in
their churches.
God has gifted me with organizational abilities and on paper this strategy looked really good.
Then came D-day. We were going to test it to see if the prayer requests would come through
accurately from our home in Vancouver to the most Eastern part of Canada - Prince Edward
Island. I sure struggled before I made that first phone call, but was later elated when the prayer
coordinator from PEI called and read the prayer request to me and the words had not changed. It
had traveled all across Canada and hundreds of women had prayed. We used this telephone
prayer chain for over 15 years. Some of those prayer chains are still being used in churches
today.
I received a call this morning, almost 20 years after starting the prayer chains, asking me to pray
and pass on a prayer request to the next person on my list. I did. Later, I chuckled with my
husband. It was amazing to see how God was still using the prayer chain strategy I began so
many years later.
Goes to show that God's Word and promises stand the test of time.
Father, Your Word is true and powerful. Your Word never fails. Help us not get tired of "standing
on the promises." Amen.

Jesus and Prayer

INTRODUCTION
Some years ago, I read a book in which the author mentioned doing a study on Jesus and prayer.
I thought to myself, "Ive never done that. If I am a follower of Christ, I should know what He
says about prayer." So for the next five months, I read and reread the gospels to discover for
myself the prayer life of Jesus and what He says about prayer.
The following is the outline of what I learned. This is a Bible study on JESUS AND PRAYER
taken from the books Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Jesus Invites Us to Communicate with Him
A. Jesus says, "Come" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Remember when you were a child in elementary school and there was that certain someone you
really wanted to be friends with. Then one day they said to you, "Come, sit with me." And you
thought, "They like me!" Likewise, Jesus our friend invites us to come and sit with him.

Jesus says, "Listen" (Luke 10:38-42).

"Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; Gods voice is its most essential part. Listening to Gods
voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine."-Andrew Murray
"It is only when we know that we are powerless that we are prepared to listen to Jesus Christ and
to do what He says."-Oswald Chambers
B. We should come as children.
I watch my grandchildren and their relationship with my daughters and sons-in-law. The children
love to be with their parents. They are totally dependent upon their parents for their needs. They
have no inhibitions about asking for anything they want or need. When their parents are away for
a while, they are overjoyed to see them again. They trust them, have complete confidence in
them and are not afraid of them.
Matthew 18:3 (Luke 18:15-17; Mark 10:15).
"A child is never shy before his mother, and a child of God is conscious of his worthiness,
namely, his entire dependence."- Oswald Chambers.
C. Jesus is eager to listen and answer our requests.
Matthew 7:7-11
John 16:24b
Luke 18:7&8
In Christs teaching on prayer, our Lord never once referred to unanswered prayer. My four year
old granddaughter, Tabitha, prayed one night, "Dear God, please give us a good day tomorrow so
Grandpa and I dont have to fish in the rain." The next morning, as soon as she was awake, she
ran to the door, to see if God had answered her prayer. In our "adult" praying, we should be just
as eager to see if He has answered our prayers.
D. House of Prayer?
Matthew 21:13, (Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46)
You are the temple of God. Are you known as a person who prays? As a temple of God, are you
declaring His praises?
1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 (1 Peter 2:5 and 9).
The Prayer Habits of Jesus
"We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we
find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength." -Charles Stanley
A. Personal Prayer.
Alone with the Father.
Mark 1:35
Mark 6:46
His reason for spending time with the Father was to discover Gods will for His life.
Why do you pray?

