“One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

Jesus’ disciples were raised in a culture that honoured God through worship and sacrificial rites. They were also exposed to another form of worship that wasn’t structured or ritualistic and was very personal: personal prayer. Their forefathers, such as Solomon, called to God in prayer as recorded in 1 Kings 8:23 “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way”. They knew about prayer, had seen others pray and had prayed themselves, so why are they asking Jesus to teach them to pray? 

In an earlier chapter of Luke, we read that Jesus sent disciples into the villages to do great things. When they came back and reported what they had done, He acknowledged their accomplishments by stating, “I saw Satan falling from heaven” (Luke 10:18).  You would think that at that point in their lives, these disciples were ready to minister to the world and wreak havoc on Satan’s kingdom. Yet, chapter 11 of Luke teaches us that they knew something was missing. They knew that when Jesus prayed, it was different. They sensed He was connected to the creator of the universe, and they probably longed for a similar relationship with God. They wanted Jesus to teach them what He had.  

Our world has made a business of trying to explain prayer with various theologies, books, videos and so on. There are many great resources available to anyone seeking. I have agreed to work with the MCF and help people connect to God through prayer. I have felt so underqualified and overwhelmed at the thought of this role, and I often ask what more we can offer you. I, however, believe that prayer is not so much a process as a way of life. We know that when someone decides to be a follower of Christ, they are equipped to pray because they believe God empowers them. The Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). Because we believe, we learn that we have access to God’s inspired scripture that is filled with example after example of prayer actions and results. Because we have chosen the Way, we can go into the world and see it differently. 

Jesus prayed before, during and after He went into His community, and He changed lives. Prayers are words, but they are also actions. Prayer comes from the heart and is uttered in the utmost faith that it will be heard and answered. So, without any fanfare or ceremony go into the world, meet God’s children and pray. 

Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go into the pit.
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You. (Psalm 143:7-8 KJV)

Do you notice the unique tones in this prayer? The writer of Psalm 143 expresses a plea for swift divine intervention and guidance. Feeling overwhelmed and near despair, he asks God to answer quickly, because he fears that God’s silence will lead to a state of spiritual decline. He expresses a deep trust in God’s unfailing love and a desire to know and follow His will. He urgently requests God’s immediate attention and response. Despite his distress, he expresses faith in God’s lovingkindness, entrusting his life to Him and desiring to walk in the path He has chosen. 

Pray with God’s will and glory in your heart and mind.  

Face the world with Prayer.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Have you ever seen a battle between an eagle and a snake? Both are powerful creatures, and it might be challenging to predict the outcome of a fight between the two. The snake’s venom is capable of weakening the largest of creatures, and some can crush their adversaries. The eagle has powerful, sharp talons and a beak that can cause significant damage, even death, when it attacks.  The snake’s domain is on the ground. It is comfortable there and knows its territory well. It is difficult for prey to escape a snake attack. The snake can use its surroundings to take advantage of its prey, usually surprising them when they least expect it.  A snake is a powerful foe on the ground. The eagle’s realm, on the other hand, is in the air. It majestically soars in the heavens, looking for prey, and when it sees game, it silently swoops out of the sky to strike. 

When the eagle and snake face off against each other, the battle is not on the ground. The eagle knows that the ground is where the snake is the most potent and dangerous, and so when it attacks, it does not face off against the snake on its territory. The eagle will swoop down, grab the snake in its mighty talons, climb into the heavens and continually toss it about in the air until its talons end the life of the snake. The snake has no defence against this type of battle. It is out of its natural terrain, and so it will be defeated. 

In several instances, scripture notes that when Jesus was about to face an adversary or difficult situation, he chose not to fight on the ground. He prayed. He sent his concerns to his Father in heaven. He took the problem out of the world and sent it into the spiritual realm, arming himself with the power of the creator of the universe, the One who has dominion over both the heavens and the earth.  Although Jesus could face any enemy regardless of where they stood, he taught us not to fight the battle of this world in the world. The evil one has had the advantage of centuries of perfecting his battle posture on earth, so we must face him with a more powerful approach, using prayer to protect us and help us face the trials and struggles of life.  

