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Times of Prayer and Power – part 4 of 15

August 25th, 2010

Once again we see a glimpse of the prayer life of Jesus. The ministry time continues in its intensity and challenges, and once again Jesus goes to pray. This time to the mountain and continued all night in prayer.

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12 (NKJV) 

The outcome of Jesus’ prayer time is the same as what we need for daily life and ministry. Jesus obtained direction, the next day He chose from His disciples the “Twelve”. On that same next day, Jesus healed all. On that next day Jesus taught the crowds. And His direction, healing, and teaching came with power.

And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Luke 6:19 (NKJV)

How often have we needed direction, healing, or teaching, or any of the other many things that we need for living and ministry, but we have not spent the time of prayer and so we have done them in our own power.

Time in prayer for times of power

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Busy Days – part 2 of 15

August 18th, 2010

Early Morning Prayer – Prayer time after a busy day of ministry

Jesus had a very busy day of ministry, teaching, restoration, healing, and deliverance. The next morning He goes out early to prayer.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Mark 1:35-39 (NKJV) 

The busier our life and the greater our challenges the more we need the vision clearing, nerve steadying, duty defining, purpose stiffening, spirit sweetening and strengthening of prayer. The morning appointment of prayer is the key to success in the day. The tougher the days just lived and the more challenging the day to come, the more we need that early morning time with God in prayer.

Tougher the day, earlier the prayers!

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Craftsman of Prayer ( part four)

July 15th, 2010

Who is the best? We love to think about men and women and compare them. Part of the comparison process is to argue about who is the best. Who is the fastest man? Who is the most popular? Who is the best singer? We should not compare ourselves with a motivation of envy or to judge others, but this kind of argument can help teach us to pray better.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

1 Corinthians 3:10 (NKJV)

One of the key ingredients in the argument as to who is the best; is the way the candidates for the best, work at what they do. Most are craftsman; they work hard to be the best they can be. They are not satisfied with being like everyone else, they strive for perfection.

My dad was a craftsman. He could build cabinets and furniture that were family heirlooms from the day he delivered the piece. When I worked with him I learned to build things, but dad did not build, he crafted. He worked to make every aspect of the piece perfect. He would joke, “We strive for absolute, but perfect is good enough!”

Today there are few craftsmen around in any field. People want things quick and cheap. Even in much of Europe the old tradition of great craftsmanship is yielding to the new wave of quick and cheap. People just will not pay the price for craftsmanship.

Prayer has succumbed to this same malady. People want prayer to be quick and cheap. If prayer is going to cost, then people are not interested. They want prayer, but once people see that effective prayer isn’t quick and cheap, they look for something else and leave this key part of the Christian life on the shelf. Only when faced with dire emergency will they even consider prayer. In far too many places, the church is in a sad state and one key cause of this condition is a lack of prayer. Very simply put, we have drawn away from prayer, effective prayer, and the church has suffered for it.

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Seeking to Be a Craftsman of Prayer (part one)

July 7th, 2010

It is fascinating to watch a craftsman in action. They have great skills, so much so that their craft seems to just flow from their hands. There is a wonderful transition of the material from its natural state to where it becomes a finished product. Craftsmen create wonderful things and they give us a glimpse at the ultimate craftsman, God. He creates with a flair that a human craftsman can only envy. A look at creation reveals God’s skill and imagination. He is the model for all craftsmen; they all should long to be like Him. In prayer this same pattern is true, Jesus is the ultimate craftsman and we should all long to be like Him. We should long to be a craftsman of prayer.

The craftsman’s life is one of growing and learning; working to become more adept at their craft. In all aspects of life we should be doing the same, growing and learning. This was true for Jesus, as He walked this Earth. He grew in wisdom and stature.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:52 (NKJV)

Christian growth comprises a wide range of subjects, covering every aspect of life; this includes prayer. In prayer the Holy Spirit works to take us from a novice to a craftsman of prayer. This growth is directed by and taught by the Holy Spirit, but it requires the participation of a willing Christian.

We can develop in prayer; the first step is to recognize the possibility of growth. Those who are satisfied with how they pray, seldom grow. Those who think their current practice of prayer is all there is, seldom grow. However, those who long to grow, those who long to be more like Jesus, those who seek training by the Holy Spirit, will grow.

You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

Nehemiah 9:20 (NKJV)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NKJV)

Seeking to the best you can be in prayer

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What is the state of prayer in the church today?

July 2nd, 2010

How often and how well do we pray? How often is easy to measure. During a great revival in the 1800s, Horace Greeley, the newspaper editor, once sought to know how many men were praying in New York City. He sent a man in a buggy around to the various churches to count the number of men and women praying on their lunch hour. There were so many, the man could not get to all the churches to count. We can do similar counts today and there are several ministries and poling places that do counting, but I think the percentage of men praying then, was far greater than those praying today.

So much for the question of how often, the second question is a bit more difficult to determine, how well do we pray. There are many measures used by people, but there should be only one measure of how well we pray. It is much more than the number of men and women who pray, or even the men and women who have a prayer habit. Those who pray well, command the power of God in prayer and in their hands prayer is powerful. They are able and regularly do move heaven and earth by prayer.

