As often happens when I write something, I then read a post on the same subject. This beautiful poem by Fay Ann describes some of those other types of prayer very clearly. As she says, “God works when we pray. Things happen when we pray. Things change when we pray, mountains move when we pray, and most important, we change when we pray. Keep praying.”
The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in God who is being prayed to.Prayer opens up a lot of opportunities in our lives. It benefits the mind, body and soul. Prayer gets me through every day, as I ask the Lord to direct my path and guide me along the way.
Below is a poem about the power of prayer. I write it to remind myself and hope it will remind you that prayer is important in our daily lives.
God works when we pray.Things happen when we pray. Things change when we pray, mountains move when we pray, and most important, we change when we pray. Keep praying.
To you reading this, thank you so much for being here. You are special to me and I appreciate you always registering your presence here. May God be with you as you…
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask anything in my name and I will do it.” John 14:13-14
We are instructed as followers of Christ to ‘devote ourselves to praying for all the saints’, (Ephesians 6:18) and to ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). There are so many ways to pray. Richard Foster has written an excellent book, entitled ‘Prayer’ and describing 21 different types of prayer, most of which I’m sure you would be familiar with. In general, my thanksgiving posts such as this focus on just 2 types of prayer – Petitionary Prayer – asking for my own guidance and needs – and Intercessory Prayer – asking for the needs of others. Categories such as this can be helpful, but the truth is that reality is largely grey areas and thanksgiving, adoration, repentance, surrender, prayer of the heart are all part of these prayers too. As Jesus says in the Scripture quoted above, Jesus answers the prayers in His name, so that God the Father is glorified through Christ. Not every answer to prayer is the one we asked for, but we have to trust the outcome of our prayer to Him to whom we pray. It is all for the glory of God, who is good, all the time. I want to give thanks and glory to God for the answers to specific petitionary and intercessory prayers that I witnessed throughout June.
Thank you, Father:-
that M went rehab and joined AA;
that K back in AA and other new-comers made the step;
that A home and declared in remission;
that J had long-awaited operation and is now sitting up and recovering;
that S gone into remission and can now look towards a transplant;
that me able to share holy Spirit words of hope to S and O family;
that S able to share words of hope to E;
for giving me Isaiah 43:1-3;
that A now able to visit her parents and family and all well;
that B in great spirits and hair returning and physio booked and full of hope;
for the 2 poems You gave to me;
for submission of J’s dissertation on time and You acknowledged;
for grace, energy and providence to babysit;
for saving C out of the water;
for all the Christian MPs gathering publicly for the online prayer breakfast for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.
I do not find it easy to make time for prayer. I realise that usually I am in a privileged position to be able to devote more time to prayer than most. This last week I was away on holiday with four others, including my beloved grandchildren (aged 2 and 4) and taking time out to pray was impossible for me! I do understand. As a friend often reminds me – we have to do what we can, not what we can’t. And so I had to make my acts of service and thoughts my prayer life. Another friend of mine often calls and asks me not to go away and pray for people, but to agree in prayer with her then and there, over the phone, and entrust people and situations to God like that. I write all the requests down, to remind me to pray and to follow up on how those prayers have been answered. Whatever you have time for and in whatever way you can, do what you can to bring the needs of those who come to your heart before our loving God and Father. Be faithful in prayer and see God glorified through the Son. Run the race and don’t give up praying until you see the prayers answered. Don’t give up on anyone you have been praying for, but renew your commitment to see healing, transformation and growth. Bring your requests in confidence in the name of Jesus, who intercedes constantly for those who believe in the name of the Son of God.
“This is my Father’s world.” I recently heard Holy Spirit whisper to my heart these profound hymn lyrics as I was out and about. As I approached the main square of our city, the sky was extravagant. The Itaya River was up ahead. The beauty of the fading day rested on my senses. Holy Spirit pointed out to me how creation’s loveliness was overwhelmingly greater than the signs of poverty around the city. In spite of the bad things that happen here, this is my Father’s world.
Later, I was sitting in my rocking chair in our back yard, praying. He whispered it again. Gazing up at the soft clouds floating by, I took in His bounty. The green leaves greeted me brightly with their gentle rustling, and I received His generosity. The songbirds regaled me…
It has become blatantly apparent Evidently visible Undoubtedly agreeable That JESUS is the Prince of Peace
When boats were shaking and hearts were desperate Desperate for help Desperate for saving He was right there with them In the very situation were fear and panic existed, there he was with peace There was a Prince There was the Prince of Peace
When he was in a sticky situation with hungry people And the people who walked with him and experienced his power doubted and fretted He was at ease He was peaceful There was the Prince of peace
To think this is someone I have been forfeiting I tried to maneuver around all the ways to find peace like a maze But it has always been one track His way
I didn’t actively forfeit him though but I didn’t choose him either To forfeit the very definition of “peace is not…
Yesterday and today Sue has been experiencing an incredible sensation of hope and of joy. This has come from the revelation that she can never earn her innocence or salvation. To get it right, to live by the rules, all these things are impossible to achieve in their totality. But that is the good news of Jesus – by believing in him, we appropriate His innocence, as the person bringing the spotless lamb in times past did (he would place a hand on the head of the innocent lamb and exchange his sin for the lamb’s purity. The lamb carrying the sin and guilt would then be sacrificed in his place and he would have been given pardon) And Jesus came to restore that lost innocence for all people, for all time. If we believe He carried ALL of our sinfulness to the cross and was sacrificed to bring innocence…
My beloved Nana gave me a pendant with this image on when I was a girl and the Lord’s Prayer inscribed on the other side…
I took the liberty of reflecting on “The Lord’s Prayer” and putting it into a language that refreshes it’s meaning to me. I hope it raises an Amen from you too:
You are our heavenly father, mother, loving creator and source of all life; we are ALL Your children. Your names describe your character – Almighty God, Provider, Holy One, Most High God – You are Holy and more magnificent and more powerful than anything. We want to live as You intend us to live – in a free, beautiful, perfect world, as you created it to be – with You, for You. We can only do this with you. We trust You to give us everything that we need to do this –…
