PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Dear
Fellow Prayer Warrior, February, 2009
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Seek God For The City 2009 goes from
February 25th through April 5th. This is an annual time
for cities all around the world to pray in unity for their city. There is a
prayer guide that will be used by thousands of churches during the forty days
leading to Palm Sunday. A children's prayer guide is also available. To order visit www.waymakers.org. During this same
time period there will be another 40 Days for Life. 40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and
fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside
abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of active pro-life
community outreach. Visit www.40daysforlife.com for more information including
Orlando activities. Our local contact is Juan Carlos Hernandez, 407-592-3625.
Operation Deliverance III
[The following is from
Sheriff Demings and Chaplain Commander Pagan] The
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Services Section is asking for your
assistance and participation in an event that will unite law enforcement,
places of worship and the community in making a difference in our neighborhoods
particularly when crime is affecting us all. The event “Operation Deliverance
III,” consists of area churches and ministries volunteering at least one hour
to pray in a designated area for forty straight days without
interruption. For this event we have partnered with the Blanchard Park YMCA
located on Rouse Rd. The times will be 6:30-7:30 pm (Mon-Fri) and 2:30- 3:30 pm
on Saturday and Sunday. All we ask is that you select a day between the
dates of February 23- April 3, 2009. There is no doubt that prayer is a strong
tool to reach peace, hope and harmony. Doctors encourage patients and relatives
to use prayer as part of the healing process for their patients. Our nation and
communities are suffering some very tough times with the economy, families are
losing their homes, their jobs and there are lot’s of uncertainty of what the
future will hold. We too could use prayer as a tool to bring peace, harmony,
hope and the end of violence in our communities. This is a prayer event, music
instruments are welcomed but not loud speakers or megaphones. You are
encouraged to bring church bulletins or brochures to hand out. Through you we
want to invite others to pray for the community and get involved. This event
has been conducted in other parts of Orange County and the City of Orlando and
it has been very successful. Please consider our request to host one of the
days of prayer by gathering members of your congregation for at least one hour
at the mentioned location. Remember you select the date. The only thing we ask
is that you be there for at least one hour and that a day is not missed.
Please contact me to schedule your congregation by calling 407-254-7119 or
email me at Miguel.pagan@ocfl.net.
Ongoing
Prayer Themes - please include some of these when you pray for the city -
An increase in the manifestation of God’s supernatural
power – healings, signs, wonders
Wisdom and blessing for our president and other
national, state and local elected officials
God's redemptive purposes to be fulfilled in Central Florida
Unity of the Body of Christ and purity in the Body and
in relationships between leaders
Pastors to pray together and lead their churches into
praying with other churches
The scourge of abortion to be removed from our city
Christians to tithe and give offerings so “the devourer”
will be rebuked in our city
See page 2 for Current Prayer Events
An E-mail version of this
newsletter (with more stuff!) is also available - send me an E-mail to sign up.
See this newsletter on the web at www.christiansnet.com/praycf/praycf.htm.
George Kern, 405 East Jersey St., Orlando, FL 32806,
407-245-1132, praycf@juno.com
PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Page 2 February,
2009
Verify event details with the
contact person or web site before attending. Listing does not necessarily imply
endorsement by Pray Central Florida. For
more events see the Z88.3 web site - http://zradio.org/index/events/calendar.
February 20 - Awaken
the Bride Service. Join this city wide worship rally with intense worship
led by Jacob Ferrell, a passionate message and a time of intercession for
Central Florida. Orlando House of Prayer, 495 W. Silver Star
Rd., Ocoee. (407) 877-5970.
April 17th
– 18th - Onething Florida – the
International House of Prayer team is coming back again. These are always great
times of worship, intercession and teaching. Location: Iglesia El Calvario. Info: www.ihop.org.
Daily – various times
– Orlando House of Prayer - get a
taste of IHOP without having to fly to Kansas City. Location: 495 W. Silver Star Rd., Ocoee. Web site for info and
schedule: www.orlandohop.org, or call 407.877.5970,
ext. 201.
Weekdays –
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – all day worship and prayer hosted by Love of Christ Ministries (Mack McCambridge). Location: Faith World church, Orlando. Call
407-292-0966 for info.
Tuesdays – 6:00 a.m. - Sanford
Ministerial Fellowship. Info:
Jeff Krall - 407-322-9222, jmkrall@bellsouth.net.
Tuesday and Friday
mornings – Full Gospel Businessmen’s
Fellowship.
Fellowship and bible study breakfasts and monthly evening meeting. Contact Joseph Shaia for info -
407/682-3216.
Tuesday
evenings - 6:00 p.m. – Community Healing & Prayer Service. All Saints Church, 338 East
Lyman Av. Winter Park.
Call 407-647-3413 for info. www.allsaintswp.com.
Tuesday evenings - 7:00 p.m. - Servants of the Most High and
Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida. Prayer and fellowship in the Longwood area. For info, call Maureen at 407-332-7286 or
e-mail IPNCF@ruii.org.
