Day 1. (5/27/09)
Goals for the Summer (as far as prayer goes)
1. Have specific times set to pray for certain things. i.e. Mondays-school, Tuesdays-unsaved friends and family, etc.
2. See God work in astounding ways with my eyes opened because of faithful, fervent prayers.
3. Learn to pray from my heart, where it flows naturally, and it doesn't become vain repetition.
4. Get so used to talking to God that it becomes by default setting, the first thing that I do in every situation, my first life of defense, not my last resort.
5. Have alone time conversing with God every day. Faithful praying, with heart behind it, out of my own volition.
Day 2. (5/28/09)
It's so easy to pray vain, vague prayers to God. Be specific with God. Be real with Him. Ruthie, do you remember two summers ago when you wanted to be that girl who had full-on conversations with God and had inside jokes with Him? Ask God to help you love your unsaved friends, to be a light. Don't give up. Stay faithful--persistent and consistent. Miss a day? Talk to Him tomorrow--He's still your God. God would much rather have my honest complaints than my absence. Bring everything to God in prayer.
Day 3. (5/29/09)
Prayed with my prayer buddies, Heather and Toni.
Day 4. (6/1/09)
"If I talk to my girlfriend like 5 minutes a day, what kind of relationship would we have? How about the relationship between God and me if I talked to God that little?"-Josh.
- Are we commanded to pray?
-Luke 18:1 "men ought to always pray"
-James 4:2 "ye have not because ye ask not"- who am I to ask so little of God?
- Prayer brings JOY.
-John 16:24 "that your joy may be full" - Prayer delivers us from troubles.
-Psalm 34:6 "man cried...saved [from] troubles" - Prayer lets God's wisdom be shown to us.
-James 1:5 "lack wisdom...ask of God" - Prayer is a channel of power.
-Jeremiah 33:3 "show you great and mighty things"
-1 Samuel 12:13-14
Does God answer prayer?
-Yes, beyond our expectations.
-Luke 18:7-sometimes with <u>delay
-2 Corinthians 12:8-sometimes differently
-Isaiah 65:24-sometimes immediately
-If we ask amiss, we do not receive! James 4:3
I want faith to pray, faith to move mountains. How do I get faith to do that? "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. " Romans 10:17
Day 5. (6/2/09)
I'm sitting out on the lanai of the FLC just journaling...and I read a couple chapters from my Bible. Good stuff. I'm realizing that God is growing me in big ways. I don't remember a time in my life like the one I'm in right now where I've had frequent, extensive quality alone time with God like I have been. It's good. My relationship with my Father should mean the most to me. All I really want to do is know my Jesus and fall more and more in love with Him. His love is abundant, His grace is sufficient, and His goodness is overflowing. God is the strength of my heart.
Model Way to Pray
- Praise and Worship God and Truth
- Confess my sins; turn away from my wilful sin and to following the Gospel
- Give thanks
- Let your requests be made known
-without works is dead
-needed to please God (Hebrews 11:6)
-I want faith to pray. I want faith to move mountains. No, I want even greater faith.
Prayers cannot be answered:
-when it tries to change God's decrees (Deut 3:23)
-avoiding chastisement (2 Sam 12:16)
-prompted by selfish motives (Matt 5:6; James 4:23)
-meaningless and repetitious (Matt 6:7)
My precious Redeemer, why are You so good to me? Father, I love You. I want my life to glow with the illuminating presence of Your glory. You are my King, and today, I bow my knee and long to worship You just like You deserve. My heart is so full of thankfulness. You are more than enough for me. I cannot even begin to scratch the surface of Your love for me. I long to know You as You are. This is me right now: I am just so thankful for God's love for me. There's this overabundant sense of peace in me. All I want to do is just sit in His presence all day just thinking about what God is doing in my life. Beneath the peace, there's a continuous flow of joy. I'm doing ok. I don't really feel like myself. I don't know what to tell people when they ask me why I've seemed kind of out of it. I just feel pressured to "be happy." That's not fair. I don't think it should matter what people think. I am who I am, who God made me to be. I am basking in the light of His glory, completely satisfied in Him. Therefore, it really shouldn't matter what people think. :)
Day 6. (6/3/09)
- Prayers can't be answered when ctd
-without first confessing consciously known sin (1 John 1:8-10)
-disregards the known will of God (1 Samuel 8:9-10)
-without honor for your wife (1 Peter 3:7) - Praying positions
-Any position! (deep stuff.)
-Examples from the Bible- lifting hands
- bowed knees
- face on the ground
- face to Heaven
- When to pray
-continuously (1 Thess. 5:17)
-night and day
-all night
-before bed - Kinds of prayers
-confession
-intercession
-needs
-praise and worship
-thanksgiving
-there are more... - How to pray. (see day 5)
Day 7. (6/4/09)
Keys to effective prayer
-Set aside a specific time to pray
-Ask God to give me a desperate longing to know Him
God answers prayer if:
- I've confessed sins
- according to His will
- doesn't change His decrees
- offered in faith
- abide in Him and Him in me
- I've forgiven others
- I delight in Him and do what pleases Him
- in reverent submission
- ask in Jesus' name
- glorifies the Father
- I keep His Word
- I ask in humility
-Luke 18:9-14 "for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
-The Pharisee's prayer showed no reflection of God and who He is or any of His attributes.
What is my motive for prayer?
Does God hear prayers of an unrepentant sinner?
-1 Peter 3:12
-Isaiah 59:1
-Psalm 66:18
-John 9:31
Can I really pray this??
-Psalm 26:2
-Psalm 139:23-24
-Isaiah 41:8-10, 11b
-Come to God with a pure heart
Lord, You know my heart. You know that I desire to love and serve You with all that I am. Thank You that You are my God , that You are the Maker of the Universe and the Orchestrator of all that happens in it. I am so in awe of Your works. Your ways are far beyond anything I could ever think up. Your wisdom is too good for me. Thank You for the mercies that You give me every morning. Thank You for being the joy and strength of my heart. Your timing is perfect. You are so good to me. All that I am, all that I have is way more than I deserve. Your love overwhelms me. I want to pray with a pure and loving heart. May my prayers mean something. I want to be a prayer warrior of Yours. I want my heart to beat in perfect synch with Yours. I come boldly before Your throne of grace and just ask You to show me Your glory. I want to see You for all that You are. Lord, give me the strength to die daily so that Your live will and can live through me. I ask that You grow my patience through trials where I will have to wait on You. I ask for brokenness and humilty, so that I will see that it's You that I need, only You. You complete me, everything else is just Your blessing and grace being poured on a lowly sinner, such as I. May I learn to love like You love. May I have the compassion that You have for others. Lord, I want to live for You and love You everyday with everything in me.
No comments:
Post a Comment