| What are the different types of prayer? Petition is a solemn request to a superior authority Supplication is humble, earnest entreaty Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude Communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages or information Adoration is the worshipful demonstration of love Confession is the admission of guilt Submission is the act of yielding to the authority of another Praise is the statement or attitude of approval or admiration |
| How to pray: Choose a specific time and place - make an appointment, morning is the best, begin the day on the right foot! Be accountable - write it down or share with someone who will help you keep your appointment Get up and go - do not just lie in bed and pray, go to your specific place). Prepare - make a list of your personal needs, the needs of your family and all other needs. Spend some time in prayer - don�t do a McDonald�s prayer, do an eight course meal prayer. After all, prayer is the bread for your soul. Which meal is better for you? FOCUS - On Jesus Be in the Word along with prayers, then pray about what you�ve read. Read the Bible out loud. The Bible is meant to be heard. Open prayers with praise Honor God, thank Him. Confess and profess. Get guidance from God. |
| What�s next? �Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.� Hebrews 10:23 God will answer! Although, His answer might not always be what we want. Psalm 37:4 and Proverbs 10:24 shows us that God will say �YES� Ephesians 3:20 �Now in Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.� YES AND MORE Psalm 27:14 and 2 Peter 3:8 �Wait for the Lord� WAIT In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul reminds us that sometimes God says no� �My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in your weakness.� NO Jonah 4:1-4, When we try to tell God how to do His job, He tells us He knows the best way to deal with things� This answer is �NO, BUT I WILL DO SOMETHING BETTER.� Listen carefully� God is not always loud like thunder, sometimes He is in a gentle whisper, as in 1 Kings 19:11-13. Jesus Christ was more than just an example of how to have a good prayer life. Jesus� life was His prayer. He was so closely connected with God, that everything He did was for God�s Glory. That is what we should strive to do. We may not be perfect, but the closer we get to God, the more we listen to Him, and the more we do His Will, the more our life will become our prayer to Him. �If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.� John 15:7 Now, how do we apply this knowledge? We should all be trying to take time each day to pray. We should be gathering together to pray, calling out to God before tragedy hits us again. We are not only connected to God through the power of the Holy Spirit, but we are bound together as one Church, believers together, by that same power. A few things to remember� Don�t let it become a �task�. If you establish a routine and wake up sighing to yourself �Oh, I�ve have to get up and pray.� You should just stay in bed. Your prayer time will be unfruitful. When you allow the Holy Spirit to guide your waking and praying, a regular prayer time will never become a burden. There are different types of fasting. You could do a complete fast, nothing for a specified period of time. Or, you can limit the amount of food. Or you could limit the type of food. Or you could limit some other aspect of your life. When you fast, consider the other areas of your life. Do you watch too much TV? Instead of watching TV, devote that time to prayer and Bible Study. Your spiritual life is very important to God. He wants you to be close to Him. He will give you the strength, courage, wisdom and love you need to do His work. All you have to do is ask. Your prayer life and my prayer life will never look the same. But that is because we each have our own individual relationship with God. What works for me will not necessarily work for you. But as you find your own program, remember to include all the aspects of prayer�Petition Him, Supplicate yourself, Give Thanksgiving to Him for His many blessings, Communicate with Him, Adore Him, Confess your sins before Him, Submit to Him, AND PRAISE HIM. Open your prayers with Praise Honor God and thank Him Confess and profess Get His guidance Listen Then GO and SERVE the Lord. AMEN. |
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