Thursday
Evenings – 7:30 p.m. Oviedo Healing
Rooms - Healing in the Name of
JESUS through the Power of GOD's Presence and Prayer. 145 W. Broadway Blvd., Oviedo. Call 407-529-7111 for
appointment (suggested but not necessary) www.OviedoHealingRoom.com.
Friday
evenings – 7:30 p.m. – International Concert of Prayer – prayer for
Orlando, USA & the world. At Greaterlife Church in
Oviedo, call Pastor Jeff Good for information at 407-365-5950.
First Saturday of month - Prayer
for Muslims - 10:00 a.m.-Noon, Orlando. Peter Shadid
- 240-6272.
Peter has a team reaching Muslims in
Kissimmee and can train people for outreach in Orlando.
Second
Saturday of month – 9:30 a.m. - KNEC (Kingdom Network Empowering
Communities) –Orlando. Contact: Bishop Helligar –
407-299-6677.
Second and Third
Saturdays – 5:00 a.m. City-wide Prayer
Meeting. Hampton
Inn at 7448 International Drive, Orlando. Sponsor: Pastor Mary Norman, 321-276-5352.
Third Saturday of month – Prayer
for the Persecuted Church. Longwood. Email
amystrang@aol.com.
Daily - Lighthouse Report (with Steve Douglass) – on the web at www.lighthousereport.com
Pray
Central Florida – Praying for Central Florida and encouraging the Church in
Central Florida to pray
And
here is the extra stuff you don’t get with the snail mail version...
=================================
(1) City Reaching Conference Call – February 19th
(2) AWAKEN THE BRIDE service will be on Friday
February 20th.
(3) Invitation to participate in the Intercessory
Prayer Network of Central Florida
(4) Word of the Lord 2009 - ACPE
(5) Insight:
God's Suddenlies & His Subtleties
(6) NPPNow ~ Inner-Vew #55: Honest Talk about Honest Prayer
*NPPN -
NATIONAL PASTORS' PRAYER NETWORK - US
A
Ministry Network Of The Mission America Coalition
OUR
VISION-
Identify
And Encourage Pastors' Prayer Groups In Cities And
Communities
Across
America So That Pastors Lead Their
People Into Praying For And Sharing Christ With Everyone In Our
Nation.
Subscribe
to the NPPN: http://www.nppn.org/subscribe.htm
INTERCESSORS
FOR AMERICA
192 N 21st St, Suite 300
Purcellville,
VA 20132
1-800-872-7729 or 540-751-0980
************************************************************
(1) City Reaching Conference Call – February 19th
From: "Carolyn O'Brien"
<info@cityreaching.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:33:58 -0600
Subject: Invitation: Feb. 19 cityreaching conference call
There is
nothing as powerful as a city story that clearly shows
the "fruit" of FAITH, HOPE & LOVE lived out in tangible and
measurable ways. You are
invited to learn how God is using the Church in Indianapolis for city/community
transformation that is "off the chain"! Merlin Gonzales,
President and Founder of Faith-Hope-Love International will be our guest
Thursday, February 19 at 11 a.m. Eastern time, 10a.m. Central, 8 a.m. Pacific,
for our monthly Mission America Coalition Cityreaching
conference call.
Merlin
was born in the Philippines and was trained as an accountant. God has gifted
him with the ability to integrate his marketplace skills within the fabric of cityreaching ministry. FHL works through
collaboration with national ministries and local groups to create opportunities
for people to serve others in their own community, building faith, hope, and
love around them. “We come together with one purpose: to love God and to
love our neighbors,” per www.FHLI.org You will be informed, refreshed and even
challenged as you hear about this very exciting work and participate in the Q
& A time. PLUS, we hope to have several "surprise guests"
drop in on the call. Don't miss it!
To RSVP
for the call, please reply to this email to receive the dial-in #.
[editor’s note:
e-mail info@cityreaching.com]
*******************************************************
(2) AWAKEN THE BRIDE service will be on Friday
February 20th.
-Worship by Jacob Ferrell
MONTHLY CITYWIDE WORSHIP GATHERING
Carlos Sarmiento and
the OHOP leadership team teach on the theme of intimacy with God and
wholehearted love for Jesus. The teachings reference many Old Testament and New
Testament passages that declare our spiritual reality as being the Bride
of Christ.
ORLANDO HOUSE OF PRAYER
- 495 W. SILVER STAR RD. - OCOEE, FL 34761 - 407-877-5970
Awaken The Bride Weekend with Jacob
Ferrell from Zadok House of Prayer
Feb.20th 7:30pm - Awaken The Bride
Conference
Feb.21st 10:00am-12noon- Worship Roundtable
Feb.22nd 9:30am - Living Waters Fellowship
************************************************************
(3) Invitation to participate in the Intercessory
Prayer Network of Central Florida
From:
"Maureen Bravo" <maureen@ruii.org>
To:
"Maureen Bravo" <maureen@ruii.org>
Date:
Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:22:38 -0500
Subject:
Invitation to participate in the Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida
Please read the information below, then fill in and
return to IPNCF@ruii.org
(If you are already a member, please indicate your
desire to continue with us for 2009. Thank you!)
Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ!
NFJ is a newsletter sent out periodically to share
what God is speaking about, especially re: prayer and the critical need for
corporate intercession!
God has placed His world in our hands. Are we are
willing to come together and deal with its problems His way…through prayer?
Please give the following information your
thoughtful consideration. We look forward to your feedback…and
participation! Your sister and servant, Maureen
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
"Put your hands to the
net..."
February 2009
Networking for Jesus
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Most of us are connected because we are active in
prayer / intercession, or serving as coordinators for prayer in local churches,
prayer groups, or ministries. Some of us are focused specifically on the
needs of a particular ministry / faith community, dedicated to our personal
area of endeavor, and don’t venture out too often..
Still others have begun to know each other, and periodically come together for
city-wide corporate prayer times. Whether praying “outside” or
“inside” on our various “intercessory assignments”, we are all hearing an
intense “call” to prayer, and asking the Lord for His way to accomplish that
which He has set before us!
In our region, those who have stepped out beyond
personal comfort zones and taken opportunities to pray together are
experiencing an extraordinary grace that is flowing from our unity in the
Spirit! God is giving us “Kingdom eyes and ears”, enabling us to
have more of a “Kingdom perspective”. This in turn, has allowed us to begin
to comprehend what it is to love one another unconditionally…beyond
denominational and expressive differences. We have been blessed to
discover how beautiful the Body of Christ really is! As we more fully
understand His heart for unity, and begin to “know” and “be known” by each
other, we’ve engaged in “joint ventures” / “Body-works” / ministry efforts
together, which have been quite “fruitful” as we intentionally
seek to advance “the Kingdom” in Central Florida.
True unity is the heart cry of our Lord Jesus Christ
for the members of His Body, and it reflects our Father’s heart as well!
This type of unity can exist only when we allow the Spirit of God to be in
control…first, of our own individual lives and next, in our corporate
gatherings! As each one gives permission for the Holy Spirit to do
whatever He desires…through, with and in us…we are enabled to come together as
never before…in His love. Cloaked in humility, preferring one
another, we each contribute as He directs. As we come out of those times
together with the unified statement, ”It seems good to the Holy Spirit and us”,
we begin to realize the emergence and operation of authentic “apostolic team
ministry”.
As we participate in this type of coordinated prayer
effort, we raise up “a mantle of authority and spiritual protection over our
cities”, which makes way for the changes that will need to take place in the
spiritual atmosphere. As we continue to bathe individual initiatives / issues
in prayer, we honor our intercessors by asking for and encouraging them
to give feedback about what they have heard in prayer. This
feedback is then communicated to those coordinating / organizing various
efforts, and is invaluable when strategizing for “Kingdom purposes”.
As we remain alert to individual area needs, a call
goes forth for specific corporate prayer times. We work together by
interceding “off site”, or traveling across the city to the various communities
to intercede “on site”. As local ground is taken and territories are influenced
and enlarged, the various regions will merge together spiritually, and the
prayer of the intercessors will “buckle a seatbelt of spiritual protection
across our region”. Let’s work together, so that we can effectively
impact and displace the darkness and extend the “Kingdom”, for which we
are called as “ambassadors”!
Intercessors willing to unite with others in the
same region are vital to the “Kingdom”. Let’s be intentional about
identifying and contacting all known intercessors, and encourage them to link
up, uniting area-wide through organizations such as the Intercessory
Prayer Network of Central Florida. Each participant will keep their own identity and continues to function in
their own ministry and mission. Then, as necessary, we will “converge / merge”
for specific purposes…“greater works” / prayer gatherings / intercessory
assignments. We are inviting every congregation / ministry /
prayer group to contact and connect with us, and “field” their intercessors to
participate with us in this prayer network. If any interested
congregation or ministry does not have an existing prayer group, and would like
help in forming one or want to get specific training in intercession, members of the IPNCF would gladly come and assist
you as needed.
The IPNCF is a vital resource for the
Church’s future. As we uphold our city and its ministries in prayer, we also undergird numerous local, state,
national and international conferences held here in Central Florida, extending
this servant ministry beyond the “Church of Orlando”…and Central Florida…to the
nations.
WE ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST; we do not stand alone;
we need one another. Through the IPNCF, we will serve Him
together! Blessings! Maureen
NOTE: Be watching for upcoming information on ConsecrateOrlando, a 31 day prayer initiative
in May 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“For such a time as this…”
Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida
“Pray for the city to which you have been
exiled, for upon its welfare depends your own.” Jeremiah 29:7
For all too long, intercessors have been operating
in isolation, praying alone or in small pockets, pressing through with
what they have heard from the Lord, and wondering where the others are that
could be hearing the same word, answering the same call. Today,
worldwide, the sound of the shofar is being heard!