John 8:26b,28 and 29

B. Public Prayer.
He publicly thanked God for food.
Mark 8:6,7 (John 6:11, 23; Mark 14:22)
Do you thank God for your food when you are in a restaurant?
He prayed publicly for the benefit of the people, that they would believe God.
John 11:41-43
C. In a Small Group.
Luke 11:1 and Luke 9:18
Initiating prayer in a small group (family, friends etc) provides opportunities to teach them how
to pray. Vonette Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International, says she learned
to pray in a group of college and career people. Their prayers and Gods answers to their prayers,
stimulated her to want to know God in a deeper way.
D. He prayed for his disciples.
The greatest gift we can give to others is our prayers.
Luke 22:32
John 17
John 14:16
When we pray for others the same qualities that Jesus prayed for, we know were praying in the
will of God.
E. He prayed for unbelievers.
Luke 23:34
F. He has power over sickness, death, weather and demons.
Mark 1:23-27
Mark 1:40-42
Mark 4:36-40
Mark 5:35-42
"Learn to worship God as the God who does wonders, who wishes to prove in you that He can
do something supernatural and divine." -Andrew Murray
Jesus Posture During Prayer
In my study of the gospels, I didnt find one reference where Jesus folded His hands or bowed
His head when He prayed. He had open and free communication with the Father. Most of the
time he looked up, not down.
A. Looking toward heaven.
Matthew 14:19
John 11:41
B. Sitting.
Mathew 26:26

C. Prostrate (lying face downwards).

Matthew 26:39
D. On the cross (when in deepest agony).
Matthew 27:46
E. Hands raised in a blessing
Luke 24:51
Do you practice using various positions when you pray? Wherever you are, lift up your eyes to
God. There is no need to be in a specific place to pray, such as a church. Pray wherever you are.
Jesus Commands Us To Pray
"The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the
chief thing. The great people of earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who
talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about
prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray." S.D. Gordon
A. That we wont yield to temptation.
We are told to pray that we wont yield to temptation, but it is evident that prayer helps us not to
fall into temptation. Mark 14:38 (Luke 22:40,46).
"God will never tell us to do something that gratifies the flesh." Charles Stanley
B. That during the end time, our flight would not occur on the Sabbath or winter, and that
we might escape.
Luke 21:36 (Matthew 24:20; Mark 13:18, 19).
C. For Gods Kingdom to come.
"Of course, Gods will must be the primary object of our prayers and we must recognize
prayer as an instrument of Gods will. Therefore, we pray that Gods will may be done
throughout the world and in intercessory prayer we bring people from around the world
into the presence of God." Dietrich Bonhofer
Matthew 6:10a
D. For Gods will on earth.
Matthew 6:10b
E. For our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11
F. For forgiveness of our sins.
Matthew 6:12
G. Guidance away from temptation; deliverance from the evil one.
Matthew 6:13
H. Laborers for the harvest.
Matthew 9: 37,38 (Luke 10:2).

"Pursuing prayer is prayer on a mission. It is diligent, fervent, constant, persevering, determined

and convinced."
Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray by
A. Recognizing where God is and who He is.
Matthew 6:9
"If Bible Christianity is to survive the present world upheaval, we shall need to have a fresh
revelation of the greatness and the beauty of Jesus He alone can raise our cold hearts to
rapture and restore again the art of true worship."
B. Yielding their personal wills to Gods; right heart attitude.
Matthew 6:10
C. Our daily needs.
Mathew 6:11
D. Focus on our attitude toward others.
Paul Billheimer in his book, Dont Waste Your Sorrows, suggests the measure we are able to
forgive those who wrong us is an indication to what extent agape love is being developed in us.
Matthew 6:12
E. Recognition of Gods power over the evil one.
"God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world, the better the world
will be, the mightier the forces against evil"
Jesus Principles of Prayer
"The point to remember is that all our circumstances are in the hands of God. The purpose of
prayer is to reveal the presence of God, equally present at all times and in every condition."Oswald Chambers
A. Have faith in God.
Mark 11:22-24
"It matters little what form of prayer we adopt or how many words we use. What matters is the
faith which lays hold on God, knowing that He knows our needs before we even ask Him. That is
what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty."
B. Ask and keep asking.
Luke 11:9-10.
C. Ask in Jesus name.
The company or organization you work for gives you status; your husband/wife gives you
acceptability; your family gives you credibility. But only Jesus name gives you access to the
Father.
John 14:13, 14
John 16:23b
D. Abide (remain) in Jesus.