Like the eagle, we must learn to spot an adversary and not fight it where it lies. We must take it to the place where we will have the advantage. We must bring it to the heavens where our Father will deal with it and help us face whatever problem, struggle, or concern we may have. Choose victory over the evil one by facing the world with prayer.

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

I recently visited my old stomping grounds of Halifax and reflected on the times our church would walk through our community, praying for people and places. We once stood on the hilltop, the highest point, of the Bayers Lake business complex and asked God to give us wisdom and authority over all we could see to spread His name. 

Spring is here, and soon good weather will follow. Some people pray best when they are moving, and so prayer walking can be a wonderful gift for those who enjoy getting up and moving around. It is a type of intercessory prayer that invites people to visit the site of their concern, such as the office, conference room, dining room, kitchen, school, hospital, or government building. 

PRAYER WALKING SUGGESTIONS:

Slowly and deliberately walk through places, listening to the Holy Spirit and praying as you are led. 

• Walk through your church and school grounds, giving thanks to God for the people and activities that take place there.
• Walk through places of need, fear, conflict, and decision making, such as shopping malls and places of business, blessing the places you see and praying for the activities and people that gather there.
• Walk through neighbourhoods and bring each household to God one by one
• Walk through your home or church in the company of Jesus. Pray for each room and for what happens within it. 
• Take a walk through your workplace.  Pray for your colleagues, custodians, clients, delivery personnel, and others. Offer yourself to be Jesus’ hands and heart in this place. 
• Visit the playground, sports complex, or library near you. Pray for those who play or study there. 
• Before a neighbourhood picnic or community event, join with another believer who will pray with you for the people who will attend the event. Ask the Lord to give you His heart for them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in this event.  
• When you are on vacation or in a natural setting, allow God to draw you into prayer for that particular place. Let your interaction with the created world lead you into prayer.  

The Methodist founder and some of his peers used to meet often and conduct a self-examination of their walk with Christ. The list below contains some of the questions they asked themselves. They did not do this as a legalistic ritual but to align themselves with the gospel and not the world. These questions could be seen as Holy Spirit prompts which we may be ignoring or avoiding. Take a few minutes to read and answer these questions privately and listen to what God has to say about your responses. 

1.  Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2.  Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3.  Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4.  Can I be trusted?

5.  Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

6.  Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?

7.  Did the Bible live in me today?

8.  Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9.  Am I enjoying prayer?

10.  When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11.  Do I pray about the money I spend?

12.  Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?

13.  Do I disobey God in anything?

14.  Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15.  Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16.  Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17.  How do I spend my spare time?

18.  Am I proud?

19.  Do I thank God that I am not like other people?

20.  Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard?

21.  Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22.  Is Christ real to me?

Below is an article that is worth re-reading.  
We first published it in April of this year. Please take time to read through and ponder on the Word of God.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:11-12 (NIV)

Prayer is the way to put a voice in our hearts and words to meet our needs. So, why do we often communicate with God about our heart’s desire differently from how we speak with the world? God created us with the unique ability to touch, smell, see, hear and taste the world around us while engaging emotions such as happiness, fear, and anger. We use these blessings daily as we interact with the planet, yet often, when we speak with God, we muffle or hide them, put on a prayer visage, use a prayer voice and expect God to speak truth into our lives while approaching Him in disguise. Because some pray differently from how they say, they will toil in their attempts to talk to God with the characteristics, personality and baggage that defines them. 

We enter into prayer knowing that we are privileged to be granted an audience with the King of the universe. We should not confuse that privilege as a right and speak to our Father as if He needs to react to our problems because we boldly asked Him. We must recognize who is the recipient of our prayer and fear His power while at the same time remembering He wants to tell us His will so that we can live a life pleasing to Him. He wants us to tell Him what is on our hearts so He can share what is on His.   

Many struggle with prayer. We want to differentiate between coincidence and divine intervention. But, if we are not in the habit of talking to God, we certainly will not be able to recognize His response. Some treat prayer as one way of communication, where they do all the talking and leave no place for listening. We have concerns that break our hearts and want to tell God as best as we can. However, sometimes we feel abandoned when we can’t sense an answer. Prayer requires that we practice speaking and listening, but above all, it requires faith in the truth God answers prayers.  