God’s people are being alerted and summoned to gather, and the prayer movement
is undergoing dramatic change. Intercessors in Central Florida
are rising up, coming forth in response to the call of Isaiah 60! As
walls that divide us come down, we are uniting...hand to hand, heart to
heart! While still praying fervently in our closets, we are also uniting
publicly through prayer initiatives like Concerts of Prayer, the National Day
of Prayer, the Global Day of Prayer, and serving together at various
conferences and events that need “on site” prayer support. We have
learned the value of coupling fasting with prayer, and are able to address our
common concerns from a place of “true unity”, with an intimacy and intensity
that only comes when hearts, minds and spirits are one in Him! We
are finally beginning to look like what we say we are…HIS! What
a witness!
The Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida is part of a
shared vision to reach our cities with the love of God. “Praying people” are
being called to unite and worship God over our cities, states and nations,
asking Him to be our Shield of Protection, covering us and our communities with
His love. This call to worship and prayer is directed to the youth as well as
to the adults in the Body of Christ; all are invited to participate. Intercession
is a "prayer force" to be reckoned with!
Worshipping and praying in unity as the "Church
of Orlando”, ( the “Church of Tampa”, the “Church of Tallahassee”, etc.)
we “seek the welfare of our cities” Jeremiah 29:7 and intercede for
those working in the “harvest fields” from coast to coast, so that the lost
might come to know and love Him Whom we serve. This corporate
prayer forms a “seat belt” of spiritual protection across the “lap” of
Florida, which is securely locked into position and maintained through our
unity. Daily the Lord is adding to His Kingdom! What grace!
The IPNCF was called forth locally
in October 1996; many of its participants are also affiliated
with other local, state and national intercessory groups, as well
as with the global prayer movement. "Networking for Jesus",
members of the IPNCF flow in the Spirit, interceding and then watching
and witnessing the amazing work of God as He deals death blows to the enemy
camp.
Come! “Put your hands to
the net…” and join us in proclaiming “Grace! Grace!” over our region!
Zechariah 4:7
*******
SIGN UP
The Intercessory Prayer Network of
Central Florida
“Pray for the city to which you have been exiled,
for upon its welfare depends your own.” Jeremiah 29:7
Maureen Bravo
Resources Unlimited
International, Inc.
1566 Grace Lake Circle, Suite #
100 Longwood, Florida 32750
(407) 810-4665 Cell
E-mail: IPNCF@ruii.org
407-3332-7286 Home / Office
Sign up to participate in the IPNCF, to receive training, information, or to
help with training.
____ I would like to connect with the
Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida.
____ I would like information about receiving
training in intercession.
____ I am willing to serve as part of a facilitation
team to teach others about intercession.
Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address/ City /
Zip_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone________________________________ Cell___________________________
E-mail______________________________________________________
Congregation and / or Ministry
affiliation_______________________________________________________________________________________________
For further information, contact Maureen at:
IPNCF@ruii.org
FEEL FREE TO SEND TO OTHERS YOU MIGHT WANT
TO ENCOURAGE TO PARTICIPATE!
***********************************************************
(4) Word of the Lord 2009 - ACPE
From:
"Prayer Harvest" <prayerharvest@yahoo.com>
To:
<praycf@juno.com>
Date:
Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:44:28 -0500
Subject:
Word of the Lord 2009 - ACPE
Beloved
Warriors:
Every year there is a gathering of the leading apostolic and prophetic voices
who convene to seek counsel from the Lord. At the Refreshing last year,
we heard many of the things that are posted below. The Lord is speaking
with intensity to those who will wait upon Him. There is much that we
must lay down in favor of receiving wisdom from Him for this challenging
time. There are blessings He is releasing to those who will position
themselves to hear and heed His counsel!
Please prayerfully read through Cindy Jacobs' report on the Apostolic Council
of Prophetic Elders Word of the Lord for 2009. This is taken from her
website, www.generals.org. Be blessed as you prepare for the greatest
move of God ever seen in our lifetime!
See you at the Day of Refreshing on February 21st. We will have a
combined Refreshing with Pinellas and Hillsborough County intercessors at Onething House of Prayer, 777 W. Lumsden
Rd. in Brandon.
************************
2009 The Year of the Vine
2009 A Year of Great Turbulence
2009 Kingdom Against
Kingdoms
2009 The Beginning of a Third
Great Awakening
2009 Arise and Shine in the Midst
of Adversity
2009 Stand Your Ground Through Worship
************************************************************
(5) Insight:
God's Suddenlies & His Subtleties
From:
Alice & Eddie Smith <usprayercenter@cs.com>
To:
praycf@juno.com
Date:
Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:20:59 -0500
Subject:
Insight: God's Suddenlies
& His Subtleties (021609)
God's Suddenlies & His Subtleties
By Eddie
Smith
Are you like me? Do you tend to get frustrated
when you don’t see the big answers you want to your prayers.