John 15:7
E. Bear fruit.
John 15:16
"Prayer, for Jesus Christ, formed the brackets in which He accomplished His earthly work. It
fortified Him with wisdom and power before action occurred, and it renewed, refreshed, and
revived Him when His human strength was exhausted. On the front end He prayed for fruit, in
the middle He bore fruit, and afterwards, He thanked God for fruit."
F. Be Godly and do His will.
John 9:31
G. Forgive.
Mark 11:25
H. He judges hypocrites, but listens to a humble heart.
Luke 20:46,47
Luke 18:10-14
Matthew 6:5-7.
CONCLUSION
What did you learn from this study on JESUS AND PRAYER?
a.
b.
c.
How will your prayer life change as the result of this study?
a.
b.
c.
God bless you as prayer becomes an ever increasing priority in your life.

What Should be Included in Prayer?

When I was just getting excited about prayer, I would mainly ask God for things. I later learned
that while asking is to be part of our relationship with Him, there are other elements of prayer
that, as we grow in our relationship with the Lord we will want to begin including as well.
The Westminster Catechism asks the question, What is the chief end of man (kind)? and
answers, To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
So often I have treated God like an answer-to-prayer-dispenser rather than a Person with
whom I have an enjoyable love relationship.

Although communion with God is all about our hearts attitude, the following are four aspects of
prayer that make for a healthy conversation with God.
Adoration
To show adoration to God is to worship, praise, honor and exalt Him. In other words, respect
Him, be in awe of Him, and say wonderful things about Him. Psalm 103 and 145 are good
examples of adoring the Lord.
Confession
When we begin to acknowledge how great, perfect and awesome our God is, we cant help but
recognize our weaknesses and sins. Admitting and confessing our sins (1 John 1:9) and knowing
He has forgiven our past, present and future sin is vital to our prayer life. God is a Holy God, so
we need to come to Him with a clean heart. He would not have listened if I had not confessed
my sins (Psalm 66:18).
Thanksgiving
Giving thanks expresses our faith, and it is faith that pleases God. In Hebrews 6:11 we read,
And without faith it is impossible to please God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states, In all things
give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you. We dont necessarily give
thanks for the difficult circumstances, but give thanks for His total provision during good - and
painful ones.
Supplication
Asking seems to come naturally to children. As Gods children, we can freely talk to Him and
ask Him for anything. And like any caring parent, He will say, Yes to some of our requests,
No some of the time and at times, He will say, Wait.
You can remember this outline for prayer through the acronym ACTS - Adoration, Confession,
Thanksgiving and Supplication. Each component is a necessary for an effective prayer life. There
are also many other aspects of prayer, which I may write about another day, but if you are new to
praying, I encourage you to begin practicing these four elements when you pray.
Father, I am awed by fact that among the six billion people on earth, I am heard by You, and You
actually delight in my prayers. Thank You so much. Teach us how to pray. Amen.
Do You Pray Every Day?
If we are faithless (do not believe and are untrue to Him), He remains true (faithful to His Word
and righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:14).
Two little girls were playing dress up in their Grammas attic. They were playing pretend church.
The younger girl asked the other, Jane, do you pray every day? The knowledgeable older child
answered, No, of course not. Some days I dont need anything.
We laugh because we realize that prayer is much more than asking for our needs. But how often
do we go a whole day or at least part of a day without even greeting or acknowledging our
Master.
This negligence hit home to me when we were in Nigeria years ago. We had two wonderful
weeks of ministry. We would have to pray many times a day because there were so many
obstacles and God answered our prayers over and over again. We experienced so many miracles.