Prayer requires remaining faithful to the practice. When we commit ourselves to becoming followers of Christ, we are told we will be transformed into a new creature who can be holy and pleasing to God. For some, this change can be instantaneous, while others are changed over time. Only God knows why it happens either way. Prayer has a similar behaviour in that answers can be instantaneous and obvious at times or are found by searching scripture, seeking counsel, or continually praying and listening. Regardless of the response time, we must be faithful to the idea that God wants us to speak with Him. He chooses to answer us, and we must seek to recognize His reponse so we can rightfully give our Lord His honour and praise. 

(based on various resources)

There is no one right way to pray. Throughout the Bible, we see several different types of prayers used including adoration, lament, thanksgiving, petition, deliverance, contrition, and guidance. A stronger prayer life incorporates various prayer types, which will help you through the many different situations you will face in your life. 

Over the next few weeks, we will identify the seven different types of prayers for you to take your prayer life to the next level.

WEEK 1 – Adoration

WEEK 2 – Thanks Giving

WEEK 3 – Repentance & Contrition

WEEK 4 – Lament

Week 5 – Guidance

Week 6 – Deliver us Oh Lord.

Surrounding most military facilities is fencing with signage stating, “No trespassing by order of the MND.” Most who would want to enter the property would not know the meaning of MND nor the name of the current Ministers of National Defence. Yet, they accept the warning not to trespass as authorized by someone in authority.

When we read about Jesus in the Gospels, do we take His ministry as done by someone of authority? When we end our prayers “in Jesus’ name”, do we do so because we acknowledge Jesus as someone of authority? Throughout his ministry, Jesus did not just affirm and endorse the words of Scripture; he talked and acted like he had authored the Scriptures. He lived with the authority of the One who wrote the book. 

Below are a few verses referring to his authority, which may enhance your understanding and acceptance of His power. 

1. JESUS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”   John 10:17–18.

2. JESUS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS

 “But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So, he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.   Matt. 9:6–8

3. JESUS HAD AUTHORITY OVER DEMONS

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” Mark 1:27

4. JESUS HAD AUTHORITY OVER SICKNESS  

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.   (Mat 10:1)

5. JESUS HAD AUTHORITY TO JUDGE

And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.   John 5:27

6. JESUS HAD AUTHORITY OVER ALL MEN

 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.   John 17:2

7. JESUS HAD AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”   Matt. 28:18.

Reverend John Wesley and a some of his close friends started a group nicknamed the “Holy Club”. They met daily and discussed these 20 questions with an aim to be supportive of each other in their walk as Christ followers.
How would you respond to these questions? 

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I disobey God in anything?

13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

16. How do I spend my spare time?

17. Am I proud?

18. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard?

19. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

20. Is Christ real to me?
 

“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6: 13

During the week leading up to Jesus’ arrest, Jesus warns Peter, saying, “Satan wants to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith might not fail” (Lk 22:31-32). Jesus does not promise Peter that there will be no trials in life. Peter pledges loyalty even unto death but falls asleep in the garden. Jesus then awakens Peter and tells him to watch and pray lest he enter into temptation, but Peter does not pray and, soon after that, fails in his time of trial by denying Jesus three times. 

When we pray, we are protected by Jesus from Satan and his attacks. Satan, the accuser, is not prevented from his work as “the accuser.” Still, the disciples are instructed in the Lord’s Prayer not only to pray in general but for deliverance from the times of trial that evil brings. 

Whatever one’s views of the nature of Satan, it can be said that the way evil functions in society is most appropriately described using personal language. A demonic energy breaks out in people, societies and nations that act with the force of a guiding evil mind. “Lead us not into temptation” is better translated as, “Do not bring us to the time of trial.” Also, “do not bring us” can be understood to mean “Do not permit us to go.” 

The petition for protection from evil, or the evil one, is a cry from the heart in every age. In 1 Peter 5:8, we find Peter’s words, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

Seeking God’s protection and guidance must be in our minds and our prayers daily as we venture into the lions’ den..