I admit that I enjoy God's "suddenlies."
But when instead, he chooses to move "subtlty",
instead of "folding up my prayer tent and going home," I’m
learning to notice those tiny adjustments and expressions of God’s
intervention. I watch so carefully that when I see the slightest thing, I
can celebrate it--in fact, magnify it!
·
In the Old
Testament temple, some priests’ only duty was to watch for the manifest
presence of the Shekinah glory of the Lord (Ex.
25:22). Today God is calling us as His New Testament priests to watch for,
acknowledge, and intentionally celebrate even His smallest response.
·
This is how I do
it. After I "make my case" to God in prayer, I begin the process of
watching—watch and pray, as Jesus put it (Mk 14:38, emphasis added). In
Colossians 4:2, Paul says, "Devote yourselves to
prayer, being watchful and thankful." We are to look for even the
slightest indication of God’s response. Why? So we can celebrate the small
stuff, of course!
·
Let me give you a
couple of examples of small stuff that could have been celebrated. Suppose a
woman has been praying for her lost husband for some time. One day he turns to
her and says, "Pray for Jim’s wife. She is going in for some medical
tests today."
·
Whoa! Here is a
lost man who’s making a prayer request! Instead of looking for a huge
answer to prayer, it’s time for his wife to throw a praise party for this
subtle indication that God is answering her.
·
Or, consider the
mother who’s praying for her wayward son at 3:00 a.m. She’s lying facedown on
the living room carpet, crying out to the Lord, when he staggers drunkenly
through the front door.
·
"Prayer
Woman, you can go to bed. I’m home," he declares. As he goes to his
bedroom, he calls over his shoulder, "And you can pray for Tommy’s mother.
They say she has cancer and needs surgery."
·
"Oh
Lord," the mother cries out as he slams his door shut, "when are you
going to do something with my boy?"
·
She really missed
it. Let’s take a closer look.
·
1. Some drunken
sons died in head-on collisions that night while others were arrested. Her son
came home safely.
·
2. Look at what
he called his mother: "Prayer Woman." He knows who she is and
recognizes her kingdom role.
·
3. He gave her a
prayer request because deep inside he knows she has access to God’s power.
·
It’s time for
this mom to call some friends and throw a praise party. Well, perhaps not—after
all, it’s 3 a.m.! But it’s certainly time for her to identify and celebrate
God’s work in her son’s life.
·
Was this answer
to her prayer subtle? Sure, it’s subtle. But God’s work often is. Subtle
answers to prayer are especially difficult for us to understand when we live in
an "instant" culture. It’s hard to relate to an eternal God for whom
one day is as a thousand years. Impatient and with short attention spans, we
want instant gratification—and we want it now!
·
When we don’t
immediately get what we’ve asked for, we lose faith, but that’s our test: Are
we focused on the demonstrations of the flesh and the devil in their lives? Or,
are we focused on evidences of God’s work? As we learn to concentrate on what
He is doing rather than on these negative demonstrations or on our own plans,
we’ll see it.
·
Why does God seem
to move so slowly and with such small steps? Possibly because
·
He is testing our
faith.
·
He’s checking to
see if we are paying attention to Him.
·
He’s working
behind the scenes to prepare people, places, and things (including us) for what
He’s about to do.
·
He wants to
extend our celebration over a longer period of time.
·
He wants to know
if we will celebrate even His smallest response.
It’s easy
to become so enamored with the splitting of the Red Sea that we neither notice or appreciate God’s incremental answers to
our prayers, as when He made the wheels of Pharaoh’s chariots fall off! No
kidding--Exodus 14:25!
A good
way to acknowledge God’s subtle movements is to pay attention to what the
people you are praying for say and do in their unguarded moments. These are
often unconscious expressions of what’s going on inside them. When I see or
hear anything, even the slightest thing that is positive, I try to record it in
my journal. Then I begin to praise God for it.
·
Perhaps you have
a child who is often angry, rebellious, and disrespectful. When you see him do
something kind or respectful, celebrate it and thank God for it. He loves your
celebration. After all, it’s the atmosphere of heaven!
·
To use a sports
analogy, anyone can celebrate the final score of a game, but God wants us to
celebrate every point that goes on the board because each one is
additional evidence that He is at work—and it warrants our praise. After
praying, too many of us turn our attention to the next need we plan to present
to Him rather than waiting expectantly, identifying, and celebrating what the
Father is doing in answer to our prayer. Don’t you imagine He’s tired of being
ignored?
·
King David knew
the importance of watching for the Lord to answer his prayers. He wrote,
"My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
in the morning I will direct [my prayer] to You, And I will look up"
(Psalm 5:3, NKJV, emphasis added). The Contemporary English Version says,
"wait for your reply." After
directing his prayer to God, David watched and waited expectantly for an
answer.