Then it was time to go home. Early in the morning we headed for the airport. After the usual
waiting period and checking and rechecking of our documents, we finally boarded and had an
uneventful trip to Lagos. We would be spending the day there before flying home.
It was almost noon when we checked into the hotel at Lagos and as I was standing in the hotel
lobby waiting for my husband when I realized with consternation that I had not even greeted my
Lord yet. Silently I talked to Him, apologized for my neglect. Thankful that even though I had
ignored Him, He was still with me and was waiting for me.
Later, I wondered how long we would tag along with a friend or relative if that person would not
even acknowledge our presence or talk to us?
How often do you talk to God?
Lord Jesus, I am so thankful that You are always faithful to us, that You are never rude, You
never ignore us or neglect us. I pray that Your Spirit would develop a longing within us for Your
companionship so that we would communicate with You moment by moment and that we would
treat You like we want to be treated. Amen
You Asked God for What?
You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have
abundant joy (John 1624)
We were in the new house and I was walking around inspecting it. I checked the stovetop and
realized that only one knob worked. The others were worn out. The past owner told me that
replacements were ordered and would arrive soon. Sure enough, in a few days, the new knobs
were delivered to the door.
I quickly slipped them on and turned them on. Not one of them worked. The shaft on the new
knobs were to long. I called appliance repair shops, told them the kind I needed and gave them
the model number. A week later they called. The knobs were in and I could pick them up.
At the store I looked at the knobs and to my dismay, I noticed they were exactly the same as the
ones I had just tried - the ones that didnt work. When I told the supplier, he told me I must be
wrong, of course they worked. I assured him I was not mistaken and I had to leave them there.
But I still had the problem. I couldnt cook with only one knob for my stovetop. I had nowhere to
go but God.
Lord, I prayed, what can I do to make these knobs turn?
Immediately I had the answer. Insert a short piece of plastic into the knob shaft to fill in the shaft.
I tried it and within minutes all the knobs worked. I was so pleased.
We can pray about everything. God cares! He hears and is able to do a lot more than we could
ever imagine. And we will be filled with joy.
Do you have a problem? Tell God about it. Nothing is impossible with Him.
Father, I thank You for caring about all our problems. Thank You for hearing and answering our
prayers. Amen.

Praying With Confidence

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).
How do you pray with confidence? How do you know if God will answer your prayers? Four
key words answer this question:
Abide
Abiding is the key to successful praying. In John 15:7, Jesus states,
If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be
done for you.
Colossians 3:16 says,
Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.
Abiding means you want to stay as close to Christ as possible.
Ask
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7-8,
Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
to you. For every one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks
it shall be opened.
We can ask God for anything and He listens - He will answer. Ask specifically!
Someone has said when we get to heaven well find a lot of unopened gift packages with our
name on them because we did not claim them through prayer.
Believe
In Matthew 21:22 we read,
Everything you ask in prayer, believing you shall receive.
Faith, which is an attitude of believing, pleases God. With Him, all things are possible. Remind
yourself of this verse when you pray.
Receive
If you are abiding in Christ and you have asked and believe, get ready to receive the answer. In
other words, when you pray for rain, carry an umbrella. John 16:24 says,
Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
Remember these four words to pray with confidence:

abide,

ask

believe

receive

Father, teach us to pray with confidence. To abide in Jesus, to ask, to believe You will answer
our prayers and to be ready to receive Your answers. Amen.

Praying for Children

Praying For Children
Lord, I prayed for this child, and You have granted me
what I asked of You. 1 Samuel 1:27
The assignment to pray for our children is absolutely essential to raise up a generation that will
withstand the enemys attack upon them (Gen. 22:17, Psa. 12 7:5).
These Scripture-based prayers are dedicated to this most important responsibility and privilege of
a parent or grandparent.
Lord, what do You want for my children?
Guide me by Your Spirit as I pray for my children according to Your will. I release them
to You so that You can accomplish Your will for their lives. I will not try to live my life
over through them. Keep me from binding them by my needs, wants, and ambitions for
them. Get me out of Your way, so that You can work the life of Christ in them and give
them Your best. Give me the grace to wait on You, for Your timing is perfect.
I pray that my children would:
Receive and love Jesus as their Savior I pray that my children will understand that You
loved them so much that You gave Your only Son for them, and that because they believe
in Him, they will have life forever with You. John 3:16
Commit their lives to make Jesus Lord and be filled with Your Spirit I pray that my
children will recognize that Jesus is the Name above all names and will confess Him as
Lord of all. I pray that they will trust Him with all their hearts, not lean on their own
understanding, and acknowledge He is Lord in everything; thus, You will guide them in
Your best way for them. May they be filled with Your Holy Spirit to the fullness of
Christ. Phi. 2:9-11, Pro. 3:5-6, Eph. 5:18, 1:23, 4:13
Know the true and living God intimately and cherish and apply all Your names I pray
that my children will desire to truly know You, Father. May they love You, know You
intimately, powerfully apply Your names, and rely on the character they represent in all
their needs. Dan. 11:32b, Phi. 3:10, Psa. 9.10
Learn to pray and praise I pray that my children will learn to communicate with You,
their loving Father. Put Your praise in their hearts and on their lips continually. Lead them
to be entirely dependent on You for everything, so they talk with You about all things and
give You the honor and glory that You deserve. Mark 10:14-15, Mat. 21:16, Phi. 4:6
Know who they are in Christ I pray that my children will know how precious they are to
You. Teach them to base their identity and security on Christ. Give them Christ-centered
confidence and Christ-centered worth. Give them Your mind about how You see them and
how You feel about them. As Your creations, help them to fully know who they are and
what they have in Christ and what they can do through Him. Eph. 1:4, 7, 11-14, Col.1:27
Be protected from the evil one by the blood of Jesus Protect my children by the
covering blood of Jesus. I pray that my children will know the power of the blood to

