Prayer is a privilege because we can enter the throne room of God at any time to receive help.
- Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Go boldly!
- James 5:13-18 gives us many reasons to pray.
o Vs. 13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let her pray.”
o Vs. 14 -15 “Is anyone among you sick? Let her call for the elders of the church and let them pray over her, anointing her with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise her up.”
o Vs. 16 – “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
o Vs. 16 – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous woman avails much.” (is powerful and effective).
o Vs. 17-18 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
o In each case there was power in prayer. - James 4:2-3 “…Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Women, we need to ask. Don’t be afraid to ask. God does hear us.
- I Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.” Pray at all times for all things without giving up. Whatever you do – pray!
Prayer is a Responsibility also. “Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.” (John D. Rockafeller). It is our reasonable response to the circumstances of life. Its our responsibility because we have the right to enter the throne room. We have the voice. We see the need (opportunity). We know the solution(possession) is in God so we must respond in prayer. While we sometimes respond with fretting, worrying, gossiping, arguing, fuming, etc. The only response that will produce the results God desires is prayer.
- In prayer we align ourselves with the will of God and the power and resources of heaven. Matthew 26:39
- In prayer we focus not on the problem but on the solution. Psalm 121
- In prayer we focus on the character and attributes of God instead of the enemy. Who He is – I AM! Psalm 46
- In prayer our motivations and attitudes are exposed and cleansed. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me oh God…”
- In prayer we are transformed. 2 Corinthians 3:18 “being transformed…from glory to glory.”
- In prayer we relinquish control to the all wise God. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
- In prayer we are renewed with strength as the eagle. Isaiah 40:31
Women, we are never more powerful than when humbled or surrendered in prayer. Prayer is a powerful force, let’s use it to allow God to perform His good pleasure in and through us for His glory.
4 comments:
Angela,
You wrote this beautifully. I am trying to pray more; but I must admit, it does not flow easily from me unless I am singing. (And I realize, this is not the same thing). I can't seem to find the right words, I get jumbled up. I hear you and others pray and it is so naturally flowing and anointing. I am still at the beginner level! Any suggestions for me?
Lead me in prayer,
Lisa
Lisa,
My first suggestion would be to not compare your ability to pray with anyone elses. It's good to be motivated by someone's example.I've been praying since the age of seven -- that's a lot of experience, knowledge, practice and skill. Cut yourself a break.
Second, start where you are. You don't have to "flow easily." Prayer is simply communicating with God. You can pause to think about what you want to say. It's like a conversation so you speak and then listen.
Third, keep it simple. You don't have to use specific words. Use your own vocabulary.
Fourth, some simple elements of prayer are: Praise and thanks, Confession, pray for others and then self, close with praise and thanks again. Sometimes I don't do things in a certain order -- that's okay. No one is grading your prayer. God's just glad to be with His child.
Fifth, Read the Word. Many times what I am reading prompts me to pray about something or for someone.
sixth, Read the Psalms to stretch your praise vocabulary.
Seventh, read the Epistles to help you know how to pray specifically about others and yourself. I use many phrases from the Word in my prayers. Praying the Word is powerful because you know you are praying according to God's will and He will hear you.
Eighth, keep praying. don't put yourself in a preconveived box of how it should be.
Remember, you are a beginner so be easy on yourself. Start slow and steady. Don't be like the hare who ran fast and ran out of energy while the turtle slowly passed him on his steady pace. This is not a race; its a journey that is taken one step at a time.
Prayer:
"Lord, thank you that I can talk to you right now. Your Word says that you hear me, so here it goes.
Thank you for loving me enough to die for me. Thank you for protecting me. I praise you for
Who you are and what you have done in my life.
Forgive me for my sins. (name any you remember). Help me to learn to choose to live in your power and not my weakness.
My sister is really discouraged and needs to know how much you love her. Can you send someone to encourage her?
I could really use a raise, help me to have the courage to ask for it. Give me favor with my boss.
You know my unsaved co-worker, Keith? Help me to be take advantage of opportunities to share your love with him. He really needs you. Help him to realize it.
Lord, I have no idea who should be our next President, could you help us all to sort through all the hype and spin to the facts and know Your will? Please protect our soldiers in Irag and around the world, keep them safe.
Thanks again for your blessings --especially the rain we got today, we really needed that.
Be with me today and make me a blessing to others. Amen.
Dear Lisa and Angela,
Thanks for sharing your comments. There are so many people feeling just like you Lisa. It is okay, you have to start somewhere right? The important thing is you are starting!
Kudos to you Lisa and to all the rest of you that feel like Lisa...just start somewhere. Angela the encouragement and instruction you gave was right on! Thanks
Lisa,
I know you like to write just as another Lisa I know. Another technique you might want to try is something beginning writers do. Put you pen to paper and just write. Write a prayer to God. Don't edit your thoughts but let them flow for five minutes. Don't worry about grammar, punctuation or that someone else may read it. Just pray through your writing. You may be surprised how easy it is to talk to God when you do this. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
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