·
Present your
request to God with thanksgiving, then watch
expectantly for any evidence of His divine intervention in the matter, no
matter how small it is. While it’s true that I pray based on who God is and
what He’s said and done in the past, I do expect to see expressions of His
intervention. As I pray, I carefully watch for evidences of His answers to my
prayers. That’s why it’s a good idea to journal these answers: I can read back
over them later, which helps build my faith for future prayer projects.
·
If we ignore the
subtle things God does in answer to our prayers, we won’t see much. So,
consider right now something the Lord has done for you. Now deliberately praise
Him for it. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Aren't you experiencing a bubbling up in
your soul? That joy will explode into a smile on your face and a spring in your
step. I’d be surprised if your disappointment and frustrations fade as well.
·
Elijah knew the
thrill of seeing God answer prayer. After ordering the killing of 850 prophets
of Baal and Asherah, he ascended to the top of Mount
Carmel to pray for rain. But what he saw next was most unusual. It wasn’t rain.
It wasn’t even a rain cloud. There was no thunder or lightning; there was only
a cloud "as small as a man’s hand" (1 K. 18:44). Elijah saw this
"micro cloud," turned to Ahab, and said, "You’d better get off
of this mountain. There’s a serious storm coming." As he rejoiced to see
God at work, that small cloud grew into a mighty rainstorm that ended a
three-year-long drought!
·
The small stuff
does matter, whether it is clouds or pennies. My two younger brothers and I
spent each summer at our grandparents’ home near Gadsden, Alabama. My
Granddaddy Jeff had a large pickle jar that sat on the floor of his closet into
which he threw his pocket change. We looked forward to the times we were
allowed to stick our arms into Granddaddy’s coin jar because we could keep all
the coins we could grasp in one hand. While we never got much more than a
dollar, we were thrilled and looked forward to the next year when our hands
would be even larger.
·
My brothers and I
thought the coin-jar experience was for us; however, now that I’m a
granddaddy myself, I realize that it was just as much (if not more)
for Granddaddy Jeff’s pleasure. He looked forward to those days with
as much excitement as we did. He loved to see the looks of celebration on
our faces, as I do when my grandchildren now reach into my coin jar today.
Does our
heavenly Daddy long to see us celebrate like little children when He answers
our prayers, not just in huge ways but also in small ones? I believe He does.
Why not begin right now to pray and watch for the Lord to answer? You’ll be
throwing praise parties before you know it.
And go ahead, grab a handful out of your Heavenly Daddy's coin jar.
After all, He's filled it for you! <smile>
·
Adapted from
Eddie's book, How to Be Heard in Heaven, available at http://www.prayerbookstore.com
********************************************************
(6) NPPNow ~ Inner-Vew #55: Honest Talk about Honest Prayer
From: Phil Milgioratti
<updates@nppn.org>
To: praycf@juno.com
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 08:46:56 -0500
(EST)
Subject: NPPNow
~ Inner-Vew #55: Honest Talk about Honest Prayer
Inner~View #55
Inner~View #55: Honest Talk About
Honest Prayer
Praying
Pastor interviewed Peter Lundell, author of Prayer
Power: 30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God (Revell,
January 2009)
Praying Pastor ~ Many Christians don't talk about hardships with prayer.
Why do you open up about the struggles you, as a pastor, have had drawing close
to God in prayer?
My first draft of the book read like an instruction manual of all the things
you ought to do to be spiritual like me. I realized that the more spiritual I
tried to sound, the less honest I was being. I was hiding behind my words. No
reader should have to, or would want to, put up with that. And besides, it was
boring.
So I determined to be totally honest. I rewrote the book and openly shared
every doubt, struggle, and failure, because every reader goes through
struggles. And if I'm not honest with readers, how can I expect readers to be
honest with others or even themselves? This is especially important for
pastors.
I've discovered two things: First, brutal honesty is tremendously liberating,
and I don't want to live any other way. Second, when we stick
with prayer and don't give up, answers and victories rise from these struggles.
Answers and victory never rise from pretending.
I hope to connect with readers in hope that they'll connect with me and the
victories I've experienced-so that they will experience their own victories.
Praying Pastor ~ What are some of the things God has taught you about
prayer over the years - especially from the perspective of your leadership
roles?
It's good to listen before I talk. If I always dive into prayer and never spend
time listening, I only dump my own "give-me list" on God. But his
word says in 1 John 5:14-15 that when I seek and pray according to his will, my
prayer will be answered. So the key is to first get in sync with God.
We've got to have a hunger, or thirst, for God. Without hunger, no program or
technique or anything we learn will go anywhere. But with hunger for God, we
could know almost nothing and still have a great prayer life. Hunger is
singularly important-which is why it's the first chapter.
When I pray with faith and don't get what I ask for, God will soon show me why.