defeat all the works of the evil one. By the blood of Jesus, bind the enemy from
interfering with Your perfect purposes in their lives. John 17:15, 1 John 4:4
Receive the love of God the Father I pray that my children will know Your Father-heart
and have the assurance of Your great love. Let them know by experience how
extravagantly and unconditionally You love them. Father them with Your holy love, so
that they know without doubt that You are always working in their lives in Your love. 1
John 3:1
Love the word of God I pray that my children will treasure Your word more than wealth.
Teach them to love Your word and base their lives on it as their standard of life. Give
them understanding as they humbly seek You in Your word. Teach them to plead Your
unbreakable promises and to defeat all the lies of the enemy with Your truth revealed in
Your word. Psa. 119:127-130, 159-1 62
Learn to hate sin and love holiness, righteousness, and the fear of the Lord I pray that
You will write Your word on the hearts of my children, so that they will choose the
obedience of hating sin and loving Your holiness. Work in their lives the holy fear of You
and the righteousness ofJesus. Help them not tojust keep a set of rules, but to desire to
please You in all they do. Create in them a pure heart. Make them wise in what is good
and innocent in what is evil. Move in them to dedicate their lives to You as living
sacrifices. Psa. 119:9,11; 2 Tim. 2:22, Rom. 16:19b, Pro. 8:13
Grow up into maturity in the Lord I pray that my children will be built solidly on the
foundation of Jesus and grow in Your grace with a conscious sense of Your presence
conforming them to be like You. May they continue to be built up with Your wisdom,
favor, truth, love, life, faith, strength, and thankfulness. Luke 2:52, Eph. 4:15,Col. 2:6-7
Glorify God in their bodies as Your temple I pray that my children will honor You by
keeping their bodies pure because they are the temple of Your Spirit. Teach them the great
price You paid in the death of Jesus for their holiness. 1 Cor. 6:19- 20, Rom. 12:1-2
Respect those in authority I pray that my children will submit to the authorities You
have placed over them as to You. Let them understand that You have established loving,
wise covering for their good through parents and others in authority. Cause them to obey
and not reserve for themselves the right to choose whether to obey, which You call
rebellion. Give them a joyful, grateful heart as they submit to Your ordained authorities.
Rom. 13.], Eph. 6:1, 3.22-25
Have healthy, edifying, satisfying, wise friendships I pray that my children will develop
friendships based on the drawing of Your Holy Spirit to righteous companions. Give them
friends who are true, wholesome, and mutually encouraging. Give them wisdom in
choosing relationships that will honor You. Psa. 119:63, John 15:13-14
Prayer Portions ~ 1991, 1992, 1995, Sylvia Gunter, P.O. Box 380333, Birmingham, AL
35238 USA. All Rights Reserved. 288
Know the truth and renew their minds in Gods Word I pray that my children will
know Your truth in their hearts as well as their heads. May they base their life on Your
truth instead of Satans lies, so that they will experience all the freedom that Jesus died to
give them. I pray that they will daily renew their minds in Your word and set their
thoughts on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of
praise. John 8.32, Rom. 12:2, Phi. 4:8