With this as a measure, how do we measure up? E.M. Bounds describes the measure of prayer as, “men with whom prayer is a mighty force, an energy that moves heaven and pours untold treasures of good on earth”. Are our prayers a mighty force? Are our prayers an energy that moves heaven and earth? Have you been praying and by your prayers pouring out treasure of good on earth?

If we do not measure up to this standard, what can we do to change? Even if we do measure up, are their things we can do to be better? There are many possible answers, but one fundamental answer that we must investigate. We must check ourselves and see if we meet God’s standard of personal purity. Too often people are comfortable creating their own personal standard. However, we are people of His covenant or we are not, we cannot change the terms and conditions to suit our wants and desires. We are bought with a price and if we claim to be His, if we long to have His power in prayer, then we must meet His requirements.

While he wrote a hundred and fifty years ago, E. M. Bounds captures the problem we too often face today.

The age of Church organization and Church machinery is not an age noted for elevated and strong personal piety. Machinery looks for engineers and organizations for generals, and not for saints, to run them. The simplest organization may aid parity as well as strength but beyond that narrow limit organization swallows up the individual, and is careless of personal purity; push, activity, enthusiasm, zeal for an organization, come in as the vicious substitutes for spiritual character. Holiness and all the spiritual graces of hardy culture and slow growth are discarded as too slow and too costly for the progress and rush of the age. By dint of machinery, new organizations, and spiritual weakness, results are vainly expected to be secured which can only be secured by faith, prayer, and waiting on God.

The man and his spiritual character is what God is looking after. If men, holy men, can be turned out by the easy processes of Church machinery readier and better than by the old-time processes, we would gladly invest in every new and improved patent; but we do not believe it. We adhere to the old way—the way the holy prophets went, the king’s highway of holiness.

There is a path for us to walk, a way of holiness. If we are to measure up in prayer, we must walk in His way. Let us be holy even as He is holy, so we can pray.

A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:8-10 (NKJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

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A Company of Prayer

June 21st, 2010

Hello,

 

This is also a good time to mention that I am always looking to expand the company of subscribers to Voice of Thanksgiving. The call for men and women of prayer is first for more and more people praying; so I am always seeking people who will respond to the need of the day and pray. The second part of the call is encouraging more prayer; not just more people praying, but for all of us to pray more. The third part is to working for more effective prayer; issue by issue I seek to challenge a higher level of faith for prayer and teach powerful ways to success in prayer.

I hope Voice of Thanksgiving has been a called to you; to pray, pray more, and pray effective prayers. I also ask that you encourage friends, family, and folks to subscribe and be a part of what God is doing with this company.

http://voiceofthanksgiving.com/Subscribe.htm

Thank you for your faithful prayers and intercession. You are changing the course of individuals, churches, and nations. As we prepare for the soon return of Christ, there is a growing need and importance for prayer. You are a special part of fulfilling the great need of the day; prayer.

Let us pray!

 

Visit Voice of Thanksgiving for more information on effective prayer and victorious Christian living. Also available is a searchable archive of articles, a prayer blog, and book order form. We are gathering men and women from around the world who will pray effective, fervent prayers that avail much. Together we are reaching nations for Jesus.

Voice of Thanksgiving is the weekly version in English.

Stimme der Dankbarkeit is the monthly version in German

Głos Dziękczynienia is the monthly version in Polish

From Voice of Thanksgiving, a series of powerful books on prayer!

            Prayer: A Force that Causes Change – volume one – A Life of Prayer

Prayer: A Force that Causes Change – volume two – A Call to Prayer

Prayer: A Force that Causes Change – volume three – Faithful in Prayer

Prayer: A Force that Causes Change – volume four – Effective in Prayer

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Pick Up the Pace

May 5th, 2010

In Rocky Mountain National Park, a part of Colorado, the weather can change very rapidly. The sun can be out and very warm and then in a moment the clouds can blow in. With very little warning it can rain or even snow. When there is a storm the lightening strikes seem very close and the thunder so loud it shakes you and rumbles on and on through the canyons. If you are on a trail, especially a trail high on a mountain, when a storm springs up, you need to get to a safe place immediately. In some places there is nowhere to go except get down the trail quickly. The experienced hiker watches for storms and knows to move quickly when needed. If you are on a trail you might need to quicken your pace; double time or even triple time pace might be required.

Life is very much like Rocky Mountain National Park, things change very rapidly. Many things in life seem to remain about the same; everyone needs the basics for life and living, like food and shelter. Receiving these daily needs requires faith and prayer. We must believe God has, is, and will provide for our every need. He is our source and provision. As Jesus taught us, we should spend time with Him praying for our daily needs and for those around us. So we pray; “Our Father, give us this day our daily needs”. This is the normal life of the believer and the life of prayer, the basics of faith and prayer, however there is more and things change.

There is so much to pray for and to pray about. Praying for all the situations that an individual faces requires a great deal of time, not to mention the needs of family, friends, and church. At times it seems this is all we can do; this takes our prayer time and our full effort. However, things change, there are storm clouds gathering and we must pick up the pace.

