The message in church today centered around prayer and it got me thinking about my own prayer life. Specifically, about the times that I have prayed, both for myself and for others and the outcomes that my prayers generated. I have seen healing in response to prayer many times since becoming a Christian, in several of these cases the healing occurred right before my eyes. And yet I have prayed for my own healing and received no answer. What is different in these experiences? When I thought back this morning in church, I realized this simple truth, when I was praying for my own healing I was praying alone. When I witnessed healing in response to prayer, I was not alone but I was praying as part of a group. I'm not saying individual prayer is not effective, God has never let me down, he has never abandoned me. What I am saying is that our prayers are so much more effective when we pray with others. Prayer is not just for private conversations with God, it is also for us to gather together and lift our voices up as one, it is a "team sport" so to speak.
Matthew 18: 19-20
19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
Ask - Believe - Receive
Psalm 34: 4-6
I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.
These are more than just words in a book.
Two nights ago we were in the middle of a life altering event. Handled incorrectly, this event would have changed our lives and not for the better. This problem was not my area of expertise, so I was left with little to do but watch and wait while my partner worked on the problem, gathering data, documentation and so on. While I waited I started to pray. At first, I just asked for help, from God, from Jesus, then I asked for revelation. I asked for revelation, I asked God to show us the way out of this mess, to tell me what we need to do, and I continued to pray. After some time I just felt that it was ok to stop, so I relaxed sat down and waited as my partner continued on into the night working on her end. While I waited, and silently rebuked the doubt that tried to fill my head with lies and negativity our answer came in an instant. In an instant God gave us the answer we needed to guide us out of that mess. In my desperation I prayed and the LORD listened; he saved us from our trouble, again.
I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.
These are more than just words in a book.
Two nights ago we were in the middle of a life altering event. Handled incorrectly, this event would have changed our lives and not for the better. This problem was not my area of expertise, so I was left with little to do but watch and wait while my partner worked on the problem, gathering data, documentation and so on. While I waited I started to pray. At first, I just asked for help, from God, from Jesus, then I asked for revelation. I asked for revelation, I asked God to show us the way out of this mess, to tell me what we need to do, and I continued to pray. After some time I just felt that it was ok to stop, so I relaxed sat down and waited as my partner continued on into the night working on her end. While I waited, and silently rebuked the doubt that tried to fill my head with lies and negativity our answer came in an instant. In an instant God gave us the answer we needed to guide us out of that mess. In my desperation I prayed and the LORD listened; he saved us from our trouble, again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)