There is always something to learn in unanswered prayer.
Praying Pastor ~ What suggestions do you have for those times when a
pastor or leader just doesn't feel like praying?
Read a prayer. Someone was inspired in prayer when he or she wrote it down. So
if we're feeling tired, depressed, or like a zombie, we can let the inspiration
that first permeated that written prayer permeate our own hearts and minds. I
find the Psalms to be the best source for this.
We can do this with the Lord's Prayer, and extrapolate on each part of it.
Books of prayers are also available. I've also written my own.
Reading prayers in this way should be seen as a way to get prayer moving, not
as the prayer experience itself. In no way do I want to direct people to simply
read other people's prayers. The purpose is to kick-start our own.
Another thing is to play worship music. Put on a CD or iPod
and worship along with the music, then move into prayer. It's no coincidence
that Saul's demonic spirit left when David played his harp, and it's no mystery
why most churches play music in the background during prayer times or altar
calls. The Holy Spirit operates more in worship, and the music has the effect
of lifting us up and prying us open as well.
Third, try creating a prayer notebook or just a handy list. Though this may
feel forced, lists give substance and direction. And with that, our prayer is
much more likely to take off with spontaneity and passion.
Praying Pastor ~ How can we combat busyness and pray through
distractions?
As I discuss later, the first thing is to establish a consistent prayer time
and location. Early monks went to the deserts of North Africa to spare
themselves the distractions of busy life. Most of us aren't going to do that,
but we can choose to pray in a place that is not full of messes to clean or
work to be done, even in a one-room apartment, we can face the window. I
practice what I call "intentional neglect." I intentionally neglect
all the things screaming for my attention. When I'm done with my prayer time,
then I do them. When God is our priority, everything else falls into
place-especially in the church. It amazes me how much we pastors forget that.
When we do pray, we still confront distractions of the mind-there's
really no escape. That's why I always keep a notebook, day planner, or scratch
paper handy. Thoughts will come regarding something I need to do. Rather than
distract myself by trying not to forget it, I jot it down, forget about it
while I pray, and do it afterward. Or the invading thought, especially if it's
from the Holy Spirit, might be something I turn into a prayer.
If, no matter what we do, we still can't focus, then yell. Seriously.
But yell someplace where people won't hear and think you're nuts. If need be,
let your very prayer be to ask God to help you focus. Raising the voice can
have an immediate and powerful effect in focusing the mind. Try it and see!
Praying Pastor ~ What do you mean by "praying boldly" and how
can Christians learn to do that?
Praying boldly is the opposite of excessively polite prayer and of-I'll just
say it-wimpy prayer. Praying boldly is praying without intimidation, not caring
what other people think, expressing ourselves to God without concern for being
appropriate or religiously correct but rather with a passion from our guts that
pours out, unashamedly. Bold prayer is not arrogant. It's humble and faithful,
because of its self-abandoned focus on God and expectation of what God will do.
People often assume they must be polite or solemn before God. Nowhere does the
Bible teach this. Two thirds of the Psalms are complaints, and they are not
polite. Most prayers in both Old and New Testaments are bold, expectant, and to
the point. When Jesus teaches on prayer in Luke 11:5-10, he talks about an
obnoxious guy who bangs on his friend's door at midnight. Then he says we
should bug him the same way by continually asking, seeking, and knocking. I
often wonder if God gets tired of diplomatic prayers. Why else would he
actually tell us to be bold and persistent-and use examples that, if we were on
the receiving end, most of us would say are obnoxious.
There's no real method to doing this. It's a mindset that chooses to free
itself from previous assumptions and uses the Bible as a model of how to pray.
Praying Pastor ~ How can we practice the presence of God and include him
in everyday tasks?
Practicing the presence of God primarily has to do with developing an attitude,
a continual awareness that God is always with us, and that in turn, we always
incline our attention toward him.
The first thing most of us need to do is to slow down or cut unnecessary
activities from our calendar. Busyness is an enemy to practicing the presence
of God. Jesus repeatedly blew off other people's agendas for him and
continually focused on his purpose for being here. Pastors who do the same are
always happier, closer to God, and more effective. And when we practice the
presence of God, we increase our ability to be intimate with him when times do
get busy.
Here are some practices that may help develop that attitude: My last thought
before I sleep and my first thought when I wake up is centered on God. When I
get mad or stressed, I try to see things from God's perspective. When I am
waiting for someone, I use that time to pray. I do menial tasks with an
awareness and love of God. I often have a praise song on my mind as I go
through the day.
Breath prayers are another practice that can help. These are super-short
prayers that we can utter with one breath at any time all through the day. The
first one we know of, that has been used for centuries, is the "Jesus
Prayer": "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." Most
pastors may rather spontaneously say their own breath prayers, such as, "I
praise you, Lord." "Fill me with your Spirit." "I receive
your peace." The possibilities are endless.
