Monthly Archives: October 2016

Prayer Thoughts 10/31/2016

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Romans 15:4-6 (NASB)
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul encourages the Romans to persevere. It is a call to prayer – calling us to be of one accord with all who are in Christ Jesus.

I have to admit that my mind wanders when I am trying to concentrate on prayer. I find that after a period of time, I am thinking about things unrelated.

In Fenelon’s book, “A Guide to True Peace”, he speaks of the wanderings of the imagination during prayer. He suggests that it is permitted by God in order to “prove our faith, exercise our patience, and know just how little we can perform by ourselves. It teaches us to depend on God alone as we faithfully persevere to a point where that inward silence comes with little difficulty, creating times that are sweet, easy, and delightful.”

One way to persevere in prayer is to pray out loud. When we are praying this way, it is very difficult for our minds to wander as we concentrate on communicating with our Father.

Join us this Tuesday at 7pm as we pray with perseverance, praying in one accord with our fellow believers, to the glory of God the Father.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Prayer Thoughts 10/24/2016

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Matthew 11:27 (NASB)
27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

What an amazing gift we have received from Jesus. It is only through Him that we are able to know God the Father.

Thinking about that gift brings me into a state of repentance, knowing full well the poverty of my love for Him. How often do I behave without love for God; and replace that love by chasing after unworthy causes, money, security, comfort, ease, power and influence. Jesus forgive me. Give me the gift of love for others; not just love given for love received, but love even for the unlovely.

Grant me the spiritual perception and faith, having asked to change my love for others, to reach out and accept your good gifts and answers to prayer.

I ask in the name of Jesus, who alone can give me the grace to act.

Come to the prayer meeting this Tuesday at 7pm. Come to prayer with a repentant heart and receive God’s gifts. He is waiting for us to ask.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Prayer Thoughts 10/18/2016

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John 15:7-11 (NASB)
7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

In John 15:7, Jesus speaks about the important link between the Bible and prayer. If we are to have a fulfilled prayer life, we must drink deeply from God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah understood that well.

Jeremiah 15:16 (NASB)
16 Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

If we feed on His word, God promises joy and delight. True joy that can come only from God. With that promise in mind, there should be no reason why we don’t just run to the Bible each day.

Our prayer life can then be the joy that Jesus meant it to be for all of us.

Come to prayer this Tuesday. Jesus is waiting to bring you joy.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Prayer meeting 10/11/2016

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These are troubling times. We have threats from many sides. Our country is preparing to go through another election of our President. What does the Bible have to say? How should we approach our prayer time?

God was very clear through the prophets…

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
4 Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)
7 “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

Jeremiah 17:14 (NLT)
14 O LORD, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!

Jesus taught us how we should pray…

Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)
9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Prayer Thoughts 10/10/2016

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Isaiah 50:11 (TLB)
11 But see here, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves from your own fires and not from God’s; you will live among sorrows.

Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Even for His children, we struggle in this broken world to make a name for ourselves rather than exalting His name above all. I know I do. Even in the ministries that we are called to serve Him, we can catch ourselves caring about what others think of us rather than completely focusing on exalting Him.

Fenelon said this way in his book, “A Guide to True Peace: Or a Method of Attaining to Inward and Spiritual Prayer”.

“Let us therefore no longer fear to commit ourselves wholly to God. What risk do we run, in depending solely on Him! Ah! He will not deceive us, unless by bestowing an abundance beyond our highest hopes; but those who expect all from themselves, will inevitably be deceived.”

I find that if I neglect prayer, especially the kind that earnestly calls on God to change me into His image, I revert back to trying to live in my own light.

Praises to God for His Holy Spirit that continues to work in our lives, sanctifying us a little more each day as we learn to trust Him more and more.

Do you also struggle trying to live in your own light? Then join us on Tuesday as we pray to God to change us.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Prayer Thoughts 10/3/2016

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1 Corinthians 13:11-13 (NLT)
11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

I am re-reading the prayer book of Peter Marshall. The prayer images that he shares often take my breath away. This week I read the following excerpts:

“Pray for the soul tonic of prayer that will reburnish my faith, brighten my hope, revive and rekindle my love.”

He also prayed for: “a daring faith and humble trust, living with a sense of adventure.”

To think of prayer as a tonic for the soul makes it something that is desired rather than the often drudgery that we can make it. To pray that our faith would be daring along with a humble trust, makes living for the kingdom of God an adventure that is worth pursuing.

Do you dare? Come join the adventure as we gather this Tuesday at 7pm to pray to our magnificent God.

Always praying for the glory of God,