There is a need for men and women who will pray beyond the basics. There are people around us who need prayer, there are mission activities that need prayer, there are nations closed to the Gospel message that need prayer, and there are places in desperate need of revival that need prayer. All around us the situation of people daily grows graver. A generation is being swept into death and destruction; the storm clouds are growing and getting darker.

With these growing storm clouds there is an increasing need for prayer. Just like our climber who moves quickly down the trail to avoid a storm, we need to increase our prayers; to pick up the pace. The threat of the storms of life makes prayer imperative. All around us, in every country and nation there are people desperate for answers and help. They spread out before us like clouds and they are begging us to pick up the pace and pray.

This increase in prayer is not just putting in more time, but growing and maturing in prayer; in our efforts, skills, and faith. We must pick up our pace; not being satisfied with prayer as it has been, but move up to the place and pace the Holy Spirit has been preparing us for. The need is not for more of the same, but for effective, fervent prayers that avail much.

… The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16 (NKJV)

Just like the man or woman on the trail moving along at a basic pace, when the clouds appear, they must move quicker. The clouds are appearing for us in prayer as well. The need has never been greater and the world is waiting. The world is asking; no it is begging, for you and me to pick up the pace and pray.

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Prayer Fills Needs!

January 25th, 2010

There is much for us to do, for family, jobs, church, missions, and nation there are great needs. To be successful in the things we do we need prayer.

Prayer Gives Laborers

The number and efficiency of laborers depends on prayer, it depends on our prayers. In every measure of labor, prayer makes the difference.

night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

1 Thessalonians 3:10 (NKJV)

Prayer Gives Potency

The might and strength of labor, the opportunity for labor increases by prayer.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Prayer Opens Doors

Prayer opens wide their doors of opportunity for laborers. It provides for access, placing the laborer in position and opening hearts to the message. It gives a holy boldness, determination, resolve, and steadfastness.

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:18-20 (NKJV)

Prayer Gives Fruitfulness

Prayer makes productive the things we do, giving us fruit for our labor.

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 1:9-10 (NKJV)

Prayer Fills Needs

Praying men and women are needed in all fields of spiritual and secular. There is no position in the Church which should be filled, but by much prayer. There is no position that should be maintained, but by prayer. Praying men and women are needed for every business, as well as every church, to order and direct business and activity, not according to the maxims of this world, but according to Bible precepts.

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (NKJV)

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Colossians 1:9 (NKJV)

Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12 (NKJV)

The success of an enterprise and its efficiency are determined by prayer.

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Checking for Hindrances

January 9th, 2010

Effective prayer makes many demands on those who long to be successful. Having faith and a close relationship with God and dealing with fear, doubt, and unbelief are just a few of the steps to become a champion of prayer. There are many things that work to keep us from prayer and especially from effective prayer. All of these hindrances must be dealt with so it is a good time to clean out the things that would hinder our Christian life and our prayer life. Please carefully read through theses verses. Allow the Holy Spirit to show you areas where you need to make changes and corrections. And lean on Him to help you make corrections.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.     2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)

 

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.     2 Timothy 2:20-22 (NKJV)

 

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.     James 4:7-10 (NKJV)

 

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV)

Champions of prayer regularly check to be sure they are prepared. They deal with everything that would hinder effective prayer. How is your preparation for effective prayer? Are you ready for a season of use as a vessel fit for the Master?

Champions of Prayer Make Corrections!

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God’s Revealed and Empowered Plan

January 5th, 2010

People are interesting they have plans and goals, but often are unable to follow through. The example people use is resolutions to workout. The gyms around town are filled with people. The joke is that you do not make friends with anyone until February. The rub here is that most of the people will be gone by then, their resolution will have faded and their workout plans will have to wait for next year. This happens in a wide array of situations, we do okay with starting things, but finishing is another story. The problem is more than just lack of resolve; we get caught up in the world around us. Much of the problem centers on our attempt to be accepted. This forces us into doing things we do not want to do; we get caught-up in being modern, relevant, or valuable. The harder we try the more unreal we become. It becomes a vicious circle. If we are not careful we become someone we don’t know and do not want to be.

This same problem is often found in Christians. Most of Christianity is caught-up in being modern, relevant, valuable, and helpful. And because of this to often we have lost our way. We no longer have a message coupled with power. Too often we have abdicated our leadership position by looking and acting like the world. We have lost our voice by making our message sound appealing. In many places it is difficult to tell the difference between the church and a social club.

This is true in every aspect of Christian life, especially prayer. In an effort to be loved by the world and a rush to be like the world, many people have thrown out prayer. It is not surprising that few people pray. People think that if there is no power in prayer, why spend the time. So while people are busier that ever, with feverish activity abounding, most have forgotten the call to prayer. This is sad because prayer is still of great value and power. Prayer is the most powerful force on earth; it also is a force of change. The Father is looking for men and women of prayer; especially men and women willing to learn to pray fervent, effective prayers that avail much.

 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)

As we begin 2K10 who are you going to be? Are you going to chase after the world and its ways? Are you going to be someone you are not? Or are you ready to be the person God made you to be? God has a great plan for your life and He reveals and empowers His plans by prayer.

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