Praying Pastor ~ You talk about "prayer of agreement." Can you
explain that and why it's an important element of powerful prayer? How valuable
are Pastors' Prayer Groups for this?
We're all familiar with Matthew 18:19-20: "If two of you on earth agree
about anything..." That's a major part of agreement in prayer, but there's
more. I encourage people's agreement in prayer to start before they even pray.
We first need to be in agreement with God's Word. I always try to pray in
accordance with a promise or exhortation or example in Scripture-rather than
just give my own agenda to God and hope he blesses it.
Second, pray in agreement with the Holy Spirit. However the Spirit communicates
with us (everyone is different), we may feel led to focus or stretch our faith
on what God intends, and that may mean letting other prayer requests go. When
our prayer is led by the Spirit, we have far better results than when we're in
the driver's seat.
Third, we agree with others in that fascinating, inscrutable pattern in Scripture
where people joining together exponentially increases answers to prayer. When
we do this, it's important to establish exactly what we're agreeing on. In a
hospital, for example, do I as a pastor agree with Mrs. Smith that God will
guide the doctor, or that she will have a miraculously fast and complete
recovery, or that God will miraculously heal her so that surgery is
unnecessary? The amazing thing to me is that God tends to answer prayers at the
level where people put their faith.
Pastors' Prayer groups are great for this. I started and lead one myself. We've
got a bunch of guys who commit to two things: leave doctrinal differences at
the door and relate to each other in humility. It's wonderful. With great
diversity, we combine our knowledge of the Bible with openness to the Spirit
and to one another's wisdom born out of experience. I wish every pastor were in
such a group.
Praying Pastor ~ You're a proponent for creating a place of prayer and
establishing a time of prayer. Why are these important elements for prayer?
These two disciplines are the most important external helps for maintaining a
strong prayer life. Without them, our good intentions eventually drown under
the assaults of busyness and distractions.
A place of prayer helps us concentrate in the face of distractions. That place
could be the church sanctuary, an empty room in the house, a spot in the back
yard, or even a rug laid out on the floor, on which
the only thing we do is pray. The physical surroundings of a location devoted
to prayer tell our brains, "Focus on God." And if
we ever feel bored or in a rut of over-familiarity with a place, a change of
location can be stimulating.
Establishing a set prayer time ingrains a habit of prayer into our minds, such
that if we miss it, we feel anxious because something is missing or wrong-and
it is! A set prayer time is not to force ourselves to pray as much as to create
a boundary of protection from busyness. That boundary of time is like a
protective fence around a garden, where we give ourselves freedom from
intrusions to spend unhindered time with God. Preferably we'll do this as early
as possible in the morning, so we can lay the whole
day before the Lord. And unlike a prayer place, I have never found benefit in
changing my prayer time, so I highly recommend keeping it sacred, especially if
we're traveling or really busy. Whether short or long, this protective fence of
a set time must be intentional, because no one else can do it for us.
Praying Pastor ~ You're a pastor, and yet you still struggle with
prayer. What advice would you give to fellow pastors or longtime Christians
about enriching their prayer lives?
I do and I don't. I don't often struggle to pray, because intimacy with God has
become part of my lifestyle. But I do struggle in prayer.
True men and women of prayer will sometimes wrestle in prayer, as did many
figures in the Bible, like Jacob's symbolic wrestling with the angel and Jesus'
wrestling over his fate in Gethsemane.
Like anyone else, I struggle with unanswered prayer or major decisions to do
something by faith, when tragedy strikes, problems of injustice, and healings
that take a lot longer than I'd like. The key is to keep struggling-don't give
up and too quickly assume something is God's will before you know for sure. The
angel commended Jacob for not giving up until he got a blessing. God the Father
actually sent an angel to help Jesus wrestle in Gethsemane. Sometimes wrestling
in prayer is God's will for us.
Wrestling in prayer is a good thing. It draws us closer to God. And it changes
us in the process.
Praying Pastor ~ Peter, please write a prayer you would hope every
pastor reading this interview will pray in faith...
Father, you love me so much. Sometimes the demands and heartaches of doing your
work drain me. Rejuvenate me with your presence. Fill me with your Spirit as I
lift my hands to you. My life and my ministry are in your hands. I choose to
keep it there and trust you to lead me and bless me so I will always be a
blessing to others. I will pursue every vision you've given me and overcome
every hardship that intrudes, because, Lord Jesus, I walk in your footsteps.
Your victory is mine. Lead me to live it every day. Amen.
*NPPN - NATIONAL PASTORS' PRAYER NETWORK - US
A Ministry Network Of The Mission
America Coalition
OUR VISION-
Identify And Encourage Pastors'
Prayer Groups In Cities And Communities
Across America So That Pastors Lead Their
People Into Praying For And
Sharing Christ With Everyone In Our Nation.
Subscribe to the NPPN: http://www.nppn.org/subscribe.htm
**************************************************************
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