God is never in a hurry because He knows how fast He can do things once He begins. His concern is for His people to be ready for Him to work. Are you praying about an issue concerning God's will for you? A comment Dr. David Yonggi Cho of Seoul, Korea often makes is, "I listen and obey." This is one of his secrets of success and it's a good word of counsel to follow.
After your prayer time, take additional time to sit still in quiet praise and meditation and listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to you about readiness. You may not hear Him speak the first time you ask but as you develop the time of waiting before Him, you will begin to recognize that still small voice in your heart. Hearing direction from the Holy Spirit is a wonderful reassurance that God is leading you in your important decisions of life.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
When Should I Pray?
New Christians often ask, " When is the best time to pray?" I often tell them, "When you especially feel 'drawn' in your heart to pray, that's the time to find a place to be alone with God and pray. Your new Friend and Senior Partner Who is the Holy Spirit, is letting you know God desires you to take time to talk with Him now or as soon as possible.
"Now that you are in the family of God you will notice a desire to discover all you can about your new relationship. There's a new excitement in your life! With your sins washed away and an unexplainable peace in your heart you will be in awe at the wonder how 'Old things are passed away and all things are (now) become new! (II Cor. 5:17)' To keep this wonderful peace, you need to maintain a fellowship/friendship with the Lord just as you maintain friendships with your closest friends. At times you will feel a need to to pray, so begin where you are in your new relationship (or restored relationship) and pray/talk with your heavenly Father."
A young child does not have a great vocabulary. Though his Mother and Father understand what he needs before he begins to talk well, they still desire him to come and talk. In the same way, your heavenly Father knows what you need before you begin to pray but He still desires you to come and share everything with Him. Share your new joy, your concerns, a severe mess of a problem, the new peace that you experienced since you surrendered your life to Him, and anything else. You may always talk with a Christian friend but you now have the privilege of talking directly with God. That's awesome! The more you talk with Him, the more you will be aware of Him actually walking and talking with you. He already knows all about you ( Psalm 139) but He desires you to know all about Him. He desires you to know He has a destiny planned for you. He wants you to know He is the Master Planner of your life and that destiny, and that He can turn anything around as you share your needs and desires with Him! Remember how I prayed as a child and how God answered my prayer? (see the last entry "A Child's Prayer")
Scripture says, "No man cometh unto the Father except the Spirit "draw" Him." It's important to recognize the drawing you feel is the Spirit of God Himself wanting you to know He desires to have a time of fellowship with you. He desires you to go aside for prayer as soon as possible, so obey His nudge or call. It could be the beginning of learning to have a daily appointment with God. You would learn tremendous things He is doing in you during your personal growing experience. He will talk with you about the things you pray for. So, be sensitive. Respond to the times you feel "drawn" to pray. This is a powerful truth I learned early in my Christian experience and I pass it on to you.
Great things are ahead for those who obey the call of the Spirit! It's not by might nor by power but by His Spirit that you will grow strong in the faith. It comes through the Word of God and prayer!
Blog: www.lifechangingprayer.blogspot.com/
"Now that you are in the family of God you will notice a desire to discover all you can about your new relationship. There's a new excitement in your life! With your sins washed away and an unexplainable peace in your heart you will be in awe at the wonder how 'Old things are passed away and all things are (now) become new! (II Cor. 5:17)' To keep this wonderful peace, you need to maintain a fellowship/friendship with the Lord just as you maintain friendships with your closest friends. At times you will feel a need to to pray, so begin where you are in your new relationship (or restored relationship) and pray/talk with your heavenly Father."
A young child does not have a great vocabulary. Though his Mother and Father understand what he needs before he begins to talk well, they still desire him to come and talk. In the same way, your heavenly Father knows what you need before you begin to pray but He still desires you to come and share everything with Him. Share your new joy, your concerns, a severe mess of a problem, the new peace that you experienced since you surrendered your life to Him, and anything else. You may always talk with a Christian friend but you now have the privilege of talking directly with God. That's awesome! The more you talk with Him, the more you will be aware of Him actually walking and talking with you. He already knows all about you ( Psalm 139) but He desires you to know all about Him. He desires you to know He has a destiny planned for you. He wants you to know He is the Master Planner of your life and that destiny, and that He can turn anything around as you share your needs and desires with Him! Remember how I prayed as a child and how God answered my prayer? (see the last entry "A Child's Prayer")
Scripture says, "No man cometh unto the Father except the Spirit "draw" Him." It's important to recognize the drawing you feel is the Spirit of God Himself wanting you to know He desires to have a time of fellowship with you. He desires you to go aside for prayer as soon as possible, so obey His nudge or call. It could be the beginning of learning to have a daily appointment with God. You would learn tremendous things He is doing in you during your personal growing experience. He will talk with you about the things you pray for. So, be sensitive. Respond to the times you feel "drawn" to pray. This is a powerful truth I learned early in my Christian experience and I pass it on to you.