Walk wisely in the ways and wisdom of God I pray that my children will be delighted
with Your ways and Your wisdom, that they will commit everything they do to You and
trust You to show them the blessings of obedience. Teach them to not trust in themselves,
but to put You first in everything. Let their actions reflect the light of Your goodness,
righteousness, truth, and wisdom in all they do. Day by day fulfill all Your will for them.
Psa. 37:4-6, Pro. 3.5-6, Eph. 5:8-10, 15-17
Have the joy of the Lord I pray that You alone will be the joy of my children. Fill them
with Your joy inside, so they wont pursue the worlds pleasures. Phi. 4:4, Neh. 8:10
Seek to please God, not self, and serve others I pray that my children will desire to
please You in their thoughts and actions and not be peoplepleasers. May they have
servants hearts and give to others like Jesus who did not seek to be served. Mat. 4:lOb,
Psa. 19:14, Mark 10:43-45
Learn who the enemy is and resist him victoriously I pray that my children will humbly
submit to God and resist the devil, thereby defeating him. May they discern the evil ones
tactics and not entertain his lies in their thoughts nor be entrapped by his snares. I pray
that they will receive Your strength and resurrection power for every spiritual battle. 2
Cor. 2:11, Jam. 4~ 7, Eph. 6.10
Maintain their first-love devotion to Jesus I pray that Jesus will be the first love of my
children. Give them a passion for Jesus. Cause them to love Him with all their heart, soul,
strength, and mind. I pray that they will prize His affection above all else. Phi. 3.13-14,
Luke 10.27
Find the godly life partner that God is preparing, a mate who will complement them in
their obedient walk with the Lord I pray that in Your timing You will bring my
children the life partners You have chosen for them. I trust that You are developing the
character of Jesus in them. May their walk together with You be an undeniable testimony
that You made them for each other. Make them a mighty witness for You. Bless them with
Your best. Pro. 12:4, 31:10; Psa. 112:1-2
Call to Prayer
I urge you, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for
everyone - for kings and all those in authority (1 Timothy 1:2)
A few months before Dr. Bill Bright went home to be with the Lord, Marvin and I talked with
him by phone. The doctor had given him only months to live because of a deteriorating lung
condition. Even though he was bedridden and on oxygen all the time, he was rejoicing in the
Lord and still was working on 15 projects.
He told us how God spoke to him in a dream. In the dream, God showed him the growing
number of bedridden and/or handicapped seniors who could be using this last season of their
lives for the most powerful ministry of all - intercession. They could be interceding for their
families, their church, their country and the world. God asked him to share this dream with all
bedridden and handicapped seniors.
My brother Frank became totally handicapped as the result of Lou Gehrigs disease. Near the end

of his life he could only communicate by blinking his eyes. But as he grew physically weaker, he
became spiritually stronger and his ministry became intercession.
God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the
world will be, the mightier the forces against evil. - EM Bounds
Would you help Bill Bright fulfill the dream God gave him by recruiting seniors to intercede for
the world?
Father, the Bible says that first of all we are to pray. I ask that You would raise up millions of
seniors who, in their retirement years, would make intercession their ministry. Amen
Pray, Then Decide
They did not inquire of the Lord (Joshua 9:14).
While reading through the book of Joshua, I read a verse that I have been reflecting on many
times since then. The Israelites had entered the land of milk and honey and had destroyed several
cities with all their inhabitants. The kings surrounding them were very frightened and met to plan
a strategy against the Israelites.
One group of people, called the Gibeonites, decided to deceive the Israelites by pretending to be
from a distant land. They asked Joshua to make a treaty with them - offering to be Israels
servants rather than be killed. It sounded like a very good offer. The Israelites fell for it and
signed the treaty.
The key verse that impressed me was, They did not inquire of the Lord (Joshua 9:14). If they
had asked the Lord for direction before they made the decision, they would not have been
deceived. But they choose to rely on their own wisdom instead.
Because they did not inquire of the Lord, they unwittingly broke a very important command
that God had given them: to kill all the ungodly people in the land they had conquered so their
people would not be infiltrated by the ungodly thinking and living of people who worshiped
idols.
With the passing of time, as they married and inter-married, the Israelites began worshiping the
gods of the Gibeonites. They drifted from their love and obedience to their God (the only true
God). The grandchildren of this generation no longer followed the true God all because their fore
fathers did not inquire of the Lord. One bad decision can greatly affect many generations
thereafter.
Father, please remind us to check with You