“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:1-4).
Building on last week’s article, fourthly, weneed the prayer of intercession, because we are admonished to pray for others. As we “forgive every one that is indebted to us”. This type of prayer is known as intercessory prayer. It is what Jesus does for us, even now, as He sits at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. Paul is a great example for us, as he prayed that he might be accused so that his people might be saved.
God answers prayer sometimes on an individual basis (private, closet kind of praying). We need to pray in specifics. Call out their name or their need. When we pray for the lost, put a name with it. If you don’t know any lost people, find some. There are plenty to go around.
Fifth, we need to pray, giving thanks. What is often missing in the lives of many so-called Christians is gratitude. Remember the 10 lepers who came to Jesus — only one came back to thank Him.
“Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145:2). We are not bashful to ask, so we need not be in giving thanks.
All of these are directionsfor prayer. They can be used separately or collectively. Sometimes one or two or more. Yet friends, it is profitable to the believer. Thus, we see many prayers offered in specific directions. That prayer is talking to God. Yes, there is an effective way to pray. Many people are considered prayer warriors because they believe God desires to answer their prayers.
So, how often is one to pray? I like to refer to the phase of prayer without ceasing as being God-conscious and being in a spirit of praise, rather than dwelling on the negative. Enter into prayer for repentance daily to re-string and maintain our line of communication. May we enter into daily petitionary and intercessory prayer. To enter means to desire an audience with God for either one or all of the above. It has been said that the best time to pray is when you feel the least like it.
An old hymn states it simply, “Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care. And bids me at my Father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief and has often escaped the tempter’s snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”
From Our Missionaries
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “I thank God for Ebenezer’s natural growth, which has been achieved through discipleship. We are welcoming new people whom we must teach what it means to be part of a church, and Ebenezer is their first model of a Christian church. Over the years, we have been laying the groundwork for this growth.
“We are beginning to see the fruits of our annual training sessions, with believers reproducing themselves in others. Last Sunday, we had our monthly meeting of hosts, leaders and participants from each Discovery Bible Studies (DBS). The purpose of this meeting is to review the vision of the ‘Gospel Movement,’ review our ‘Oikos Map,’ and pray for non-believers.
“I am also grateful for the training of leaders in various areas: Vero Trujillo in finance, Joselyne Rico in music, Moi Rico in DBS and Kory in children’s ministry. We continue to pray for church leadership. We need more musicians and more leaders for two additional DBS. We still have a lot of work ahead of us before we can formally establish ourselves as a church, but we are on the right track.
“Thank you for your support and prayers. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “What a great week at Faith Chapel! Our numbers were back up a little, even though several families were out. We had a great time of worship with several return visitors! We had visitors from our Mother Church, The Bridge, and we also had family members of Bill and Darlene Dillard, some of our first members who passed on. Moe and Kathy Dillard come to visit us whenever they are in the area. It was so good to see them! We love it when dear friends come to visit us! It is like a family reunion!
“The weather is cooling off here, and we are working hard on painting the addition. Our members wanted to do it themselves, so that is what we are doing, and it is coming along nicely.
“We look forward to seeing all of you at the state meeting on Thursday. If you see me, please say hi and tell me where you’re from. It’s one of the few times when missionaries get the opportunity to thank those who support and pray for them in person. We sincerely appreciate your prayers and support. You have a profound impact on our mission, and we thank God for you.”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “This weekend was truly one to remember! After several months of marriage preparation, one of our young couples finally said their vows and became husband and wife. Their wedding took place in a beautiful mountain setting surrounded by family and friends. The ceremony was a wonderful testimony of God’s love for them and their love for each other. I was honored to officiate their wedding. Since the wedding was held on Sunday, we enjoyed the morning service at the mission before traveling to the venue for the afternoon ceremony. It was such a joy to celebrate this special moment with them and to witness God’s hand at work in their relationship.
“Back at the mission, our evening service was led by one of our faithful couples who shared the lesson and did an amazing job. It’s such a blessing to see our church family growing and stepping up to serve in new ways.
“We do ask for your prayers for one of our young ladies who is currently in the hospital battling a serious infection. She is a young mother, and we are praying fervently for complete healing, strength and peace for her and her family, as well as wisdom for the doctors caring for her.
“Thank you for keeping our mission family in your prayers as we continue to celebrate, serve and lift one another up in Christ.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “This week our groups met. We hosted the Woodbridge Group at our house. Each time we host, I’m reminded of just how much it takes to do so. Our Garfield Group had their monthly fellowship meal, which included a baked potato bar. They said it tasted as good as it sounded.
“This coming week is a busy week of community events, along with our group meetings and our collective worship service on Sunday, and the state meeting at the end of the week.”