Great things are ahead for those who obey the call of the Spirit! It's not by might nor by power but by His Spirit that you will grow strong in the faith. It comes through the Word of God and prayer!
Blog: www.lifechangingprayer.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 6, 2007
A Child's Prayer
It was in a children's Sunday School class that I first learned that God would answer prayer. I was eight or nine years old. My Dad had a serious case of diabetes and I had bad tonsils that became inflamed every Fall, causing a high fever and delirium. All six of us children began to pray for Dad to be healed. It didn't matter to me that he had diabetes ten years, that his diet was very strict, and that he had to work 15-16 hours daily. It didn't seem impossible that God could remove my tonsils either, so I prayed two or three times every day. My faith seemed to be in the Scripture our Sunday School teacher taught, "All things are possible to him who believeth." In my childlike way I reminded God these were His words and I didn't want my Daddy to die. I also reminded Him how painful my tonsils were every year.
On an ordinary day my Dad commented that he was feeling better and that he wanted to visit another doctor. At the doctor's office the first set of tests determined there was no diabetes. My Dad asked for the tests to be administered again and the second time the tests came back, "no diabetes." Needless to say the family was excited. It meant God had answered our earnest prayer! After the second set of tests my Dad told the doctor he had suffered with this problem ten years but that God had healed him. The doctor only smiled and offered no comment. The diabetes never returned.
In the meantime, I had many bouts with sore, swollen and ragged tonsils. But I continued to ask the Lord to heal me.
Again, on another ordinary February day about two years later, I suddenly realized Fall came and went and I didn't have tonsilitis. Excited, I ran to our one and only mirror in the bathroom. I opened my mouth wide and to my shock and surprize my throat was as smooth as a baby's skin! I didn't know what happened or how, but I knew God had answered my prayer. All the children in my Sunday School class and all the people who attended my church heard the testimony of this child and the awesome answer to prayer.
What brought the answer to the two urgent needs? First of all I learned as a child that God answers prayer. I learned that if I prayed specifically I would receive a specific answer. Secondly, if I prayed God's Word, He would always honor it.
Many many years have come and gone. My needs have been varied, but I will always remember these two points. Sometimes we stop praying too soon, become discouraged and the faith that would have moved God was set aside. Yes, we stop praying too soon! I encourage you to dare to believe God. Your miracle is still on the way.
Email: Lydiahenryswain@aol.com
Blog: www.lifechangingprayer.blogspot.com/
To Comment: Press "Comment" at the end of entry.
On an ordinary day my Dad commented that he was feeling better and that he wanted to visit another doctor. At the doctor's office the first set of tests determined there was no diabetes. My Dad asked for the tests to be administered again and the second time the tests came back, "no diabetes." Needless to say the family was excited. It meant God had answered our earnest prayer! After the second set of tests my Dad told the doctor he had suffered with this problem ten years but that God had healed him. The doctor only smiled and offered no comment. The diabetes never returned.
In the meantime, I had many bouts with sore, swollen and ragged tonsils. But I continued to ask the Lord to heal me.
Again, on another ordinary February day about two years later, I suddenly realized Fall came and went and I didn't have tonsilitis. Excited, I ran to our one and only mirror in the bathroom. I opened my mouth wide and to my shock and surprize my throat was as smooth as a baby's skin! I didn't know what happened or how, but I knew God had answered my prayer. All the children in my Sunday School class and all the people who attended my church heard the testimony of this child and the awesome answer to prayer.
What brought the answer to the two urgent needs? First of all I learned as a child that God answers prayer. I learned that if I prayed specifically I would receive a specific answer. Secondly, if I prayed God's Word, He would always honor it.
Many many years have come and gone. My needs have been varied, but I will always remember these two points. Sometimes we stop praying too soon, become discouraged and the faith that would have moved God was set aside. Yes, we stop praying too soon! I encourage you to dare to believe God. Your miracle is still on the way.
Email: Lydiahenryswain@aol.com
Blog: www.lifechangingprayer.blogspot.com/
To Comment: Press "Comment" at the end of entry.
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